• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After a session of wrestling with ideas, words, with the recalcitrant “world”, — my spirit seems to seize, overcome with the weary business of it all.  Perhaps this is the hazard of a love of philosophy?

David Hume once said.

Since reason is incapable of dispelling these clouds, Nature herself suffices to that purpose, and cures me of this philosophical melancholy and delirium, either by relaxing this bent of mind, or by some avocation, and lively impression of my senses, which obliterate all these chimeras. I dine, I play a game of backgammon, I converse, and am merry with my friends. And when, after three or four hours’ amusement, I would return to these speculations, …

I don’t play backgammon. Concern for retaining health, to maintain social distancing, — making merry with friends has become very difficult. In turning to Nature, I’ve found respite in the cultivation and growing of flowers. I am more of a spectator than the creator, one that claps with delight in the forms and colors that emerge in the garden, and from the containers used for that purpose. Presented is a gallery of photos captured in the back yard within the past week. For what you see in these photos, I feel that I deserve very little credit. Nature gets the standing ovation.

I am a guy, at the end of the day with an iphone, and a glass filled with zinfandel wine from a bottle labeled, The Federalist. We have many aspects of life in common. I am not unlike you.

The final photo in the series, is the image of the white ceramic Buddha placed at the edge of the flower garden. I like this iconic image of the Buddha, sitting in meditation with the left hand, palm upright, in his lap, and his right hand touching the earth. This gesture comes with the story that prior to his enlightenment, the demon Mara attacked him with an army of demons to frighten him away from the seat under the Bodhi tree. Mara claimed the seat of enlightenment for himself insisting that his spiritual accomplishments were greater than Siddhartha’s. The demons cried out that they were Mara’s witness. Mara challenged Siddhartha, — who will speak for you?

Siddhartha reached down with his right hand and touched the earth, and the earth itself spoke, “I bear you witness.” Mara disappeared, Siddhartha Gautama realized enlightenment and became a Buddha.

I like this story. The point is that enlightenment is confirmed by the earth, by Nature itself. Gotama rejected Mara’s sterile machismo and received witness that he indeed belonged to the earth. The point — nothing exists independently. Everything is interdependent. Our existence depends on earth, air, water, and other forms of life. Just as our existence is conditioned by those things, they also are conditioned by our existence.

When we think of ourselves as being separate, that’s an expression of our ignorance. I take comfort in the assurance that Nature will ultimately confirm our dependency upon her. The earth itself confirmed Buddha’s enlightenment, and so it will be with us. Or not.