Zen garden or miniature jungle

 

I love visiting temples in Japan with zen gardens. Using just rocks, gravels or moss they exude calmness and peace conducive for meditation.

When we bought our house more than 2 decades ago the first thing my husband and I readily agreed on was to plant a tree in the small front garden. Over the years the mango tree has spread its roots making it difficult to grow grass underneath. I had dreamt of a garden with just a tree and a green lawn like the minimalist Japanese zen gardens. Instead the garden now looks like a miniature jungle. 

We laid plastic sheets on some parts of the ground and poured soil on top to create small flower beds. We grew ferns and bamboo grass in them. To adorn the rest of the garden we use potted plants. A few pots has grown into a huge collection. Yes the garden is really like a mini jungle.

It is my daily habit to place my palms on the trunk of the mango tree for a couple of minutes every morning to absorb its positive energy (as advised by a new age teacher). During this time I would be observing the bark of the tree, the plants in the garden as well as the birds and insects all around. Watching the ants crawling in a line on a branch, watching the birds taking nectar from the flowers and noticing hosts of other tiny insects always makes me wonder how many gazillions of living creatures there are in our world. Spending time attending to each plant in the garden has also brought me lots of joy like the delight of sighting the first bud or feeling the softness of the lush fern leaves.

I would now think twice of replacing my miniature jungle and its myriad of uniqueness, with a zen garden of a solitary tree and lawn. I guess the former helps one to feel part of a larger whole while the later provides the quietness to look within oneself. Both are necessary. If only I have a home that accommodates both the jungle and the zen garden.