2026 Spring Cleaning

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Submitted by MeiYue on

Reported by: Hong Mei Yue Photographed by: Bro. Ong

As the New Year approaches, everyone is busy preparing to welcome it. Everywhere, people are cleaning, shopping, and getting ready to bid farewell to the old year while hoping for prosperity and success in the year ahead.

To provide a solemn and comfortable environment for cultivation practice, Than Hsiang Temple held its annual year-end spring cleaning on Sunday, January 25, 2026. On that day, Than Hsiang volunteers, staff members, and various sub-groups—including the Than Hsiang Sunday Dharma School, Than Hsiang Youth Group, Than Hsiang Taijiquan Group, English Group, and the Than Hsiang Mitra Welfare Group—participated together in this spring cleaning activity.

At 8:30 a.m., everyone gathered in the Great Compassion Hall, where Abbot Venerable Zhen Sheng gave a compassionate Dharma teaching.

Venerable Zhen Sheng reminded everyone that year-end cleaning is not only about tidying the environment and organizing scriptures, but also about purifying the mind. He further explained that “inner cleaning” can be practiced through the Threefold Training of morality (śīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā)—removing both external and internal clutter so the mind can return to its original purity.

As the Heart Sutra teaches, “neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure”; and as Chan Master Baizhang once said, “A day without work is a day without food.” Daily labor and spiritual practice are inseparable. When the mind is pure, the present moment is already the Pure Land.

After the Dharma teaching, Brother Kee Suah, the canteen manager, assigned volunteers, staff members, and sub-groups to clean different levels. Than Hsiang Temple has six levels, and each was thoroughly cleaned. At the same time, the sangha members also helped to clean the Buddha statues.

Within just a few hours, everyone worked together as a team to sweep every corner, window, table, and meditation mat, leaving the temple fresh, bright, and orderly. During the cleaning, Abbot Venerable Zhen Sheng personally went to each floor to distribute bread and bottled water, warming everyone’s hearts.

At the end of the cleaning, everyone gathered once again in the Great Compassion Hall for the dedication of merit.

Afterwards, everyone followed the sangha members to the dining hall to enjoy a delicious lunch carefully prepared by the Than Hsiang canteen—Char Hor Fan, Nyonya kueh, and ice cream.

Thus, the spring cleaning concluded successfully.

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More photos:https://thanhsiang.org/ch/node/6833
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At 8:30 a.m., everyone gathered in the Great Compassion Hall, where Abbot Venerable Zhen Sheng gave a compassionate Dharma teaching.
Than Hsiang volunteers, staff members, and various sub-groups participated together in this spring cleaning activity.
Brother Kee Suah, the canteen manager, assigned volunteers, staff members, and sub-groups to clean different levels.
On the first level, the volunteers devoted themselves to the spring cleaning, carefully tidying every corner and leaving the environment fresh and renewed.
On the second level, staff members and volunteers devoted themselves to the spring cleaning, carefully tidying every corner and leaving the environment fresh and renewed.
On the third level, the sangha members and volunteers worked together to clean the Buddha statues.
On the fourth level, the volunteers devoted themselves to the spring cleaning, carefully tidying every corner and leaving the environment fresh and renewed.
On the fifth level, the volunteers carefully covered the meditation mats and thoroughly cleaned every area, leaving the environment fresh and renewed.
On the sixth level, the sangha members and volunteers worked together to clean the Buddha statues.
On the ground level, staff members and volunteers carefully covered the meditation mats.
Abbot Venerable Zhen Sheng personally went to each floor to distribute bread and bottled water, warming everyone’s hearts.
At the end of the cleaning, everyone gathered once again in the Great Compassion Hall for the dedication of merit.
Afterwards, everyone followed the sangha members to the dining hall to enjoy a delicious lunch carefully prepared by the Than Hsiang canteen—Char Hor Fan, Nyonya kueh, and ice cream.
Char Hor Fan
Nyonya Kueh