Retreat
It is interesting how things turn out. Elja is in Netherlands living in a community of women and I am here in France living in a community of men. We are all getting rather energised by the interest that is being shown in the Winter Retreat. We have not even got to summer yet, but the idea of the retreat starting in October has clearly caught the imagination of quite a number of people. This, in turn, throws up the dilemmas of modern life. For many people, taking two and a half months out is rather difficult. We here, however, have, in a sense, taken our whole lives out - taken them out of the system. 'Dropping out' used to be considered rather trendy, once upon a time. Nowadays it tends to be regarded as madness. Yet, evidently, it still has a lure. One person wrote to me for more details about the retreat saying that he was turning over in his mind whether he could do the impossible and come. The whole idea challenges the materialist world that we live it. it speaks of liberation.
Garden
Meanwhile, the rain rains, the sun shines, and the plants grow. Our front garden is, as they say, a riot of colour, and most of the colours we did not plant. Today I did quite a bit of weeding, rescuing smaller plants - like strawberries, from the over arching jungle of larger flowers. It is quite a challenge deciding which to eliminate and which to keep when more than half of even the more attractive plants are not ones we planted. Of the plants that i bought on the market the yesterday I have now planted the courgettes and tomatoes, some chives, and a lovely rose. There are still a few flowers in the box, but i have to make room for them first in the beds.
Men Together
It is very nice to be in a community of three men living in harmony. When men get together there is often a good deal of competition, but there seems hardly a trace of it in our little crew. It is difficult to express in words the spirit of goodness that prevails. The religious life here is intense, but in a low key way. Today we have been rather separately occupied much of the time, Jnanamati cutting grass, Adam preparing ground on which to lay paving and myself gardening, but these separate activities all fit together. It is delightful that the lilac is now in full bloom and surrounded by well cut lawn. The place has seldom been in such good order. The one thing that we did all work on together is a rather sad item. We have had to cut down our cherry trees as they have contracted a disease and are shedding shrivelled leaves instead of making fruit, so no home grown cherries this year. We shall have to give it a year before planting some more, I imagine.
Replies