A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind cover art

A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

By: Shoukei Matsumoto
Narrated by: Adam Sims
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind by Shoukei Matsumoto, read by Adam Sims.

We remove dust to sweep away our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments. We live simply and take time to contemplate the self, mindfully living each moment. It's not just monks that need to live this way. Everyone in today's busy world today needs it.

The Zen sect of Buddhism is renowned for the cleanliness of its monks, but cleaning is greatly valued in Japanese Buddhism in general as a way to cultivate the mind. In this book, I introduce everyday cleaning methods typically employed in temples, while sharing what it's like to be a monk in training.

This book will improve the condition not just of your own mind, but also the people around you. I hope listeners will discover that cleanliness is an opportunity to contemplate oneself.

Audio updated as of February 2018.

©2018 Shoukei Matsumoto (P)2018 Penguin Audio Buddhism Cleaning & Organizing House & Home Philosophy

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Handbook for Hard Times cover art
Goblin Mode cover art
House Organization: 100 Easy and Fast Tips About the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up Your Home cover art
Seasons of a Magical Life cover art
The Minimalist Home cover art
Organize Your Home cover art
Practical Guide to the Montessori Method at Home cover art
Things That Matter cover art
The Four Agreements cover art
Clutter-Free Your Home cover art
Good Vibes, Good Life cover art
Declutter Like a Mother cover art
Declutter cover art
A Simplified Life cover art
Feng Shui and Decluttering: 2 Manuscripts cover art
Organizing for the Rest of Us cover art

Critic reviews

The most unusual self-help book of 2018 ... There is something surprisingly calming about just reading the book, hearing Matsumoto's simple instructions and admiring the clean pen drawings of Japanese sandals and brooms (Jane Fryer)

A bestseller in Japan, this charming book offers practical cleaning tips as well as fascinating insights into the Buddhist approach to life, which counters the wastefulness of modern society with a respect for spaces and objects that is deeply humane ... Ideal preparatory reading for the January clean (PD Smith)
All stars
Most relevant
I didn't realise how meditative I'd find learning about how to clean a temple from a monk with a lovely relaxing voice... I live in a flat!!

now temple cleaning in my 2 bed flat!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book seem like a good entrypoint to a calm mind.
it unfortunately ends abruptly.

The narrator was excellent.

A good book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting encounter on daily cleaning which takes place in Buddhist temples. It's short but contains lots of informations. I will definitevly listen to it again on slower speed and make some notes this time and research what exactly are all these tools he's been talking about. Especially I'm interested in the essential oil used as insect repellent in wardrobes as it might be nice change for traditional lavender used in eastern Europe.

Monks life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An intelligent and thoughtful insight into mindful living – from the methods behind cleaning a temple or your home to the clothes you should wear. The book is almost poetic at times and a relaxing listen.

Thought provoking

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
So relaxing, it's almost meditative. It's made me look at cleaning in a whole new light - something mindful and uplifting, instead of a chore. The narrator is very good too.

A joy to listen to!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews