Water Deeply

This morning I walked by a neighbor watering her garden.

"Water deep", I advised

"Really?"  She's a city girl, new to gardening, new to the backwoods of North Carolina.

"Yes. If you water lightly, the roots grow close to the surface. When it gets hot and dry, your plants will die."

"Oh..." She had been sprinkling a bit, wetting the surface, then moving on.

 "Water deep and the roots will grow deep,where they belong, where they can survive."

"OK, that makes sense. Thanks!"

Seeds of love and understanding sown in our heart also need regular, deep watering to grow. A recommended "watering" process is to hear or read books like Bhagavad Gita in the company of loving devotees.

We often see inspiring slogans and think, "That's nice. I'd like to imbibe that and be influenced by it." Because it doesn't seep in, there is no permanent change. It takes a while for the message to penetrate. Leave the hose at a trickle for a long time, let it saturate to where healthy roots will grow, you'll see a difference. Water deep.

In Costa Rica during the dry season last year I noticed a lush green spot at a neighbor's pasture. He had a watering trough for his horses supplied by a constantly running spring. The patch of tall grass contrasted with the rest of the dry field. Even with horses grazing, the grass stood over my head. It grew faster than they could eat it because of the regular supply of water.

You can see a similar contrast in your own life by deeply studying Wisdom Books of your tradition. We have unlimited access to media, yet feel 'dried up', uninspired. The fleeting messages we receive from the media don't nourish our heart. We require deep watering, don't just wet the surface.