Mindful Gardening

GYALWANG DRUKPA





I really think that gardening is a great thing to do, not only because I love the trees and plants, but also because I think through gardening we learn to appreciate the nature of the earth. Not that I am much of an expert gardener myself, unlike my mother, but I feel very fulfilled doing what I can.I know that my nuns love it too; when we landscaped the area around the statue area of Druk Amitabha Mountain, I could see they all enjoyed this, even though it was hard work.We were all suffering from the harsh weather and heat but we all had smiles on our faces.We even did our very best not to kill the bugs while we were gardening. If we garden carelessly and selfishly only for the sake of beautifying our own garden, it will take a lot of lives of others.
We might create something superficially beautiful but those tiny beings will experience a big catastrophe; it is like an earthquake for them.If, however, we can garden in harmony with nature, then it is so much more beautiful all-around.
So, nature helps us to connect with ourselves and to understand that we are all connected. As human beings, we see the consequence of our actions in nature, from our own gardens to how the world is doing right now. We see how racing towards a future thinking of our own desires and needs is putting great pressure on nature's resources. But if we don't ever stop to catch our breath and take in what's happening around us, we'll carry on regardless.