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In the world of buddhism, there's a saying that states, "after enlightenment, the laundry."
It’s a reminder that the journey toward clarity and inner peace doesn’t end with a single moment.
Instead of being an endpoint, it is just the beginning, continuing into everyday life and encompassing the quiet, repetitive tasks that anchor us all.
When we aim for a minimalist, nature-connected existence, it’s easy to think we’re aiming for perfection: a life free from mess, complication, and distraction.
But true simplicity isn’t about escaping life’s tasks; it’s about seeing them differently.
After all, the laundry, the dishes, the sweeping - whatever chores fill our days -won't disappear simply because we’ve cultivated a peaceful mindset. What changes is the way we approach them.
When I wash clothes I don't see it as a mundane job to “get done” but as an opportunity, a ritual, a moment to practice mindfulness.
I feel the texture of the fabric, the coolness of water, and the joy of going outside to hang clean clothes on the line while visiting with the blue jays and juncos in the trees around me.
When it is done, I appreciate the simplicity of clean, folded piles of cloth. Every step in this process is an invitation for me to stay present, and finding meaning in the mundane.
First enlightenment, then laundry reminds us that peace doesn’t reside only in moments of meditation and stillness.
True peace lives in carrying out each small daily task gently, grace.
So, as we seek simplicity, let’s find enlightenment in each chore, embracing the little moments that connect us to ourselves and our world.
Then we see that perhaps the enlightenment has been there all along, waiting for us to let go and take notice.
