The Touching the Earth Sangha is a Glastonbury based Buddhist Community of practitioners from the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition of Zen Buddhism. Check the blog for Sangha updates, latest news and articles related to Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village UK.

The Sangha meets regularly for Days of Mindfulness practice (see dates below).

Email Kev or Sam for details: touchingtheearth@hotmail.co.uk

The Sangha holds evening meetings every second and last Mondays of the month at the Sweet Track Centre, Glastonbury, 7.30-9.30pm.

Email for details: touchingtheearthmonday@hotmail.com

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Wednesday 28 December 2011

THE ART OF MINDFUL GARDENING BY ARK REDWOOD




“As a gardener, we have to trust the land, knowing that all seeds of love and understanding, seeds of enlightenment and happiness are already there” from 'Cultivating the Mind of Love' by Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax Press 1996

'Sowing the seeds of meditation' is the subtitle of a groundbreaking and inspiring new book by Ark  Redwood, Head Gardener for the last 11 years at one of Britains most sacred gardens – Chalice Well in Glastonbury - and co-facilitator of Touching the Earth Sangha in Somerset part of the UK Community of Interbeing founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

 During that time Arks beaming and benign presence has been behind not only the development of a captivating naturalistic healing and meditation garden at the Well but also welcoming and inspiring more than 180 garden volunteers many of whom like me came to the Well in search of healing and sanctuary and left as friends and fellow gardeners.

A unique blend of mindfulness meditation, zen wisdom and horticultural insight 'The Art of Mindful Gardening is a journey through the cycle of the seasons offering the observations and insights of a seasoned plantsman and a serious practitioner of mindfulness.  Quotations and meditations from Thich Nhat Hanh and other gardeners and mindfulness teachers illuminate many parts of the text.

 In his introduction Ark says 'gardening is a pastime that can give us a wealth of possibilities for mindfulness training' and in this book he is as good as his word in a text full of mindful attention, the love of language and horticulture, a sense of childlike wonder, and a writers gifts of self-expression:

 “ Every springtime I am thrilled when I see the tiny seed leaves first appearing on the surface of the seed tray. There is something magical about germination, and I cannot see how anyone can fail to be delighted to welcome the manifestation of new life. I experience a tide of tenderness washing over me whenever I see those little green specks on the surface of the compost, and I make a silent vow to guide the infant seedlings to maturity, as if they were my own children. No wonder it's called a 'nursery'!...a fresh green being arises out of the pregnant earth, and a new note is sounded in the symphony of life”

There's plenty of practical wisdom wrapped up in the book too as in Spring he guides us through the 5 Ds of Pruning to a Pruning Meditation which begins with centring the breath and seeing and feeling the presence of the shrub to be pruned. In May after exploring this fertile time of growing we are soon being instructed on the 'Magic of Compost' by a Master composter. 'A well-made compost heap is truly alchemy in action...filled with life yet formed from death'

 Arks ruminates on the presence and role of mysterious devas or plant 'elementals' in the garden and the miraculous appearance of the 'Perfect Plant' which turns out to be a 'useless weed' – a prickly sowthistle. There's guidance on why no dig horticulture promotes a healthy living soil followed by advice on taking time to 'stand and stare' and connect work in the garden with the seasonal cycles of nature.

In Summer when we are most busy we are guided to the practice of 'walking meditation' so we can breathe and stay in the present moment. And there's a wider contemplation of 'Suffering and the web of life' in which we are reminded to lay down our weapons and cease our wars against slugs and pests and diseases and focus instead on cultivating our own vibrations of love and attention to our plants to build up their health and immunity.

 He extols the virtues of the traditional cottage garden and the fact that flowers play a huge part in our folklore and history: “They link us with the ancestors and offer us their gift of healing” and observes through Thich Nhat Hanhs words that just like flowers 'we manifest, then disappear. It is a game of hide and seek' and there is No-Self in nature and no separation between gardener and garden – only the truth of Interbeing.

From Summer Deadheading as a spiritual practice of attention to water consciousness ('water less frequently but more thoroughly') from the value of Copper Tools to the Garden as Sangha we move to Autumn and accepting impermanence. Arks delight in playing games with the wind illuminating the classic zen task of mindfully raking the falling leaves 'as the ground becomes peppered with kaleidoscopic glitter'.

Soon we are contemplating why trees shed their leaves, planting bulbs adventurously, and embracing the way of mulch to build soil structure and tilth, suppress weeds and retain moisture and insulate the soil from frost.

 Ark celebrates the joy of harvest-time and offers us an 'ancestral meditation on abundance' before meditating on Frost and plant hardiness, advice on planting bare root trees and how  to connect to our own roots as we go down into the dark chill and the 'death' of winter.

 Its time for the garden to rest and the gardener to be patient and stop to contemplate the still point of the year and clean tools and tool shed though characteristically Ark warns against extreme tidiness – “Gaia abhors uniformity and homogeneity”. With the return of the light and new resolutions in the New Year we turn full circle and begin to prepare the ground again as the snowdrop heralds Spring.

This book is dedicated not just to Arks partner Colette Barnard and to colleagues at Chalice Well Gardens, the World Peace Garden in Glastonbury but also 'Dharma brothers and sisters' in Touching the Earth Sangha and the UK Community of Interbeing inspired by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh 'to whom I bow in gratitude'.

 It is destined to be a gardening if not a spiritual classic and Leaping Hare Press have done a beautiful job with its hardback arts and crafts cover and spacious design to complement an inspirational text making it a pleasure to read in every sense.

Anthony Ward





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