The autumn winds disperse the seeds across the lush bed of soil.
Over the days,
More wind covered the seeds with earth.
And slowly they sank below the surface.
Out of view.
Seeds remain there in their warm,
Cozy home for a gentle winter's incubation.
Until at last the light of springtime.
Started to stream through the clouds,
Warming up the earth.
And calling for growth.
Slowly but surely the incredible forms of life pushed through.
Each so unique in their design.
Each so full of life.
Fulfilling their purpose,
The daffodils,
The tulips.
The Puppy All except one grew.
The other plants noticed this one seed that remained hidden below.
They wondered amongst themselves why this one was not choosing to come up.
And show her face.
There were all sorts of discussions around why this could be.
Perhaps this plant was not well.
Perhaps the seed was in the wrong place.
Perhaps it was a dad.
During one of these conversations at the end of a long,
Warm afternoon.
Petaled friends were oblivious to the sky turning grey,
As they were so deep in their discussion about the sleeping sea.
Then,
Without warning,
The sky cracked open.
A voice seemed to call out from the heaven.
While the vibrations were felt trembling throughout the Earth.
The roaring and the rumbling and the thundering continued for some time.
During which the petals of the young ones grew closer together.
Retreating in response to the startling conversation that was happening overhead.
Their previous conversation had been forgotten.
Mother Nature,
However,
Had not forgotten about the sleeping sea.
She responded with perfect timing,
As always.
And it was by her orders that the thunder had arrived at the moment it did.
In order to wake up.
The Sleeping Sea.
As the electricity penetrated the ground and reverberated through the land.
The seed responded by cracking open.
In that moment,
It was activated.
Energized by the bolts of current.
And in an instant.
It was awakened into the world of life on Earth.
While it may appear to be a shocking way to enter into new life.
For this seed,
It felt a burst of creative energy through every particle of its being.
And so it arrived in the world of form,
Singing and forever reaching up to the glorious sky.
Where the light of love had burst forth in order for it to be awakened.
Oh,
What joy!
As the seed grew and grew.
It took on a shape that was different to its petaled friends.
Formed a sturdy trunk.
And it seemed to grow on and on forever and a day.
People would come and lean against its trunk.
Birds would nest in its branches.
And it was the home for many,
Many beautiful creatures of all shapes and sizes.
So many seasons.
Many changes.
It was part of the life of many.
The tree of many friends shared its blessings even further by dropping nuts onto the ground every year.
Over time,
More and more.
And more trees began to grow around this ancient wend.
Until there was a forest.
Rain.
This forest invited people to hike through it.
To picnic in it,
To rest upon her soft floor.
Its ecosystem blessed the world with an abundance of harmony.
Or it helped to keep the balance of life.
To think.
This all started because one little seed was activated by the glorious clap of resounding thunder.
Imagine what would have happened.
If there hadn't been any thunder to awaken the fertile nature of this being.
As I write this,
It is an overcast day in early spring.
And I find myself contemplating the amazingness of nature's conversations.
And the profound guidance that is present in each movement.
Each element,
Each being.
This in turn leads me to contemplate the teaching.
From the I Ching,
Which reflects the scene we just envisioned together.
Hexagram number 51 It is sometimes entitled The Groundbreaker.
Because it features the element of thunder.
Twice.
In both the upper and lower trigrams,
We have the yin and yang frequencies.
Showing through the vibration of thunder above.
And below itself.
This message of thunder is talking about great necessary change.
As we know,
Change can be shocking sometimes.
Especially when we resist it.
And while it may appear to come out of the blue,
Oftentimes,
We were aware of its presence slowly appearing.
Yet we chose to look the other way.
As challenging as change can be.
How necessary and divinely orchestrated it actually is.
Sometimes we don't see this until our tree is fully grown.
Sometimes you may only become aware of it after the forest has appeared.
Every day we are asked to trust this age-old design and system of life.
That has been in operation successfully.
For much longer than we may even realize.
Trusting the times that feel like thunder is when our trust can be really tasted.
This is where the graceful wisdom of the I Ching steps in.
Or gardens.
Encouragement.
And gentle reminding.
Wise words from hexagram 51 of the I Ching says.
Be brave.
And whatever comes your way,
You can meet and master.
If you are calm and disciplined,
You will be able to overcome any situation and even gain advantage in it.
When the movements like a crash of thunder terrifies all within a hundred miles.
Be like the sincere worshipper.
Who is not startled into letting go of his ladle and cup of sacrificial spirits.
The only thing to fear in a fearful situation.
Is your fear itself.
Your growth and development depend on you learning this and taking it to heart.
One must learn the appropriate response to situations of abrupt and sudden change.
Look at your inner values.
Your motives and conduct.
And correct the faults and weaknesses that you find.
This dynamic process,
Expressed as thunder,
Is the spark of yang frequency.
Which is born in the depths of yin.
It is the moment when the fetus begins to stir.
It is associated with the East,
The rising sun.
This type of motion moves all things.
It can move out anger.
And it can move in vision and motivation.
Giving one the capacity to act decisively.
You Perhaps there is a message here for you.
To wake up.
To shake things up.
To break through the shell.
Maybe this is the time of bringing through a new creation.
Individually or collectively.
What is the message here for you?
As you connect with thunder.
Sudden change.
Fertility or a new dawn.
Where is your life echoing this message of necessary change?
Or where is it calling for the?
Notice your responses.
And then gently release them to the ground like little seeds.
Ready to be activated.
And brought to life at the right time.
In the right way.
If you would like to explore more contemplative journeys through the I Ching or through Zen-inspired stories.
I have playlists for both and I have placed the links for these in the text box.
In closing,
From I Ching 51.
As the ground opens up and there may appear to be chaos.
You can use this energy to guide your way.
And become aware of the past.
That is before you.
