The garden of the mind

Gandhi once wrote "The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. He frees himself and shows the way to others. Freedom and slavery are mental states."


Dear fellow explorers,


The last time we met I left you swimming in the ocean. I also went swimming in my own current. How did you find the experience? What type of marine life did you encounter? Did you follow the currents or swim against them? Please let me know by leaving your comment in these pages. I am very interested in hearing your experiences.


In any case, I hope you are dry now, because the visit to Gandhi's Gardens continues. Take a sip from the water bottle in your backpack if you need. Ready? Do you remember how I found the statue of Mahatma Gandhi for the first time? So unassuming, so simple yet occupying the right place for such a man. I need to tell you a little secret, and I apologise in advance in case it might alter the image that you had formed in your mind about Gandhi standing in his gardens. Can you picture this image now? Is there a fountain and flowers? Maybe little animals: ducks in a pond, squirrels...? Who is walking and playing in these gardens? Are you in them? Please close your eyes and hold this image for some seconds. 



The secret is: Gandhi's Gardens are very stark. There are trees but no flowers surrounding the statue. No fountains or ponds. For the most part, sand everywhere, and a little dry canal. No other animals than birds on the trees and dogs brought by their owners. Traffic surrounds all four sides. It's noisy. There are also some rosemary bushes and on Sundays grandparents come to play bowls.


Don't be upset. I am just trying to illustrate a point. Your mind is powerful.


And now Gandhi wishes to speak:


"If you draw a little circle around me, you will only find sand and dirt but if you lift your eyes beyond it, you will see, a few meters ahead, a playground for children. Here they celebrate many birthdays. If you continue still a few meters ahead, you will find a tiny patch of grass and even a man-made creek that is always dry. Not all designs are accomplished in this life.


And in this square, perhaps erroneously named as gardens, they've built not so long ago a fenced area where dogs can run free without leash.


What I like the best is, nevertheless, the trees. There are many. Some with thick trunks, scarred or smooth, high as clouds in a windy day or modest and developing as small nations. They offer me shelter and whisper stories in the morning and in the evening for those who wish to hear them. I love these trees. My already limited life would be much sadder without their company. 


And what I like best after these friends is that they have placed a path in front of me. I can see the people walking by: skipping with the energy of childhood; fast with the impulsiveness of youth; firmly stepping with the duties of adulthood; at leisure with the long hours of maturity; exhausted by the secrets carried in their retirement; slow with the ailments of old age.


I watch them and learn. I watch them and meditate. I watch them and, above all, I pray."


Not all designs are accomplished in this life.
Your mind is powerful. 
Hold on to the garden of the mind.