I look at this plant daily – look being the principle word. I rarely water it, I never move it. How it is not a shrivelled brown stick I have no idea.
Is it a ‘succulent’ ? I recall buying it when it was just a 3cm high stem and really rather cute.
Last night as I relaxed on a huge beanbag in front of the woodburner, making suitably sympathetic noises at one flu-symptom-filled husband, I continued my read about the simple but deeply meaningful lives of Buddhist monks. Being someone who can multi-task, I also managed to keep half an eye on a reality tv programme to which those monks would never give a second thought … itv’s ‘Survival of The Fittest’ and the irony was not lost on me.
Did you know monks wear white underwear and under-robes to help keep their thoughts pure and their hearts fresh, and that they all have their heads shaved to dissuade vanity.
Those girls (and guys) on this latest itv reality show would think their world had ended if they each met with a set of clippers.
With empty cups littering the floorboards near me, I read about why monks clean. Daily. Even when everywhere is spotless. Can you imagine school children in England cleaning their classrooms? What a phenomenon that would be…
In one of the breaks, I took my dustpan and brush and began to sweep dead wysteria leaves from the patio – they’ve only been there since September – but I got so cold, I came inside (and decided you could finish it tomorrow? 🙄). I would so fail in my tasks and be expected to visit each one of the elders and apologise.
I have possibly sprinkled water on the little plant twice in two years when I’ve paused in the downstairs cloakroom, where it lives, long enough to consider its needs.
Look how it has grown, yet silently always reaching towards the light, the newest growth straining for some photosynthesis possibilities (you did concentrate in biology at least).
Astonishing how new ‘babies’ are evolving along its stems. This is one self-contained mother of small plants. The monks would be proud of it; striving for survival, utilising what little is to hand.
I suspect if I were to google its ancestry it comes from some bleak rocky mountainside in the Himalayas or some other inhospitable place, making a small cloakroom in the East of England a comparatively straightforward place to thrive.
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Reblogged this on Ideas.Become.Words and commented:
Just flicking through my Monk’s cleaning book… just to remind me
For more recent followers, I’d like to share one little book which altered my thinking on some aspects of life 👌🏼🌸
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I am banned from touching our plants especially the succulents we have. I kill anything off, even air plants.
I am intrigued by the book and ideas so it has been added to the tbr pile. The monks would shake their heads in disgust if they saw my writing room it is chaos and needs to see a dustpan and brush.
Thanks for sharing.
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Your WordPress friends are all in the dame boat. Today my Internet connection was awful. I am stopping now for an evening with a good book. 😊
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Enjoy 🌸
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I really enjoy cleaning. It must be in my genes…
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When I do get around to some, I also enjoy it. Makes me feel upbeat and appreciative of the room or whatever it is I’ve cleaned. I can relate to the monk’s opinion that it keeps their hearts ‘clean’ … but he doesn’t have a husband, two teenagers, a business, a desire to write a novel and some misguided notion that my new wordpress friends needs to be kept up with daily 🤣🤣🤣❄️
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Love that you’ve shared this – love the cleaning. x
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I didn’t get very far did I?!!
But I love the basic message of the book. I really relate to much of the Buddhist faith, yet don’t see myself as particularly Buddhist. If that makes sense xx
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It does make sense 🙂 x
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Loved this. I just love you though haha
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Love you too … and that’s without my latest news you’re about to hear 🖤
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Oooh I am intrigued!!!
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Love your posts 😍
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Thanks sweetie xx
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However sad / funny this might sound, but I usually killed all my plants that I sencirelly took care off. The ones I left alone… they lived… but there is one plant in my office which is still alive and I’m persistent to keep it that way… it’s a memory of a good colleague of mine… now retired…
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Aw that’s lovely …. although adds pressure to the plan 😬🙏🏼 I will pray that whatever you’ve been doing remains exactly what is needed to keep it alive!
(I’m dreadful with ALL plants; seriously. Except succulents it seems) 🤣
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Interesting post! Loved the photos, too! 💜
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Thank you Patty 🌸🥂
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Those plants are amazing I had one that lasted years and became so long I had to palace on very high shelf.beautiful read with my feet up at the fireplace and a glass of refosco😉it’s snowing her too……❤️
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Reckon you’re gonna get some serious snowfall tomorrow, looking at the forecasts ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️(least MIL managed to get home first 🙈)
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Yep,the weather was with us😎I can’t even think about what if🤦🏼♀️lol
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Nice post and we can learn a lot from nature if we listen.
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So much.
I loved writing that and photographing the plant. I saw it properly for the first time.
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