Sweeping

Ash Wednesday 2008 at Park UMC Rory Swenson
There is a Buddhist teaching story that comes from Tibet
sometimes it’s a children’s story. (Which is probably why I like it!)
and its called the Broom master
One upon a time there was a teenager named Chunda who lived in a little village
and he was usually teased by the other children because
wellthey said that he was a simpleton
no matter how hard he tried,
he just could not seem to learn reading or writing
But the adults of the village liked Chunda and they could see that
he had a very good heart and he was such a kind person
and even though he was really a very small teenager
he was always wanting to help,
always ready to run an errand
or sweep somebodies front yard.

But Chunda
more than anything else
wanted to be just like older brother Raj
Raj, was a couple of years older than Chunda
and he was also a very bright scholar.
So When Raj turned 16,
he decided to move to the city
and he would study Buddhism at the monastery.

Chunda begged and begged to go with him,
and his brother found a way for Chunda
to live at the monastery and to earn his keep
by working.

At the monastery
Chunda swept the yards,
and he would clap the dirt from the sandals of the monks
when they came in for the evening meal.
He watched and listened
as the young monks sat in these long and deep conversations.
And oh... How he wished that he could talk with them
but he would remember
how the children had laughed at him,
and his shame and his old memories
always drove him away.
Chunda's brother could see how said he was..
, and so he said to him.
"Chunda,
maybe you could study to be a monk as well."

"But how could I become a monk?"
Chunda said
how could I do that!
"I can't read
I cant write and I cant memorize"
Well
his brother said
" There is more to becoming a monk than book learning.
Why don’t you go to see Head of the Monastery
Go to the Master
and tell him your wishes.
He is wise, and compassionate."

So Chunda went and sat before the Master
and the Master
very quickly could see
that this was an honest young man of pure heart.
He gave
Chunda just one line of scripture to learn.
This was the first
of hundreds of verses that every monk was supposed to learn by heart.
The verse was this : "Give up negative actions.
Free yourself from negative thoughts." Chunda tried and tried to learn those few words
but he had to ask for help,
again and again
because once he had learned the first line,
he would forget it
when he tried to learn the second line
Chunda went back to the Master
and told him what had happened.
The kind man sat in silence for some time.
Finally,
an idea came to him. "
Chunda,
you are a hard worker ...are you not?'

"Yes master."

so..
The master said
"I would like to give you a special job.
I want you to sweep the temple hall every day.
Can you do that?"
"Oh yes, teacher."
, jumping up with delight.
"That is something I can do well."

"Very well then,
Chunda. I will give you the job of sweeping the temple.
That is all that you must do,
... but
as you sweep the floors
you must say these two lines to yourself,
over and over:
"Sweep away the dust,
sweep away the dirt."
Can you remember that?"
"Sweep away the dust,
sweep away the dirt.
Yes, that is easy, because that is what I will be doing!"

Chunda ran off to begin his work.

Every day
he did sweep the temple,
all day long,
and as he swept
he kept up a rhythm,
"Sweep away the dust"
he would say with each sweep out,
and "Sweep away the dirt," with each sweep back.

Sometimes
he would get lost in thought
and he would forget to say the lines.

Luckily
the other monks
knew what he was supposed to be chanting,
and they would remind him,
and he would go back to is work.
"Sweep away the dust,
sweep away the dirt."

Then one day the Master came to Chunda ...who was standing still,
thinking hard about something.
"Chunda, where is your mind right now."
"Oh sorry, Master, I should be sweeping,"


No, Chunda,"
he smiled, "share your thoughts."

"Well I was thinking that you are a wise man,

and you have given me these lines to say about something that I know how to do.

When I remember to say them
I feel at peace.
You have not given me any more lines.

Do you want me to learn something more from this?"

"Yes Chunda. ..the master said

You have found the peace
that is there for us
in the present moment.
Now I want you to think about this:
You are sweeping clean the dirt from the temple.
Think also about sweeping clean the inner dust and dirt in your mind."

"But what is this inner dust and inner dirt?"

"Well, Chunda,
think of the nature of dust and dirt:
They cover what is beautiful and clean, and they cloud what is clear.

And dust and dirt often cover those things that are old and of no more use to us.
It is also the nature of dust
that we can see it in the air,
but when we grab for it,
it is not there
, just like thoughts of the future or the past.

Think on this and notice when your thoughts are clouding you
from the present moment, and causing unhappiness,
and notice
when you cling to old ways of thinking."
Chunda went back to sweeping.
One day he noticed that he was often longing to sit with the other students
as they talked about the things they were learning.
"But," he would think to himself, "I am not worthy to sit and talk with the other monks and students my age, for I cannot read nor write."

but then he realized that This way of seeing and thinking
was like dirt,
it was an old way of seeing himself that kept him from happiness.
"I should sweep these thoughts from my mind."
He thought. "Sweep away the dust, sweep away the dirt."
He felt peaceful again.
Another time
he noticed that he was often living in the future ...wishing,
"If only, if only I could read and write like the others, then …
" These wishing thoughts were like dust.
He was always trying to grab things out of his reach, and missing the present moment.
"Sweep away the dust, sweep away the dirt."
Chunda went and shared his insights with the Masterwho again smiled
. "Ah Chunda, you are doing very well.
Tell me, can you stop and enjoy the beauty of a clean temple after you have swept?" "
Yes, master."
"Good then, " smiled the Master
, "I hope you will now remember
to also stop
to notice the simple joy of a clean inner temple,
as well as an outer one."

Chunda did stop to notice,
and he continued to sweep the inner dirt,
and the outer dirt,
and to stop often to experience
the peace of the present moment,

and the simple joy that was there
when all negative thoughts were gone.
And in this way Chunda continued to sweep,
to chant
and to ponder on the nature of grabbing and clinging,
and the peace of living in the present moment.
In time
the other students noticed his peace,
and they began to talk with him.
He was able to share his wisdom with other monks.
As the years passed
his wisdom and inner peace grew.
He became known as The Broom Master,
;;and many came to hear his simple, yet profound wisdom.
Well that’s the story...
Now can you see how it would lead us into Lent and Ash Wednesday?

I think we are coming into a kind of spiritual sweeping season

Lent is a time to deal with the clutter or the dust or the dirt
that accumulates in layers and layers
of our lives.
There are things in us and around us that keep us from living the life of Christ now
even if for just a second
dirt of a sorts...our own on earthiness
our human ego and our self will
our pride and our pain
our greed and our grabbing
that keeps
us from living in the Presence of God now
So
we do this soul searching
examination
confession
reflection
Bible study
prayer
Lenten disciplines
spiritual inventory
sweeping
and when
you look at the the sermon on the Mount in Matthew
its as if Jesus has put a broom in our hearts
or in our spiritual hands
given us a spiritual practice
a way
and said
now use this
use this to sweep through your motives
and you’re actions
your thoughts
and your deeds
and everything that keeps you from being a student
or a disciple of Jesus Christ....
The old wounds
the old thinking..
The old excuses
the old life
Or maybe the future uncertainties
the fear..
the worries about tomorrow
anything
that keeps you from faithfulness
and life
and reconciliation now
now
let it be swept away
by the love and touch of God

Make a clean sweep..
even
and especially ...
with the thick dust of our mortality
and our sinfulness...our incompleteness
can we do that as people of God
for the next 40 days
sweep away the dust
sweep away the dirt
we are still given this spiritual broom
as a gift of forgiveness
we are given a way to live and to change

in the daily rhythm of prayer and study..
and compassion and ministry

Now
as the gospel lesson tonight points out
we need to look at the dust inside of us..
The layers of confusion and delusion
or
the disillusionment
cynicism even
that can build up in us
Do we start by cleaning house on the inside
in the inner temple
that this too
is a temple of the lord’s.
can you sweep around in your motives and desires

Do we do these things of fasting or prayer
or generosity
do we do them
in ways that come from the inside ...from the heart of devotion
.
And then
Doesn’t the inner sweeping
also
Go hand in hand
with the out ward sweeping of our lives
sweeping outerly
cleaning, repenting,
healing in
our actions..and our relationships ...
.cleaning in our society
for community and hospitality..for all people..
peace and justice. Wholeness and compassion
some how they produce and reinforce and compliment on another
Part of the same movement inside sweeping..
outside sweeping
Lent is sweeping
letting the Gospel
letting the Holy Spirit
letting Jesus Christ
letting the power and wisdom of God
transform us..transform us..
and sweep through us
both in and out

so that lent
becomes not only the journey to the cross ...
but to resurrection ....
shalom
the new community
the new creation
the abundant life..
the peace of Christ..even now
newness ..presence..
A discovery of a The place swept clean
the sweeping of God starts..and continuessomehow in the ashes of this ash Wednesday discipline
This ashes,,is dirty work,,,
..there is love...pure love ..
present now
at work in us
the sweep of God
Sweep away the dust
sweep away the dirt
That is the pray that you heard in psalm 51 tonight
create in me O god, a clean heart..
Put a new and upright spirit within me
sweep away the dust
sweep away the dirt
or the words of Psalm 139
search me O god,, and know my heart.
Try me. And know my thoughts
.....
The prayer could very well be..
.
Sweep away the dust
sweep away the dirt.
Amen
;Sources: Conover, Sarah, "The Broom Master" in Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents, (I found this story on the web)
Adapted by Elisa Pearmain