“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
No comments:
Post a Comment