Sweeping Changes: Discovering the Joy of Zen in Everyday Tasks - Hardcover

Gary Thorp

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802713602 ISBN 13: 9780802713605

Publisher: Walker Books, 2000

Synopsis

Your home is an extension of yourself; therefore when your home is in turmoil, your life is in turmoil. However, when you attend to your home, you begin to feel less hurried and more in tune with your life. There is delight and calm to be found in the midst of washing dishes or changing the water in a vase of flowers; there is pleasure to be experienced in the repetitions of daily life.

Gary Thorp shows how the principles of Zen can bring harmony and peace to your life at home. You don't need special surroundings to achieve the tranquillity of Zen; you can find it anywhere, in the action of dusting a shelf, organizing your closet, or feeding your cat. "Zen" means, simply, meditation, and it does not require you to be seated quietly in a formalized posture. Thorp closely observes many everyday activities, evaluating their capacity to bring satisfaction and self-growth and provide an opportunity for Zen practice.

Sweeping Changes may not only change your feelings toward housekeeping, it is likely to help you see your home, and your place in it, in a new and nurturing light. Whether you live in a small room, an apartment, or on an estate, you will find something of spiritual and practical value in this engaging, insightful book.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

an extension of yourself; therefore, when your home is in turmoil, your life is in turmoil. However, when you attend to your home, you begin to feel less hurried and more in tune with the world around you. There is delight and calm to be found in the midst of washing dishes or changing the water in a vase of flowers; there is pleasure to be experienced in the repetitions of daily life.

In Sweeping Changes, Gary Thorp shows how the principles of Zen can bring harmony and peace to your life at home. You don’t need special surroundings or to sit quietly in a formal posture to achieve the tranquillity of Zen; you can find it anywhere–in the action of dusting a shelf, organizing your closet, or feeding your cat. As Thorp conveys in sparkling prose, many everyday activities provide an opportunity for Zen practice, satisfaction, and spiritual growth. Whether you live in a small room, an apartment, or a palace, this delightful, insightful book will not only change y

About the Author

Gary Thorp began studying Zen in 1960 and was later lay-ordained in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. A former bookseller and jazz pianist, he is a full-time writer, doing research in marine biology and the ecology of mountain lions. He lives with his wife, Lura, in Marin County.

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0802713602
• ISBN 13: 9780802713605
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 176