Soil
the Sthula and Mind the Shukshma
Observing
Nature can make anyone turn philosophical. Manicured, well laid out gardens have their
charm but the organic ones that are spontaneous give us a hands-on experience
of life energy.
Informal
gardens having a few trees and plants in every house were not an exception, but
rather a norm a few decades ago in our country. It was common to have at least
a small patch of land with some trees such as the Neem, Coconut, Murungai,
Mango or Sapota, flowering plants such as Jasmine, Hibiscus etc. meant for
pooja and for women to adorn themselves.
A piece
of land left unattended can teach us lessons on nature that seem to mimic human
behavior too. The feel of the earth can dispel dark moods, offer insights and
breathe fresh air into life itself.
Light
spells of rain are all it takes for the forces dormant in the brown soil to
spring to Life in a burst of green hues.
It is
the survival of the fittest and strongest. Various species vie for soil space,
and sunlight. Some grow deep roots and others spread to claim territory. Tubers
grow tubes that stay and continue to
grow in size within the soil for years. There are also plants that grow quick foliage
to keep the rivals in check. No moral stories here, it is purely the survival
of the fittest.
When so
choked, the ones overpowered, preserve their energies to survive, waiting to be discovered by the gardener.
The
lives of the oppressor and the oppressed become so closely intertwined that, careless
pulling of the dominant ones would often uproot the ones overpowered too. They
stay together to retain the moisture in the soil. Plants without that green
cover require more watering or a layer of fiber such as the coconut so that the
soil doesn’t go bone dry too soon.
The
ambition to survive and propagate hasten the process of flowering and producing
ample seeds to disperse. A tiny locality is claimed by a single species where
others are kept out - a veritable jungle out there, where the jungle
law prevails.
A small
seed of a species that remains dormant waiting in the soil for years, springs
to life when the conditions are right.
Seed some
worthwhile thoughts in your mind, for them to take root and enrich your life, we
have been told.
It is
the nature of the both the Soil and the Mind to be active all the time,
nurturing, growing something.
The only
choice that remains with us is to choose the seeds to plant and
nurture.
May we make the right choices for a Happier and more Colourful Life!
Bhoo
Suktam
Oh
Goddess Adithi, you pervade the earth
You
are supreme in heaven
You
are vast in the environment
