8 Life Lessons from a Monk
Practical wisdom from Nick Keomahavong, a monk in Thailand, that can calm your mind and simplify your life
1. Clean Your Space, Clear Your Mind
Your environment reflects your mind. A messy, chaotic space often mirrors inner stress. Cleaning, simplifying, and embracing minimalism creates stillness, freedom, and peace.
Less clutter = more clarity.
2. Do Good to Dilute the Bad
The monk shared a story about the advice he received when he was going through a tough season in his life. Bad deeds are like salt. The only way to get rid of the “bad” is to dilute the salt by adding more water aka good deeds.
Bad Deeds
Impure in thought, word, or deed. Ex: lying, stealing, killing, doing drugs, or sexual misconduct.
Good deads
A drop of water (a small act of kindness) helps a little.
A swimming pool of water (a life filled with good actions) dissolves the bitterness.
Avoid the bad, and do good.
Good deeds don’t erase mistakes, but they dilute their weight and shift the balance. I like to think of it in terms of your net effect on the world and making it a positive one by the time your done.
3. Practice Generosity
Greed is the endless voice of “more.” Generosity is the antidote.
Give money, time, service, or attention.
Give even when it feels inconvenient.
Generosity curbs the ego and you realize the abundance you already have.
4. Reconnect with Nature
Nature slows you down, de-stimulates, and grounds you in the present.
Consider, going for a walk or even just sitting outside.
5. Meditation = Rest for the Mind
Meditation isn’t about emptying your mind. It’s about awareness.
Thoughts, emotions, sensations are like passing clouds.
Sit with them. Watch them. Let any form that pops up pass on.
This practice creates space, purifies the mind, and allows wisdom to rise.
6. Prioritize Spiritual Growth
The monk left Los Angeles for Thailand to pursue monastic life. But his message wasn’t “become a monk”, it was make spirituality a priority.
For you, this might look like:
Committing to a weekly meditation group (or routine)
Creating rituals at home
Adjusting your routine to cultivate peace in your life
You don’t have to uproot your life, but you do have to tend the soil where you’re planted.
7. Be Present with Food
From his evening routine, I learned mindful eating:
Notice what, how, and how much you’re eating
Eat slowly, with gratitude
Remember this food becomes your body
This simple shift transforms eating into a practice of awareness and respect.
8. Guard the Gates of the Mind
All of this wisdom ties back to one principle: awareness.
Every thought, every influence, every input passes through the “gates” of the mind. Someone needs to be present there—not guarding with force, but gently noticing and not becoming attached or identified with thoughts this helps them float on by.
That presence is what keeps the mind clear, generous, and at peace.
Call to Action
Practice one thing that resonated today. Clean your desk. Give something away. Eat mindfully. The smallest steps ripple outward when done with awareness.
“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.” — The Buddha
Venerable Nick has a great YouTube Channel: here
He also has 2 books that I just ordered on amazon
The Building Blocks of Meditation
The Antidote to Greed
