The Zen Garden

The Zen Garden

Over the years I have adopted various methods to relieve the stress of the workplace…

 

One of these methods was the construction of a little zen garden in an out-of –the-way corner at the back of the building. My zen garden consisted of a rounded piece of concrete topped with two carefully selected stones of descending size.

 

They weren’t much to look, at but I used to ponder on the stones. I had my own thoughts about them. How they resembled life. How they were nothing like life. I gained peace and comfort from their constancy.

 

Then one day – they were gone.

 

I was surprisingly distraught about this, so much so that I asked my colleagues if they knew anything about the destruction of the zen garden. They denied all knowledge and seemed bemused to learn that there had been a zen garden at all.

 

Then the truth came out.

 

Bill from the agency, otherwise known as ‘Agency Bill’ said “Ah, was it that little pile of stones?”

 

“Yes, yes it was” I replied eagerly “What do you know about it?”

 

“Erm, I threw them over the fence. I was on the phone to the agency and I was a bit frustrated with them. I don’t know, I just saw the stones and chucked them over. I didn’t know it was a zen garden. I’m sorry.” He replied.

 

I didn’t bother asking why he chose those stones from the thousands of others. I reassured him that it wasn’t important and returned crestfallen to my desk.

 

The next morning, there was a little flowering plant, exactly where the zen garden used to be. Agency Bill asked me if it was ok that he’d planted it there. I said it was and thanked him.

 

It’s not the same as the stones, but I do like the little flowering plant - I’m trying not to get too attached though.

 

“Most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for and attachment to things that we misapprehend as enduring entities.” ~Dalai Lama~