When we feel deeply lost, cleaning can help us return to a clear mind. The purpose of cleaning is not to get rid of our problem—nor to change how others treat us—the key is to see that everything happening in our lives follows a self-fulfilling pattern, and through seeing, we come back to clarity.
Cleaning is about seeing our obstacles, not eliminating them. When we can see our obstacles, we are no longer lost. Because once we see them, we recognize that they are our own inner issues, and we understand that the work must be done within.
If we cannot see this, we remain lost and keep searching outside ourselves—looking for a better teacher, a more famous master, a more powerful guru, or the highest dharma. Yet no one can transcend our obstacles for us. No one knows what we are thinking from moment to moment. Only we know, and only we can do this work for ourselves. If we do not understand this, we will continue to seek answers outside.
Before a clear mind can arise, there is one essential condition: we must be willing to face ourselves. Some people are not willing. Whenever they encounter their obstacles, they interpret them as proof that they are not good enough or not perfect, and they want to escape these feelings rather than face their own pain.
It takes great dedication and sincerity to keep diving inward, day and night, to see our obstacles. When we continuously pay attention to ourselves, clarity naturally emerges. Let me share an example from a student:
“I used to complain that my husband came home late after work. To make him come home earlier, I tried every possible way—even offering to pick him up. In the end, I was exhausted, and nothing changed.
One day, during meditation, I looked deeply into why I was so obsessed with what time he came home. To my surprise, I discovered that in my heart, I didn’t actually want him to come home early. I was afraid that if he did, he might look for trouble with me.
When I was seventeen, I once went out with friends. My boyfriend at the time got drunk and jealous, got into a fight, and hurt his thumb. Later in my life, my ex-husband got drunk and put a knife to my neck. On a subconscious level, I carried a fear that drunken people would hurt me, and I projected this unresolved pain onto my husband.
Through practicing letting go and staying present with these old injuries, the inner knots gradually loosened. After I faced them, saw them clearly, and understood their roots, my fear dissolved. I no longer worried about my husband coming home drunk. Naturally, he began coming home on time, and he also stopped drinking so much.”
When issues arise and we are willing to face them, harmony emerges in our lives and relationships. When relationships become harmonious, stability and wisdom naturally follow.
By Suzhen Liu
If you enjoy Suzhen Liu’s writings, please check out her new book, “Discover Love Within—Release Your Suffering” available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Discover-Love-Within-Release-Suffering/dp/0999251732
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