
漫长的冬季到了这个时候,我便开始盼望春天。到了三月,我对冬日的美景似乎有些麻木了。虽然祈祷和冥想让我保持一颗感恩的心,欣赏时光流逝和四季更迭,但我最渴望的还是寒冷的日子快点过去。随着大地开始解冻,我们常常盼望着这一过程快点到来。我渴望看到春风吹拂下盛开的鲜花,渴望在温暖的夏夜坐在门廊上。
虽然对冬天的不耐烦是人之常情,但我还是停下来,提醒自己要放慢脚步,慢慢度过这个季节。如果我们匆匆忙忙地经历自然界和生活中的季节更迭,就会错过冬春交替之际,错过其中蕴含的重要启示。
在万物复苏的这段时间里,其自然意义和象征意义是什么?正是在绝望与希望的交汇之处,我们才能发现复苏之美。在这里,创造性的生命,或者说上帝,在我们身上展现出格外强大的力量。这里是孕育生命的沃土,让我们在对失去之物和尚未敞开心扉接受之物的渴望中,重获新生。复苏是充满无限可能的沃土。从季节的角度来看,这是坚硬的种子软化以准备萌发的时期。层积处理是园艺学中对种子进行冷冻和解冻过程的术语,它能使种子逐渐失去活力,为新生做好准备。如果没有经历冷冻和解冻,种子胚胎就无法打破休眠,无法萌发。正是这种艰难的“舍弃旧我”的过程,促使种子外壳出现裂纹,并驱使它向着养分和阳光生长。最终,正是从这艰辛中,孕育出新生之美。
我们灵魂的故事也大同小异。我们喜欢安逸,自然而然地想要维持现状。但如果我们一直待在理想、轻松的环境中,我们可能就缺乏成长的动力。这并非意味着我们应该为追求安逸而感到愧疚;而是说,无论我们如何努力,人生中总会经历安逸与不适的循环往复。这就是事物的本来面目。“解冻”正是“唤醒沉睡”的召唤。
所以,今年三月,我不会急于求成地迎接解冻,而是会放慢脚步,细细体会:无论这冰封期——无论是精神上的还是物质上的——感觉多么漫长而深刻,创造性临在的奥秘始终伴随着解冻,召唤我们走向新的成长。记住,在经历的种种磨难中,我们坚硬的外壳正在被打破,我们会因此而渴望汲取精神的养分,沐浴在最深沉的爱的光芒中。记住,无论季节更迭或自身变化的过程看似多么漫长,都要拥抱这段旅程。新的生命即将到来。
***
三首经典诗歌,分别探讨了从冬季到春季过渡的不同方面……
解冻
我看见文明的太阳拭去大地的泪水——
她的喜悦泪水流得更快了,我真想躺在公路边伸展一下身体,
随着积雪融化,水流缓缓流淌。
灵魂与肉体随着潮汐交融,
我或许也会流淌在自然的毛孔之中。
但我唉,既不能小便也不能生气,
为推进《时代》杂志的伟大事业贡献一份力量,
我得倾听他们织布的声音,
我的沉默也将与他们的音乐交相辉映。
——亨利·大卫·梭罗
在你想到春天之前
在你想到春天之前,
除了作为一种猜测之外,
你看,上帝保佑他的突然之举。
天空中的一位同伴
具有独立色调,
略显风吹日晒,
鼓舞人心的服饰
靛蓝色和棕色。
附有歌曲样本,
仿佛是让你来选择,
在此期间的自由裁量权,
他因同性恋的延误而离开
致某棵更优秀的树
没有一片叶子,
他向空无一人欢呼雀跃
但他那天使般的本性!
艾米莉·狄金森
雪正在融化
雪正在融化
村庄被洪水淹没了。
带着孩子。
——小林一茶,罗伯特·哈斯译
***
弗吉尼亚·梅·德罗塔尔和她的丈夫杜安·德罗塔尔是“影子溪”(Shadowbrook)的创始人和管理者。“影子溪”是一个新兴的、具有变革意义的社区建设实验项目,总部位于俄亥俄州。该项目面向所有经济状况和背景的人们,“在这里,静默与阴影工作、互惠交流与正义的重生、身心健康与服务交汇融合”。他们认为,“影子溪”的指导原则是:将我们各自的天赋和专长组织起来,开展一项集体活动,使彼此以及整个世界都从中受益。我们将扮演孵化器和庇护所的角色,邀请那些渴望在这个保持社交距离和隔离的特殊时期贡献力量的人们,参与到这项勇敢地迈向建立我们一直渴望的联结文化的集体实验中来。
今天(周四!)5月25日下午1:30(太平洋标准时间),欢迎参加与弗吉尼亚和杜安的私密交流会,了解他们共同的创业历程、愿景以及对Shadowbrook的未来规划。请点击此处回复并了解更多详情。
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Here's to embracing the edge between winter and spring and presence to all it can teach. ♡
"It is this difficult process of dying to the old self which causes the seed to develop cracks in the shell and impels it to move toward nutrients and light. "
I love this line. It is relatable and authentic. I recently started growing tulips in clear jars with river rocks and noticed the cracks in the bulb. My impatience wanting to see the pretty red pedals (symbolizing the coming of spring) is strong but I realize that I should be happy with the crack in the bulb, that it's trying and it longs for the light and nutrients. Not only is this line relatable to plant-life, but also fauna. How many times does a snake shed its skin? A butterfly sheds its cocoon? You need to have darkness to appreciate light, you need to have rain to appreciate the sunshine and it's those in-between times that make the anticipation and the final destination great.
What an inspiring piece. Thank you.
Beautiful!!!
❤️
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
By William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Winter Song
I was there
that day when
winter died
and no-one cried
the crows perhaps
who knows
the crows
they know
the daffodils
they swayed
they swayed
upon the grave
the song bird
song
sung the morning
sung the morning long
And I cried
that no-one cries
when winter
dies
Vic needs a Spring antidote.
[in Just-]
By E. E. Cummings
in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles far and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it's
spring
and
the
goat-footed
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
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Yes, I love the season when insects come out. When I can perspire and smell like a farm animal. And the aroma of freshly cut grass and exhaust fumes from my lawnmower. I love winter. I'm always saddened to see it fade into Spring.