Each night human activities recede. Once again the trees breathe. Like a satisfying sigh that releases the stress of the day, the land grows quiet, sound replaced with silence. In the dark of night, there is rest, solace and comfort. As we sleep, the land heals from daily human activity; a life disharmonious with the laws of nature. In the dark of night, the earth absorbs the pollution of the day, breathing new life into what had begun to decay. A regenerative, life-giving gift born anew each day.
In the early morning, before the light of a new day has penetrated the dark, silence reveals the harmony of all that live here on earth. In the morning light of the forest, competition does not exist. There is no thought of greed, vice, or war. These thoughts live only in the minds of humanity. We must allow these thoughts to die in us to return to harmony. A transfiguration must take place deep within each of us for life to go on.
A sweet fruit is born of a sweet seed; yet sweetness in life can be born of something sour. This transformation is possible. If in nature a only good seed bears good fruit, how then in humans, can seeds of dominance, resentment and anger become trees of love, truth, and peace?
The seeds of disharmony darken the mind. They are a corrosive element that brings decay, turmoil, and unhappiness. These disharmonious forces are made available to us for transformation. Our awareness is the spade with which we tend to our garden. Only when we tend to our garden can trees grow, flowers bloom, and good seeds fructify.
What is the process of tending to our inner world? What does it mean to engage in conscious awareness of oneself? How does one begin this process? How can we learn to bring light out of darkness?