Washer Dharma

Washer dharma? It's somewhat silly, but can make things much more simple. An everyday meditation, or an allegory of what you're doing anyway. Start your new year with some humor, meaning juice in Greek. First, basic elements.

Clothes: psychophysical constituents
Empty space: awareness
Detergent: ten precepts
Softener: bodhicitta precepts
Clean fresh water: samaya precepts
Heat/temperature: commitment
Rotation: action principle

Putting all the ingredients and elements together in a proper way is the essence of discipline. In short, Read The Fine Manual.

First, soak the constituents in the water of mindfulness (establishing a friendly space for experiences to appear, abide, and vanish, without judgement, manipulation, strategy or contortion). Following the pattern of alternation and integration, wash and rinse.

Rotation circulates the mantra and dissolves the gross dualism. Soaking action is shamatha-vipashyana infusing understanding and compassion. You wait, patiently. Washing and dispelling the mixture of dirty water, surplus detergent etc. is dissolving all external and internal dualistic appearances.

Finally, spin drying is the centrifugal action known as transference of merits.

So goes the washer dharma.