| For me, the seasons represents 2 aspects. The | | | | reminders come through, just like the reminders |
| path through my own life and the spiritual path. | | | | of old age and as a youth we begin to have the |
| Firstly, the path through my life and how the | | | | first glimmers of understanding around old age |
| seasons map this out. Autumn has particular | | | | and death. Hot summers, just like the passion of |
| significance for me. | | | | our youth, raises energy, and can occasionally |
| Spring is birth (or re-birth!). Clearly, this is visible in | | | | cause trouble. But unlike the frost and water from |
| the explosion of flowers and the greenery that | | | | the previous winter, hopefully these problems will |
| erupts out from the trees and hedgerows. But in | | | | be short lived and quickly forgotten. |
| spring we catch elements of the previous winter, | | | | Autumn. I think I'm here in my life. Autumn is a |
| still left hanging. The ice. Maybe representing the | | | | beautiful time, full of grace and colour, cooler too. |
| Karma from my previous life? The odd, crisp | | | | With time to dwell on the fun of the summer. But |
| frost still catches me in the spring. Ice and water | | | | wisdom starts to set in. An understanding of what |
| from the winter have effects which pervade. As | | | | nature has in store for us as we catch the early |
| I tend the bonsai in my garden I find one of them | | | | frosts. Preparation too. The animals in the forest |
| with a broken terracotta pot, split by the ice. I will | | | | are eagerly burying food and the birds are eating |
| need to replace that in the summer when I | | | | to build up their fat reserves. They know the |
| re-pot. I notice the roof slate that has broken | | | | winter is coming and they are preparing. And |
| free and slipped down the roof. The winter has | | | | maybe I am preparing too? My spiritual practise is |
| left its mark and things will have to be done to fix | | | | certainly more intense and deeper than in my |
| these affects. Untouched, the affects of the | | | | youth. Maybe I also see a winter coming and |
| winter frosts will deepen their damage, so I must | | | | recognise the importance of preparation. So for |
| notice them and repair. Just like the Karma of a | | | | me, this time in my life is very special. I have the |
| previous life, which I hopefully will notice in my | | | | wisdom of understanding of what is to come (to |
| mindful moments, then nurture and transform. | | | | an extent) but also some of the energy left from |
| Spring is interesting, a beautiful time but a time | | | | my summer. I have the energy to practise. To |
| when we are busy recovering from the winter | | | | prepare. |
| and coping with the explosion of growth. It is | | | | Winter comes, and a beautiful stillness. With the |
| comparable with our own spring of childhood | | | | frosts come clear skies as we head on into the |
| where we are extremely busy learning and | | | | new year. Hopefully, when I reach this time, my |
| growing (and from a Buddhist perspective, | | | | Karma will be positive, ready to hand it over to |
| possibly coping with the Karma bubbling up from a | | | | the new year, a new life. Hopefully the frosts |
| previous life, setting us in our place). | | | | from the winter won't be quiet so disruptive for |
| As the seasons progress we tend to start to | | | | the next spring, the next life. |
| forget about the previous winter and enjoy the | | | | And what of the spiritual path? How does this |
| moment or look forwards. But, just like Karma, | | | | compare with the seasons of the year? Each |
| the Winter still occasionally reminds us of its | | | | season, although giving us little tasters of the |
| presence and its effects pervade right through | | | | next, sit quietly with mainly their own particular |
| the your (and the Karma, right through our life | | | | nature and temperament. For weeks, that nature |
| time). I still haven't replaced that Bonsai pot! So | | | | and temperament will largely be the same. Then, |
| even though we may forget those effects, they | | | | suddenly, change comes. The leaves fall and the |
| are still there. | | | | frosts appear. Traveling home from retreat the |
| Summer comes, the summer of our youth. We | | | | other day, I noticed that in the space of a few |
| now talk little of winter, of old age. However, | | | | days, autumn had well and truly rolled in. The |
| even now, we get little reminders of what is to | | | | trees had gone golden. This, for me, is the way |
| come. Even in Summer, the weather can deliver a | | | | the spiritual path travels. Many weeks of level, |
| sudden frost occasionally. And we do hear the | | | | sustained practise. Battling against a particular |
| stories of course. From our Grandparents and | | | | barrier to meditation. Then sudden progress and a |
| parents, about the 'dreadful winter of such and | | | | leap over the wall. On to the next season then. |
| such...when the snows were 6 feet deep" These | | | | |