For the past few months, I, like many, have been feeling the weight of the world. I have been struggling to keep my focus on positive, constructive things. I have been experiencing the fear, the insecurity and the anxiety that seem to be the dominant collective vibration lately.
But today, I feel hopeful again. I have been inspired by a tiny morning glory seedling that I planted just five days ago. This morning, I welcomed it into our world. It emanates a peaceful and serene energy. It doesn't seem to care about Trump, or the environment, or the debt in the U.S. It just is.
Envious of its stillness, I picked up little Morning Glory and asked it what its secret was. It whispered something in my ear. It was a quote from Nisargadatta Maharaj: "A quiet mind is all you need. All else will happen rightly, once your mind is quiet. As the sun on rising makes the world active, so does self-awareness affect changes in the mind. In the light of calm and steady self-awareness, inner energies wake up and work miracles without any effort on your part."
Huh! Impressed by this little plant's knowledge and wisdom, I replied : But Morning Glory, there is no denying that we are now living in a challenging time of extremes. We are experiencing a profound shift that is urging us to let go of the old paradigms that no longer serve us. We're experiencing it both on a collective and on a personal level. Our old structures and systems are collapsing, and the shadow parts of ourselves that we have been unwilling to acknowledge and integrate are now coming to the surface. This is a terrifying process! How can we keep our minds quiet through this chaos?
Morning Glory must have been channeling Nisargadatta Maharaj, because she replied with another quote from him: "There are always moments when one feels empty and estranged. Such moments are most desirable, for it means the soul has cast its moorings and is sailing for distant places. This is detachment - when the old is over and the new has not yet come. If you are afraid, the state may be distressing, but there is really nothing to be afraid of. Remember the instruction: Whatever you come across - go beyond."
Wow. And THAT, my friends, is why I love gardening! Never underestimate the wisdom of plants!
All the best,
Lise Villeneuve
