#1. Weeds
In a garden, weeds are a perpetual issue.... at first, I thought to use the word "problem" rather than "issue", but in rethinking the spiritual context of weeds, I realize quickly that "problem" is not the right term. Weeding presents a daily opportunity for self awareness and growth. Weeding is actually a good thing!
Garden Weeds
Weeds are a natural part of any garden. There are the plants you want to cultivate, and then there are the weeds that seem to spring up out of nowhere... weeds that mimic your desired plants and hide out amid the good ones... persistent, strong, prolific. Living out here in the boonies, there is a fairly distinct line, a boundary, between MY GARDEN and THE WEED FIELDS. Forget the WEED FIELDS... I don't even try to go out there. But inside MY GARDEN, I am a weed warrior! The boundary I defend is within that edge established by either the lawn mower, or the weed whacker, or the bush hog, or the fence around the veggies. Anything inside the boundary of that edge gets pulled, and it must be pulled on a regular basis. There is no vacation from weeding. Oh yeah, they say laying down a thick mulch helps to keep those weeds under control, but in reality, it is a constant daily activity to check out what new invader is making its way into the flower bed or the veggie rows. Some days, I am just too tired to do the work. I observe and marvel at how, in just one day, weeds have reappeared where just yesterday or the day before I had done a thorough job of clearing them out. It is never-ending, and if you give up, you have essentially given over your gardens to the Will of the Weeds!
It is best to catch the weeds before they get too big or, even worse, go to seed. Once they go to seed, you know you have only doubled the work ahead. The seeds spread, lay low in the soil, linger, linger, linger... but sooner or later they will burst into activity. So, the goal is to catch them early. Yeah, that's the perfect model: catch them early. But in my garden, at least, I don't always follow the perfect model.
Spiritual Benefits of Weeding
For me, weeding has become a meditative activity, and it has been so for a very long time. It is quiet when I do my weeding. The only sounds surrounding me out here in the Middle of Nowhere are breezes caught by trees and shrubs, birds calling, the distant laughter of children, far away sounds of folks working their fields, an occasional passing car. Weeding is very focused... one pointed awareness. No distractions. Just Do It. Just Do It Everyday.
Weeds have become a helpful reminder of the aspects of my lesser self... my fears, my worries, my attachments. Weeds remind me that often those lesser aspects appear camouflaged to appear much more desirable than they truly are. In "straightening up" my garden beds, I symbolically "straighten up" my spirit.
Just like weeds, my negative emotions are persistent, strong, prolific. If I allow them to take over, they will. Fear and worry have a way of doing that. Envy and greed peek into my consciousness without invitation... they simply appear, just like weeds. As I pull and remove the weeds from my gardens, I have the opportunity to practice "mental weeding".... I can nip those negative emotions in the bud... I can recognize the beginnings of negative thoughts and "pull them out".... knowing, all the while, that this is a daily practice... that once is never enough... that I will back tomorrow for another session... and another ... and another.
I understand the limits that must be put on my "mental weeding". I know my boundaries in this meditative exercise. Just as I don't expect to "fix" the weed field, I stay focused on my own "weeds", and I take care of those as best I can.
For this, I am grateful to have gardening as a spiritual practice!
