Better to Feel Refreshed Yourself Than Wait for Someone Else: The Intersection of Cleaning and Buddhism

Start by Checking Your Mouth

Take a moment to observe your mouth. Does it feel a little sticky? A bit sour?

If so, brush your teeth.

While you're at it—use that same momentum to wash the dishes and put them away. After tidying up, change the stocking filter in the sink trap, and finish by wiping the sink with a PVA cloth. Leave not a single drop—make it sparkle.

This is a simple habit technique of stacking small "while-you're-at-it" actions to feel refreshed.

Instead of thinking, "Washing dishes is a hassle—someone else should do it," try: "I want to feel clean, so I'll take care of the shared space myself."

I've heard that in some Western contexts people say, "Don't pick up litter—it's taking away the jobs of those who collect trash." But is that really true? Or is it just an excuse to rationalize personal sloth?

If public spaces stay clean, municipal budgets can shrink and labor capacity can be redirected. Yes, the specific task of picking up trash might disappear, but those workers aren't limited to that one job; they can be reassigned to street-tree care, office organization, or other useful tasks.

That's an organizational issue for employers or local governments—not an excuse for you to dull your conscience. Using such rationalizations to soothe your own morals is, in the end, a kind of self-harm.

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In Buddhism, human beings are originally bonpu—ordinary, flawed people prone to excuses and laziness. Precisely because of that, small habits and acts of cleaning become a space to meet our bonpu desires honestly.

The mind that says "It's too much trouble," and the desire that says "I want to feel good," both get folded into practice—and, in that folding, find their place under the light of Amida.

The little refreshment you get from everyday tidiness is more than a life-hack; it may be a kind of daily practice—a humble "nenbutsu" for ordinary people.

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Practical start: brush your teeth now, then wash that cup. You won't save the world today, but you'll save your mouth.

「誰かやってくれ」より「自分がスッキリ」――掃除と仏教の交差点

Article Supplement
I'm not sure if there are any stores in Western countries like Japan's 100-yen shop, "Daiso," but if there are, I think the "PVA cloth" that's sold there is a household essential. This cloth is great at absorbing moisture completely, so if you wipe around your sink with it, you can get rid of every last drop of water, which helps with pest prevention.