Our Garden Gooseberry

Our Anonymous Man says "A “garden” is thus a state of the world where there is cooperation and equilibrium between Spirit and Nature", where Spirit is to be understood as the domain of human pursuits. And as only our Anonymous Man can (seamlessly traversing between western esotericism to Hindu philosophy), he goes on to say, "...that a “garden” corresponds to the state of sattva of Nature (prakriti) towards the Spirit (purusha). And it was in such a “sattvic” milieu—or “garden”—that humanity was placed and was assigned its primordial and eternal mission: to cultivate and maintain this “garden”.”

The garden lies at the intersection of a desert and a forest; where there still remains a possibility of a momentary respite from the ever expanding ennui of the world. This respite must be brought forth, cultivated, by the enterprise of our spirit, but must remain within the wondrous and mysterious restraints of nature. I have often found myself most alive within the gardens that I have visited or made. Today, while walking in the school, I found that our Amla tree is now bearing fruit. It has been 7 years of tending a barren land that has led to this simple and natural consequence of a garden. Amla, with all its nutrition and culinary uses, is the most playful of all fruits. The ability to palate the intensely tart flavour of raw gooseberries diminishes with age, perhaps. And the size of berries is just the right size to check the strength of one's arm. An impromptu throwing competition is in order. May be, berries must not be thought about much. But that would be antithetical to my Prakriti.