Transforming Compost

It is a beautiful time in the garden this time of year, which links well to an interesting extract from a book called Touching Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh.

"Traditional texts describe consciousness as a field, a plot of land where every kind of seed can be planted - seeds of suffering, happiness, joy, sorrow, fear, anger, and hope. Store consciousness is also described as a storehouse filled with all our seeds. To practice mindfulness means to recognise each seed as it comes up from the storehouse and to practice watering the most wholesome seeds whenever possible, to help them grow stronger. During each moment that we are aware of something peaceful and beautiful we water seeds of peace and beauty in us. The length of time we water a seed determines the strength of that seed, for example, if we stand in front of a tree, breathe consciously, and enjoy it for five minutes, seeds of happiness will be watered in us for five minutes, and those seeds will grow stronger. During the same five minutes, other seeds like fear and pain will not be watered. Any seed that manifests in our mind consciousness always returns to our store consciousness stronger. If we water our wholesome seeds carefully, we can trust that our store consciousness will do the work of healing."

So whilst you are enjoying the sunshine, flowers and the beauty of nature all around you, you are giving yourself a gift that money cannot buy.

Enjoy the summer.