Enlightenment with the Wise Gardener

by Alan Steinborn

The coming home ritual was always the same.

The train would arrive in the village of Denzlingen.

Move towards the door.

Swing the latch, and the door would open like a magazine.

Climb down onto the platform, and notice the silence.

Look to the left toward the rolling hills of wine grapes.

Look toward the right where the ancient village buildings have stood for centuries.

Breathe in the tasty air, breathe out a satisfied "aaaaah."

On this Sunday morning that is exactly how it all went until I got to the part where I breathed in and out.

This time I could hardly breath in and my out breath was not an expression of loveliness...I didn't know why.

I paused there on the platform for some moments. I stood there allowing the focus to gather. Something was different.

Instantly I started walking, but not home.

I didn't know where I was going.

I was following a feeling.

I walked through the village which was dead silent. Like walking through a ghost town.

I came upon the community gardens.

It was too early in the season to attract the usual busy gardeners. Instead it was one empty plot after another.

But then I got to the last plot.

Bent over, clearing out last years crop with old wooden tools was what I thought to be a middle aged woman.

She halted her vigorous movements when she noticed me.

When She saw me, she stood up and greeted me brightly. Brighter than I was used to being greeted in that village.

So I stopped and we engaged in normal cordial banter about the weather and gardening and such.

At the same time as these words were going back and forth, a different communication was happening with each other.

She was regarding me with intense curiosity and a mischievous glow. I found myself smiling.

She was like a spring of powerful snappy energy and focused and very positive.

She told me that she wanted to have her garden ready by her birthday in a few weeks.

I asked how old she would be. In retrospect it seems a rude question, but as you will see, I am very glad I asked.

She replied that in 3 weeks she would be 95 years old.

I staggered in shock. "Impossible"; I said!!!

At this, she smiled at me with a devilish flirtatiousness.

I asked her to tell me her secret.

She looked me straight in the eyes and without a moments hesitation she spoke to my soul when she said:

"Leben ist Bewegung."

This means "Life is movement."

But her eyes indicated a greater meaning.

That is when it happened.

In a flash, I understood that every single thing that exists, exists in constant movement forever; whether it be a tree, a planet, a body decomposing in a grave, or your body reading this right now!..anything and everything with form moves forever.

In that moment, I dissolved into her eyes and I realized that I was that which doesn't move!

I was no thing at all!

In this way I was enlightened.

In that moment, the body, which I call me, breathed in deeply and full and exhaled with a satisfying "aaaah".

I smiled and thanked her.

She smiled, turned her back to me and went back to work on her garden.

I watched her for a second. Yes, yes; "Leben ist Bewegung" I thought.

I walked home.

Please email me at alan@speaknow.biz and tell me about a time when your seemingly
essential story evaporated in the face of a here and now which captivated you and catapulted
you into realm of joy and surrender.

Yours in Presence,

Alan Steinborn

Alan Steinborn, All Rights Reserved, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007