Corona Garden

by Shawn Comrie

June 2020

A grasshopper munches on a stalk centimetres from my head, ants scrabble through the "grassy jungle" and a beetle stumbles between the shoots. Butterflies of all sizes are everywhere and a myriad of insects feed on the flowery weeds that we so quickly and thoughtlessly cut down.  I am eye level to a swirling pattern of life and colour.  "A world within a world."  We also have access to the lower reaches of our neighbours large garden. Freeing the gate from decades of vines, Peter and I explore the never before entered, overgrown, "secret garden." We get lost in time.

That was Lockdown level 5 and for the first time in years we enjoyed and appreciated our garden. Our daily 1km circumnavigation increasingly revealed delights long overlooked. Paw-Paws about to ripen, a nest of spiders, ground cover planted 30 years ago revealing itself, the sharp "Vitamin-C" tang of clover and spekboom leaves, overlooked flowers now in late summer fade, a previously unnoticed blue headed lizard.

Two months later now on level 3, we move more freely but have found that times of crisis have brought out the worst in people. The endless often unsubstantiated, vitriol on social media, the accusations and counter accusations, the horrible race riots in America and beyond. The 'cracks' are showing in a 'noisy ego,' which, fuelled by fear and frustration, is currently "a runaway train in full steam!"

However, "cracks let the light in," as the Leonard Cohen song goes, and times of crisis also show the very best in people. This can be seen by the entire world's amazing effort to protect the vulnerable. People reaching out in whatever way possible to ease each others anxiety, burden and loneliness. The image of a group of blacks, protecting an isolated white policeman from the mob, brings hope. 

Closer to home, with my lovely 'lockdown companions.' Lorraine's 'work of love' making masks for Peter's workshop, her weekly bread and delicious 'BRC' meals for her family. Peter, who with his limited understanding, bravely tries to come to terms with a situation that even we cannot fully understand, yet is a constant source of loyalty, calm and friendship. How, one concerned daughter insists on grocery shopping for us and the other, living further away, updates us daily with uplifting photos and messages on our barely known new  grandson. Calming newsletters from Retreat centres and much webinar interconnection. My lovely Dharma practice to sustain and nourish. The warm winter sun. Yes all around, there is so much to be grateful for!

'Grasshopper green'' has now sprung away, replaced by a jumping spider inspecting my outstretched hand. A 'blob of  hairy stripes' that looks at me with bright curious eyes...

I  look up... A hawk circles, far, far above, tracing an invisible, 'enso' in the bright blue.  

Our 'world' has shrunk to house and garden, yet right here, right now, a bright new world!

In our endless rush to 'past and future,' we constantly overlook the 'child's eye' world of this eternal Present Moment. Briefly I am truly within this 'new world' and it is within me, giving 'space and embrace'  to yesterdays sorrows and tomorrows worries. This is our true Nature revealing itself.  And...our true Nurture.

Settling in 

to yourself

letting the difficulty be,

Suddenly

Nothing,

Only the birds,

the chirping squirrels,

all with

no name

'Suddenly' by Richard Wehrman

Shawn Comrie

The loss of his mother while he was a child, set Shawn early on the 'Spiritual Path' and a lifelong interest in Philosophy, Psychology, Religion and Spirituality. He had a long career as a Cardiovascular Perfusionist in Open Heart surgery. This included operating the Heart Lung machine, which initially

unbeknown to him, was the very machine that would have saved his mother's life! He practiced Transcendental Mediation for a time, but in 2002  settled for the Buddhist Practice, which has become foundational to all his other interests. Keen for commonality amongst Religions, he is also a member of the local Unitarian Fellowship. Together with his wife Lorraine, he runs the Eclectic Buddhist/SADAG

Support Group in Westville Durban, where they live with their disabled son Peter.

skc@telkomsa.net

thewayofjoyandease.com