In This Garden

I offer the flowers of enlightenment

To all Buddhas-to-be.

I show my reverence to each of them.

I praise each one's virtuous roots.

*

I vow that the power of my wisdom will be such

That I will become a true Buddha.

This having become so,

The cosmos will resound with the dharma.

Flowers of enlightenment

Like a rain of light

Will adorn all beings.

*

(Source)

*

A friend gave me a belated Christmas gift. I decided to wait and open it on the last day of the year 2006. It turned out to be the head of Buddha featured in the above photo. As soon as I saw it, I knew I would put 'Head Buddha' to watch over the sunflower seeds which I subsequently planted on 1st January 2007. Head Buddha will protect my flowers of enlightenment from being trampled and uprooted by the over-zealous gardeners, who may mistake them for weeds when they are seedlings (as happened to some of the seedlings from my previous set of sunflowers). Metaphorically speaking, the gardeners must be the doubts, insecurities and worries which cloud the Truth.

As I'm writing this, I'm reminded of one of my songs which I was recording last month: In This Garden (referring to 'life's big garden'). I'll make it my soundtrack for 2007:

Tell me the way to go, Love

Show me the way to know Love

Give me the seeds to sow Love

In this Garden

(Lyrics from verse 1 of 3)

© Elspeth Duncan 2006