Companion Planting

 

The polka dot plants that i brought indoors in October brought some hitchhikers with them--impatiens seeds.

Outdoors, i had planted the polka dots next to impatiens on the north side of the house, since they both love the shade. After the frost touched the impatiens, i pulled them out and discovered a couple more polka dots growing underneath them. Now the next generation of impatiens is growing with their neighbors, the polka dots.

We rely on "companion planting" with our spiritual friends to steady and sustain our meditation practice. We depend on our spiritual companions to keep us on the high road, especially when that low road looks so easy and so tempting. 

We rely on our spiritual friends to bloom. That way we all look good.

Pine Cones

It's a prolific year for pine cones, and i'm collecting bags full of them. A pine cone or two makes starting a fire in the wood stove easy; pine cones are almost as good kindling as fat sticks.

In these political days, it's easy to light the fire of righteousness. What's the matter with those people? Why can't they see things the way i see them?

But the fires of anger, worry, discontent, and even disgust are not dowsed by fighting fire with fire. The fire of fear burns hot. We are afraid of the other side, and they are afraid of us.

The Buddha said: Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed.

We might say: Anger never ceases by more anger, but is healed by kindness alone.

Let's kindle kindness. Let's take the high road and extinguish our own internal fires of fear.