Garden Enlightenment

What of enlightenment?

When I began meditating many moons ago, the workshops and books I was immersed in promoted a concept of enlightenment. They weren’t referring to The Enlightenment with a capital E that happened in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, but instead a spiritual shift in perspective.

Since meditation has become mainstream, the idea of enlightenment has been replaced by a focus on health and wellbeing. Those are wonderful things, but it seems like there is room for both the idea of good health and a spiritual shift in perspective. And the garden is a great place to foster that shift.

A Personal Definition of Enlightenment

Just to be clear – many spiritual paths that have their own specific definition of enlightenment, but what I am writing about here is my personal definition.

Way back when I was a newbie meditator, I thought of enlightenment as a destination. It was a noun, a thing, and a place, like reaching a mountain top. I don’t know if that was because I misunderstood the instructions or if it was really being promoted that way, or perhaps a little of both. But it is not a destination or a finish line.

Enlightenment is a process of tuning into the ever-unfolding world and our place in it. We can experience moments of enlightenment or transcendence throughout our lives. They happen when our awareness shifts from our small, localized view of ourselves and the world to sensing our interconnection to the whole.

Most people understand intellectually that we are part of a bigger whole. We exchange breath and moisture with the green world. And we are dependent on the plants for nourishment. But mentally knowing these things is not the same as having a shift in perspective in which we know our connectedness at the core of our being. That awareness can be transformative.

The Garden as Portal

There are lots of paths that contribute to transformative awareness, and meditation is certainly a part of it. But hanging out with green plants is a way to make this shift on a regular basis. Every moment in the garden is new. It is a place of constant becoming, unfolding, and dissolving. Plants emerge, flower buds form, pollinators arrive, and the flowers pull back into themselves to become fruit. Everything is in a constant state of flow, either emerging from or dissolving into the interconnected world. The garden can be a portal to this deeper awareness.

Stopping to Notice

Of course, there are some challenges to garden enlightenment. One is the sheer number of tasks we have to do in a large garden. On any given day, I am busy covering plants with shade cloth, warding off Japanese beetles, sheltering plants from hail, weeding, and making sure plants are hydrated. And I have to fit that into a busy work schedule. It is easy to just get lost in the to-do list.

However, we can reach moments of enlightenment by simply allowing ourselves to BE in the garden – making an intention to be fully present for even five minutes. Breathe in the fragrances. Listen to the hum of the bees. Feel the texture of leaves and stems. Observe the intricacies of a flower. We can be fully present to the waves of becoming and dissolving that are happening all around us.

As we recognize and immerse ourselves in those connections, the perceived boundaries between us and the natural world dissolve a little. Enlightenment happens in the garden as we shift our perspective to know we are part of it all.

Just a Reminder – Seed Savers Exchange Conference Coming Soon 

I will be presenting at the Annual Seed Savers Exchange Conference that takes place July 21 and 22. There are lots of great speakers. I’ll be presenting on “Seeds as Guideposts to Recovery and Wellness”  Here is the link if you’d like to learn more: Events – Seed Savers Exchange

Lunar Blog Post Series

This post is part of my lunar blog series.  Each full moon I write about one of the plants featured in my book, Growing Mindful.  Each new moon I write about a topic related to gardens, mindfulness, and spirituality. For more details and a list of past lunar blog posts, click here.