“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
Long Walk To Freedom - Nelson Mandela 1995
“人生最大的光榮不在於永不跌倒，而在於每次跌倒後能回升...”
The Japanese maple had been growing healthily in its happy little spot. My reward has been its thriving greens in spring, and intense reds in autumn - my favourite season.
Happiness came to an abrupt halt. I came home one day to find the itinerant gardener, while mowing my lawn, had ring-barked the base of its trunk. A heart rending sight to behold.. the gardener dismissed; an episode began to unfold..
The maple began to wilt; its leaves fallen. The damaged bark above the severed base slowly died and rotted. As the damage progressed gradually, branches began to dehydrate and turned black…
I harboured the thought of giving it an honourable end - the best love that one could give a suffering horse is to end its agony. I procrastinated... as if fate had assumed its own calling, notwithstanding me. Seasons drifted on, as I travelled. It changed my mind in late winter; it sprouted vibrant spikes of new life on the opposite side, long before spring was to break.
It took a few years to nurse it, by cleaning away the dead bark and pruning the diseased branches back to the trunk. I mixed rice rinse water 洗米水 and leftover yoghurt for its probiotic culture 益生培菌 to supplement it. It was an extremely dry and hot El Nino period that Australia had witnessed severe drought and scorching summers of 45ºC heat in Melbourne.
This spring brought me immense joy: the maple showed a sure sign of life. Not only has it sprouted new branches with freshly green foliage, barks around the diseased stems are bursting with new life. Wounds have begun to suture to closure as the barks are rejuvenated with new growth - like a latent life force that has finally found a voice to announce its awakening.. I feel the breeze speaking in its grace: Am here; hear me...
Throughout the long and arduous journey of regrowth and self-healing, the maple speaks to the subliminal.. reflecting on life, as it were. How the many frustrations and failures I have faced would pale to insignificance in stark contrast to the struggles by its will to survive, and to rebound with abundant inner strength. Never give up, it winks at me; it brought to mind a passage that had long eluded me:
“We are all meant to shine, as children do.
And as we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
And as we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” - Marianne Williamson 1992
就像小孩子一樣，我們自會容光照人。
當我們讓自己的光芒照耀時，我們自應允他人依樣揮發。
當我們從自己的恐懼中開脫，我們的存現就自然的開釋他人。
