Am I the gardener, in that I carefully curate, cultivate and prune? This only works if the garden is a concept in my mind, and each plant in it is limited by my perception of it.
Am I another plant in the same garden, in that I take no ownership of what happens to the other plants, stay focused on thriving myself, and yet, contribute to the secret communal life of trees in an ecosystem?
A butterfly perhaps, that flits from one plant to another, enjoying the nectar each plant has to offer, while facilitating cross pollination.. of ideas, of connections, etc?
Love it Prof. Sawhney. In today’s day and age, friendships come from all corners. The ones that are impacting today’s generation are virtual, coming through social media and have the biggest impact especially on teenagers. Like everything, reflecting on each and maintaining your garden is key to a healthy habitat.
If you go by traditional Indian Guru- Sisya tradition where Guru put all of his strength ensuring each disciple reach to its true full potential, I guess they would be like sapling in your garden. Curious to know, where do you keep or name them.
Love the thought provoking wisdom. I do wonder how we will qualify a Sangha, a spiritual community where you are held in love and trust. Where you may have people with whom you can have very intimate conversations one day and then, if people in that circle shift, some others take their place.
Interesting. The pov for the Sangha is a community, not an individual. So we associate with different communities as one entity that holds a cluster of friends.
What role do 'I' play in the garden?
Am I the gardener, in that I carefully curate, cultivate and prune? This only works if the garden is a concept in my mind, and each plant in it is limited by my perception of it.
Am I another plant in the same garden, in that I take no ownership of what happens to the other plants, stay focused on thriving myself, and yet, contribute to the secret communal life of trees in an ecosystem?
A butterfly perhaps, that flits from one plant to another, enjoying the nectar each plant has to offer, while facilitating cross pollination.. of ideas, of connections, etc?
Mohanbir - A wonderful, thought provoking read. Very much enjoyed it. Thank you. 🤗
As with all your writings, thoughtful and interesting perspectives to let percolate.
Very true Professor Sawhney. Where do your disciple belong in your garden :-)
Love it Prof. Sawhney. In today’s day and age, friendships come from all corners. The ones that are impacting today’s generation are virtual, coming through social media and have the biggest impact especially on teenagers. Like everything, reflecting on each and maintaining your garden is key to a healthy habitat.
That's a fascinating thought. Where do 50,000nof my students near and far fit in? Something to reflect on…
If you go by traditional Indian Guru- Sisya tradition where Guru put all of his strength ensuring each disciple reach to its true full potential, I guess they would be like sapling in your garden. Curious to know, where do you keep or name them.
Love the thought provoking wisdom. I do wonder how we will qualify a Sangha, a spiritual community where you are held in love and trust. Where you may have people with whom you can have very intimate conversations one day and then, if people in that circle shift, some others take their place.
Interesting. The pov for the Sangha is a community, not an individual. So we associate with different communities as one entity that holds a cluster of friends.