From the very beginning of the temple’s founding, the Master Nun left this instruction: let everyone work together to maintain cleanliness and to keep all things in good order. This serves two purposes: first, all who enter will feel a sense of ease and peace of mind; and second, the devotees who have offered their contributions in making merit may rest assured that whatever they have given — however much — will never be carelessly discarded, but will be put to full and proper use.
Even the mats upon which we are seated now — if memory serves correctly — are no less than twenty years old. For the revered grandmother teacher laid down a precise method: each mat must be wiped on both sides. One person wipes the front surface on which we sit, then rolls it inward; another person wipes the back, wiping and rolling as they go. In this way, the mat is kept clean on both sides. In general practice, mats are wiped on one side only — but the Master Nun was exacting and thorough in this regard.
Let it be said, then, that cleanliness and orderliness were the foundational principles she established from the outset. She even instructed that these values be taught to the children who came to the temple, so that this foundation might be laid firmly and without exception. Yet cleanliness and orderliness as seen outwardly have not yet reached the heart. To bring cleanliness into the heart, one must also sit in meditation together — for it is through meditation that true cleanliness penetrates within.
Teaching Dining Hall and Refectory of the Master Nun Chand Khonnokyoong, January 16th, 2018
