Thinking of those who tend Japanese rock gardens

Some years ago, a close friend and I were deeply into Zen Buddhist practices. (Buddhism, Sri Lanka’s dominant religion is still occupies an important place in my life.) For me an embodiment of Zen is the rock garden of Kyoto’s Ryoan-ji temple. The garden is fifteen stones, arranged on a bed of raked white sand. I am told that raking the garden, to ensure its pristine appearance is the most important daily task of a Buddhist monk.

I have no such responsibilities, but it seems useful to bring that monk’s focus and discipline to my own early morning tasks: cleaning the kitchen, ensuring that at least one new surface in my apartment is uncluttered and conscious, ironing, folding laundry, sewing on a missing button…. The challenge, rarely achieved, is to bring to each task the concentration that monk brings to his task. To the degree that discipline can be attained, I believe any tasks, however mundane, can be given dignity and meaning.