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| My First Garden Seva |
| Although I’ve received Amma’s darshan and been a devotee of Hers for some years now, it was only recently that I visited the Toronto ashram and had my first garden seva experience.
It was a hot day and my fiancé, Daniel, who has plenty of past gardening experience was eager to spend the entire day at the farm. This made me feel uneasy and a bit overwhelmed. Aside from repotting houseplants, I’ve never worked in a garden before. I was worried it would be exhausting, awkward and challenging. As soon as we arrived, the small garden team welcomed us with open hearts and beaming smiles as if welcoming old friends. Daniel went off in a different section of the garden and I was assigned to plant onions. One of the coordinators showed me how to use a wooden stick or my finger to make a hole and plant each seedling. Following her example, I removed the seedling bunches from the small pots they were in and gently rubbed the soil between my hands, ensuring the thin roots remained intact. I took one seedling, made a hole in the already prepared soil bed and planted my first onion. Before planting the rest, I measured with my eyes and hands the approximate distance between each hole to ensure the onions were evenly spread out. It was quiet and peaceful. It felt nice. I kept to myself and mentally repeated my mantra as often as I could remember to stay focused and in the present moment. Amma says that, "First, the human mind should be harmonized, then the harmony of Nature will spontaneously take place." |
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Working so closely with the earth, many insects, spiders and worms were crawling out of the soil. Surprisingly, my fear and aversion towards them seemed to have dissipated. I even found myself mentally talking to them and excusing myself for disturbing their dwelling place. I took a handful of soil and covered the worms to protect them from the scorching sun. Amma tells us that, “Each and every living being in nature is part of God’s body" and "It is one of our foremost duties to lovingly care for all living things." "Nature is an indispensable part of life on Earth. Everything relies on nature to live. We are not different from nature—we are an interdependent part of it. Our lives depend on the well-being of the whole." – Amma |
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After what seemed like a short while (although it must have been a couple of hours), we were called inside for lunch. Everyone was so joyful and showed us so much gratitude, even calling us “family”. It was such an open-hearted, positive and welcoming atmosphere. After a delicious lunch together, I finished planting the onions and began planting potatoes. I’ve never seen the process before. I was amazed at how easy it was to just cut a large potato in half and plant it in the prepared soil. We added some cow dung to the beds for fertilization. |
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Amma says that, "Even if we only have a tiny plot of land, we should try to grow a few vegetables using organic fertilizers. Spending some time with our plants, we should talk to them, kiss them and sing to them. This relationship will give us a new vitality." A couple of devotees working alongside me recalled the previous year’s harvest and how amazing everything smelled and tasted, especially the tomatoes and apple juice. They said that it is nothing compared to store bought vegetables and fruits. This lit me up and boosted my excitement. The more I worked in the garden that day, the more peaceful and at ease I felt. Everyone was so positive, happy and truly grateful to be there. I was completely welcomed, supported and appreciated. The spiritual energy pervading the ashram premises felt so deeply nourishing and palpable. Later in the day, we were invited to take a walk through the orchard to enjoy the silence and the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
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To be honest, at the end of the day, I realized that I didn’t feel like I had just worked a sweaty eight hours. Not at all. I actually felt so eager to work more. Sure the body felt a little achy, but this feeling was somewhere in the background, overshadowed by the vibrant surroundings and the open-hearted and positive attitude of everyone around me. This filled me with energy. The beauty of nature nourished me on every level, making me feel happy, peaceful and grateful. I was filled with God’s Grace. What a unique experience. "When people live in accordance with Nature, the song of life becomes sweet." — Amma
Ioana – Toronto Satsang - Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
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Read about Earth Day Chicago from the Q3 2022 newsletter >>
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