5 Things To Make Your Mornings Better | A Monk’s Perspective | Summary and Q&A

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June 30, 2021
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Nick Keomahavong
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5 Things To Make Your Mornings Better | A Monk’s Perspective

TL;DR

Buddhist monks share their mindful morning routine to train the mind, including breathing exercises, reflection on death, making the bed with intention, chanting and meditation, acts of generosity, and doing daily chores.

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Key Insights

  • 🌄 Morning Routine: Buddhist monks have been practicing their morning routine for centuries. They wake up early, take time to breathe and center their minds before starting the day.
  • ☠️ Reflecting on Death: Monks reflect on the impermanence of life, which helps them appreciate each day and approach it with gratitude. It serves as a reminder to live in the present moment.
  • 🛌 Making the Bed: Monks make their beds daily as a mindful practice, using it to train their minds and keep their space clean. It's a small action with significant impact, teaching discipline and follow-through.
  • 🧘 Chanting and Meditation: Chanting and meditation are key parts of a monk's morning routine. They help to further still the mind and cultivate grounding and clarity, providing energy and a positive mindset for the day.
  • 🤲 Act of Generosity: Monks give the lay community an opportunity to practice generosity by accepting alms offerings. This act of giving allows laypeople to purify their minds and release greed while establishing a symbiotic relationship with the monks.
  • 🧹 Chores: Monks engage in daily chores called "rabbun" to keep them present and connected to the earth. Doing simple tasks mindfully helps cultivate mindfulness and calmness, preparing them for the day ahead.
  • 🌙 Night Preparation: Avoid heavy dinners to ensure restful sleep. For monks, dinner is not taken, allowing their bodies to rest and recharge fully. Experiment with lighter dinners to improve sleep quality and energy levels.
  • 🧠 Purpose of Morning Routine: The purpose of a morning routine is not just productivity but rather to discipline the mind, cultivate wisdom, and approach the day with clarity and calmness. Productivity naturally follows a still and clear mind.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: Why do Buddhist monks emphasize making the bed as part of their morning routine?

Making the bed is seen as a training in discipline, mindfulness, and following through on simple tasks. It helps maintain a clean and organized space, cultivates a sense of accomplishment, and supports mental clarity and stability throughout the day.

Q: How does reflecting on death contribute to a Buddhist monk's morning routine?

Reflecting on death is not meant to be morbid, but as a reminder of the impermanence of life and the need to appreciate each day as a new opportunity for growth and development. It cultivates gratitude, awareness, and a sense of urgency to make the most of the present moment.

Q: Why do Buddhist monks engage in chanting and meditation as part of their morning routine?

Chanting and meditation are essential practices for stilling and calming the mind. Chanting helps to slow the mind down and establish a rhythm, while meditation allows thoughts and emotions to settle, promoting mental clarity, grounding, and the cultivation of pure energy and inspiration.

Q: How do acts of generosity fit into a Buddhist monk's morning routine?

Acts of generosity, such as offering alms to monks, are seen as opportunities for both the giver and the receiver to purify their minds. The act of giving releases one from greed and cultivates gratitude, compassion, and the understanding of interdependence within the community.

Q: Why is doing daily chores important in a Buddhist monk's morning routine?

Daily chores serve as a form of mindfulness training, helping to keep the mind present and engaged in the task at hand. It allows for a break from thinking and intellectual activity, connecting the body to the earth, and fostering a sense of awareness and groundedness.

Q: How can a lighter dinner the night before impact a person's morning routine?

Having a lighter dinner before bedtime allows the body to rest and recharge more effectively during sleep, as less energy is spent on digestion. It can lead to better quality rest and a refreshed state upon waking, supporting a clear and focused mind for the morning routine.

Summary & Key Takeaways

  • Buddhist monks emphasize the importance of starting the day by taking time to breathe, reflect on death, and place the mind at the center before getting out of bed.

  • Making the bed is not just a simple task, but a training to purify the mind and develop discipline and mindfulness.

  • Chanting and meditation help to still the mind further, allowing negative thoughts and emotions to settle down and cultivating a sense of grounding and clarity.

  • Acts of generosity, such as offering alms to monks, are an important part of a morning routine, providing an opportunity for purifying the mind and cultivating gratitude.

  • Engaging in daily chores, both individually and as a group, helps to develop mindfulness and presence in the moment.

  • Starting the day with a lighter dinner the night before can enhance the quality of rest and prepare the mind for a mindful morning routine.

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