Discovering the Joy of Zen in Everyday Tasks Household Chores—for many people they are pure drudgery. Yet when our homes are in turmoil, so are our lives. Awareness, patience, and calm are inherent in accomplishing everyday household tasks, and when combined with age-old Zen Buddhist wisdom, we can learn much about ourselves and our surroundings while performing them. With compassion and eloquence, author Gary Thorp, a practicing Zen Buddhist, shows how the principles of Zen can bring harmony and peace tour lives at home. Through the physical and metaphorical exploration of household tasks, such as sweeping the floor, doing the laundry, and cleaning the toilet, Sweeping Changes teaches readers how to care for their homes, and in so doing, themselves. Gary Thorp began studying Zen in 1960 and was later lay-ordained in the lineage o Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. He is now a full-time writer, doing research in marine biology and the ecology of the mountain lions. He lives in Marin County, California.