My Jungbub Journal – Fifty Ninth Day of Dong-ahn-guh (winter meditation retreat)
Lessons from gardening
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Today we bought a few pots and a big bag of soil. A palm tree sprouted from a coconut is waiting for a new house. A cilantro plant is growing in a glass jar waiting for a real home. A couple of plants need a bigger house as they grew a lot during the winter time.
Gardening Lesson 1 – A Root decides the fate of the plant
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When we received the palm tree just sprouted from a coconut, it grew very fast in the beginning. As we didn’t have a proper pot, we just placed it on top of a small pot without soil and watered every morning and evening. Yet, after a week, it stopped to grow.
When I lifted it and looked at the bottom of the coconut, I found long threads of the root hairs covering the bottom. As they couldn’t find the soil to settle down, the whole plant stopped to grow.
Last night we planted the coconut, and this morning we found out it has already grown a lot overnight. It’s amazing. We can’t see what’s going on under the ground, yet we can imagine amazing things are happening. And it becomes the foundation of the plant and decides the fate of the plant.
It’s the same to our business. Build a healthy and strong root.
Gardening Lesson 2 – Greed can kill plants
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To transplant, I took out a poinsettia plant out of the pot. And found out that the bottom of the pot is too damp. I thought I watered well but I found out it’s too much.
Unconsciously, I feel that if I water more, the plant will grow more. The weather in Hawaii is perfect for growing plants. They grow so well. So, I put excessive water to see the bigger results.
Now, I realized that it’s just my greed and it’s suffocating the plants. I need to let go of my overwhelming attention to the plants and release my obsessive attachment. That will make them happier.
Also, I found one of the aloe plants is sick this morning. It has black dry dots on the leaves. Overwatering must have caused it. I have to change my pattern.
This is not just for gardening. Sometimes, I pay too much attention to certain cases or my business. Obsessed. I need to step back from the situation. That will give me more wisdom and clarity.
