Manuale di pulizie di un monaco buddhista

Confession time: my house is an absolute mess. It’s not dirty just, very, very messy. There are books everywhere. I used to organise them but I have long since run out of shelf room. Books pile up, they get shoved into corners and form giant stacks and then I can’t find the ones I want (though all t Leggi tutto

Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk from a Tokyo temple, talks down to readers in How to be Anal Retentive A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind. Living in a clean house helps your mind in an immensely positive way, not least because, duuuuh, it’s nice to live in a clean house, and cleaning in its Leggi tutto

3 and a half stars. "Think of your home as an allegory for your body." In Zen, it is often said that the profane is sacred and that the sacred is profane; that's why what can seem like menial tasks to some are viewed as ascetic practices for monks, as Shoukei Matsumoto explains in this little book. "A Leggi tutto

In 2017 I began to incorporate more self-care and spiritual practises into my life. In 2018 it has been my goal to really engage with a more mindful, present, and tranquil lifestyle. For that reason I felt very conflicted about what to rate this book. I loved the essence of this book and was so sure Leggi tutto

The main difference between authentic self-help books and patchworked ones is in the authors. Authors who don’t practice what they preach speak empty words. They leave no marks on their audience’s memories. The example of books written by false teachers are plenty. They fluff up the market, but nobo Leggi tutto

I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying: A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever by Marie Kondō at the start of 2016 and, when I read about A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind , I thought it might offer similar nuggets which I could incorporate into my routines. Shoukei Matsumoto , a B Leggi tutto

What a delightful little book. I read it from cover to cover within an hour and found it calming and fascinating in equal measure. This bestseller by a Zen Buddhist monk is in the tradition of books about minimalism, mindfulness and decluttering. It draws a line from cleaning your home and living in Leggi tutto

Un po' di tempo fa un'amica, proprietaria di una bella, vecchia casa sull'Appennino modenese, si è sentita chiedere da una coppia di conoscenti, singalesi e buddhisti: "Questa casa è un ottimo posto per meditare. Ce la presti per un incontro residenziale di meditazione con il monaco-capo di Milano?" Leggi tutto