This is a delightful vignette from Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh that shows how life is connected with poetry, that the mundane and the sublime are like yin and yang, inseparable and necessary in order to live a life of depth that is squarely rooted in everyday realities.
One day in New York City, I met a Buddhist scholar and I told her about my practice of mindfulness in the vegetable garden. I enjoy growing lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables, and I like to spend time gardening every day.
She said, "You shouldn't spend your time growing vegetables. You should spend more time writing poems. Your poems are so beautiful. Everyone can grow lettuce, but not everyone can write poems like you do."
I told her, "If I don't grow lettuce, I can't write poems."
(From Your True Home #103)
Of course, the quote in the image from the Sufi master Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan is also noteworthy.
I savor and cherish this teaching. A beautiful mosaic is composed of so many little yet uniquely wonderful pieces. Let's take care to make those little pieces count!
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