02:15

Mind Soap: What Is Mindfulness Practice?

by Charles Freligh

Rated
4.9
Type
talks
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
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976

Here's an old Zen saying that I find helpful as a way of understanding mindfulness practice. It is just like soap. We clean the mind like we clean the body. And we don't reach a point of being permanently clean. We get dirty. And then we clean again. Every day.

MindfulnessZenMental HygieneEgo ManagementDaily PracticeZen Practice

Transcript

There's an old saying that goes,

Zen is like soap.

First you wash with it,

And then you wash it off.

In spiritual practice or presence practice,

Mindfulness practice,

It's all like this.

You do it again and again,

Not as a means of getting to a place where you're permanently clean,

But just as a daily hygiene process.

You will get dirty again,

The ego will accumulate attachment,

Judgments,

And then you can clean the mind again.

Just like taking a shower every day,

You will accumulate dirt and sweat,

And that's just a byproduct of your action in the world.

And then you can clean the mind again.

Zen is like soap.

First you wash with it,

And then you wash it off.

You wash it off too because you don't keep the soap on you.

You don't deify the soap,

You don't place the soap on an altar,

Because then it's not really serving its purpose,

It's there to help clean you,

You use it,

And then you wash it off.

So I hope this was helpful or maybe just interesting for you in some way.

I do have an entire course on Zen if that interests you,

It's called The Zen Path.

And thank you for your time.

I hope you feel my encouragement to just keep practicing,

Just keep maintaining this mental hygiene every day,

Again and again.

But it's really only ever just this one time.

Time to wake up.

Meet your Teacher

Charles FrelighMinneapolis, MN, USA

4.9 (165)

Recent Reviews

Rotem

October 28, 2025

That was so accurate and really helped they way I see things now.. thanks so much! Editing to add that I keep coming back to this one almost every day because it is so accurate and reminds me of the simplicity of things.

Sumire

October 14, 2025

Wonderful

Vinny

October 14, 2025

A lovely reminder to keep coming back

Marina

October 13, 2025

Good (and helpful) perspective on our meditative practices. Short and sweet. Thanks Charles.

Penny

October 12, 2025

Very gentle reminder that you cleanse your mind each day. I felt comforted by this message.

Christy

October 11, 2025

I so appreciate your thoughts and your voice is always grounding and calming, encouraging me to be in this moment right now. Thank you

Lucie

October 11, 2025

I love the thought! And the music was so smooth and calming

Tracie

October 10, 2025

I love the analogy, it makes so much sense. Also I was thinking if we did not wash off the soap or put it on an alter, it would no longer be soap or have purpose

Sharon

October 10, 2025

Loved the analogy. I am close to finishing your Tao class and will start the Zen one next. Thank you.

Dan

October 9, 2025

Terrific! And yes - the music was refreshing and invigorating. Thank you Charles!

Aina

October 9, 2025

Beautifully said

Kathy

October 9, 2025

Loved this! Thank you! 😊

Sarah

October 9, 2025

Thank you Charles. Reminded me of: “Wash on, wash off.”

Robin

October 9, 2025

Rinse and repeat. 🙏🏻

Leatte

October 8, 2025

What a beautiful, simple reminder. Absolutely loved the Zen course and am on repeat with that as my daily practice along with the course on The Tao. Love these as well as the weekly live events. 🕉️

Kassi

October 8, 2025

A sweet little reminder about mind hygiene (so fresh and so clean).

d•i•

October 8, 2025

A truly illustrative and illuminating analogy. Loved it. BTW, I’ve “stepped” more than halfway through the Zen-path course, presently, and I am getting a great deal from it, so, I strongly recommend this offering to fellow IT members and users. 👍🏼 There is one curiosity or question that arose for me at the very end of *this* talk. You insist, “…but there really is only just this one time…” Not sure that I understand this seeming paradox of maintaining, say, a daily practice, but declaring it to be a singular event—one that’s being done or experienced… “just this once.” Having difficulty getting what you’re getting at…is it a sort of koan? Maybe you could expand on this. TY — d•i•y

Rachel

October 8, 2025

Wow, I loved this & needed it. So simple...Zen is like soap. I was also feelin' the jazzy vibe in the background. Thank you! I'm Awake...in this moment. 🙏

Kelly

October 8, 2025

A perfect description of zen. Thank you

Lauren

October 8, 2025

Wonderful little surprise this morning, thank you! ☺️

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© 2026 Charles Freligh. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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