Meditation for garden lovers
In our gardens, simple observation teaches us about the beauty of nature. Birth, death, renewal, harmony and balance are all key features of gardening. Following the seasons, summer becomes autumn and then winter and moves back to spring, in the cycle that is life. Gardening also teaches us patience, impermanence and uncertainty.
The Yin and Yang principle in Chinese philosophy says that nature consists of two primordial forces that are opposites: dark/light, male/female, etc. The Tao (the Way) is manifested in the interplay of these two forces in harmony, completing the circle of life.
The philosophy of Taoism is not based on selfless persons but on persons fulfilled and completed by following the Way. Going with the flow of life. We are not looking for deliverance from the present cycle of existence but discovering that this is the only true reality. By living in harmony with nature, we can lose our suffering and achieve a mental state like Nirvana – here and now, in the present. I believe it is this sense of harmony that gives us peace of mind when observing an established natural garden or unspoilt landscape.
My daily meditation practice involves three things.
- Walking around my garden, mindful of everything around me. The wind in the trees, warmth of the sunshine, the flow of water in the stream. I look to see the progress of every flower, shrub and tree. Sometimes they are at the peak of their growth and beauty giving me a great feeling of joy, sometime the weather has been unkind. Nature can be beautiful, amazing, awe inspiring, and every plant has its moment.
- I spend some part of everyday working in the garden, tending plants, getting my hands in the soil, propagating new life. It is so rewarding to see new plants grow from tiny seeds, a cutting from a rose taking root. Trimming a tiny Bonsai tree requires great patience, joining nature in the process of perfection.
- Often at the end of the day I soak up the energy from the towering cliff face that faces me, just sitting. I bathe in and am re-assured by the profound silence and peace that surrounds me. Being one with nature, with every living thing around me. A deep satisfaction that all the planting and garden creation that I have done in the last 25 years has been worthwhile.
With so many questions and issues to think about in life, meditation or “just sitting” in my garden has always been an important part of my daily life. Wherever you go in the garden, you can hear the soothing trickle of water. In the many natural secluded places, there is every opportunity to become immersed in and celebrate Nature, our Being.
A lady visiting the garden said:
“Your garden is beautiful and soothing, with gifts for your eyes in every corner … and every sight shows you that nature is the great creator of harmony and balance”.
Gardening helps us to play our part in the cycle that is the cosmic dance. We are all part of an infinite, interconnected and inter-dependant universe and as such are co-creators, our sacred responsibility and privilege.