Come Humbly to Nature,
With the Willingness to learn.
Leave your expert's mind behind - it is of little use here.
Ask to be taught about The Plants,
And Your Relationship with them.
Find within yourself, the glad acceptance of this Invitation,
A multi-sensory celebration constantly unfolding beyond your veil of thought.
You have been the missing guest, and Nature has been waiting patiently for you to take your place at the table.
Allow Her to take your Hand, and gently lead you back to this Exuberant Party,
A place that you faintly remember in your Heart,
Yet your mind could never have conceived in its wildest dreams.
Let yourself be taken for a ride,
A Sensational journey,
Through Lush Outer Landscapes,
And Hidden Inner Ravines,
Where Your Only Responsibility is to
Let Go,
And Allow Nature to Direct the Course
Of This Intrepid Exploration...
Lay your busy mind aside, and Allow...
Allow Yourself to be escorted into the World of Plants.
Humbly shift over into the passenger seat,
And let Nature Be Your Guide.
You will be Astonished by the grand surprises She has in store for you!
Only When we we arrive at the feast with an Empty Bowl
can we be filled by Nature's Bountiful Generosity...
Don't think, Feel.
Go Inside, Breathe deeply, and with Full Awareness,
Let this awareness of Breath penetrate deep within you,
Awakening long forgotten memories, feelings, bonds,
That have been coiled up, dormant inside you.
Don't think, Walk.
Take gentle footsteps upon the Earth's sumptuous skin, and delight in feeling the embrace of Her Gravity..
Appreciate how She supports You so unconditionally.
Synchronise your footsteps with your breath, or let your own rhythm carry you ever more surely through this ancient threshold.
Don't think, Engage Your Five Senses...
Listen.
Listen to the unique rhythm of your inner world, and of the verdant soundscape that surrounds you.
Quiet your mind so that you may hear the voice of Nature that longs to speak to you.
Listen carefully to your own unique response to this symphony of sounds, coarse and subtle, all around you.
See. Are you seeing the world as it is, or only your thoughts about it?
Use the matchless gift of your Vision to marvel at Nature's Artistry - the delicate nuances of light, form and colour.
Are there particular colours, shapes or sights that call to you?
Allow your natural curiosity to lead you to a member of the Plant Family.
Know that you've been called for a reason, and not merely by chance...
Touch. If you know it is safe for you to do so, gently lay your hands upon the plant that you've been auspiciously called to.
Carefully examine the texture, density, and structure of this mysterious Being that you are now becoming acquainted with.
What story does it tell you about its character, its personality? What does it express to you through its unique form?
Let this gift of touch bridge the imaginary gap between you and the Life you are beholding.
Smell. Now, if you feel compelled to know your plant more deeply, breathe it in.
Allow yourself to become truly intimate, and let its singular essence fill your lungs.
What feelings does this scent transmit, and what does this special smell stir and awaken inside you?
Taste.
Reengage your mind – is this plant safe to put inside your mouth?
Ask yourself, would this being be happy to grant you a portion of its body for your consumption?
If Yes,
Tenderly pull away whichever portion of the plant you feel invited to taste.
Pause for a moment to feel the supreme generosity of this offering, before mindfully connecting it with your mouth...
When the full significance of this moment dawns upon us,
When the plant is literally becoming One with Your Own Body,
We will never be able to see Ourselves and the Outside World in the same way again.
As we chew and ingest, we clearly understand that we and the plant are not two, but one flesh, and one body. Its juices become our juices, and its very essence becomes part of our own. Its shape, structure, and outer form now transfigure and meld into ours, and its new place of inhabitance becomes - our very own physical body.
If the ultimate goal of meditation is achieving oneness with the world around us,
Haven't we just summited that lofty peak with this one simple act, performed with gracious, simple awareness?
Regardless of Our Bearing Witness, the Perennial Miracle goes on unfolding in every moment, unassailed.
It is a secret ceremony, constantly carried out in broad daylight, and tragically few are those who ever stop to notice its omnipresence.
The only small question is whether we maintain Open Eyes to See it, Tender Heart to Feel it, and Mind Deft enough to appreciate its sublime implications for our everyday lives...
When the ordinary becomes Extraordinary, and what's dull becomes Divine, surely then we can have the everlasting peace and contentment that every prophet has ever promised – simply, with the Very Way Things Are.
Meditative foraging is a powerful doorway into this understanding, and I urge you to try it,
whenever you have the timeless opportunity to do so...
