BY REKHA NARSIKAR 

 

 

IT WAS a lazy Sunday morning. I was standing in my balcony casually looking around, when my eyes caught something in the outer corner. At first, I thought it was just a fallen leaf, but upon closer inspection, I was shocked to find a small cluster of peepal leaves. I must confess here that I am not a hard-core gardener. I do like plants and flowers. I do put in some efforts to maintain my small garden and occasionally place indoor plants and flower arrangements to adorn the house. But that’s about everything to it. While I am delighted to witness the plants nurtured by me flourish, stumbling upon a peepal sapling growing in my balcony wall wasn’t exactly a welcome sight! I attempted to pull out the sprig, but to my disappointment, only a few leaves came off in my hand. The roots remained lodged in a small crack in the outer wall. Thereafter, every time I went into the balcony, my attention was invariably drawn to the sapling. I made it a habit to pull it out each time I noticed it, but I could only remove the visible part, never the roots. I was worried. I knew the potential damage it could bring about. The roots of a peepal tree can spread extensively and penetrate deep into walls, causing significant harm to the structural stability of any building. I consulted my gardener who confirmed the risk posed by the peepal sapling.

 

I instructed him to take immediate action. The following day, he arrived with a chemical solution and sprayed it on the sapling and its surroundings. The solution emitted a strong, repelling odour. The gardener advised us to stay away from the place for some time, the solution being hazardous even to human health. Few days later I stepped again into the balcony to check whether the sapling still existed. A sense of relief flooded me as I discovered no trace of it! Days passed. Whenever I visited the balcony, I made it a point to look for any signs of a regrown sapling; but couldn’t spot any and felt at peace. Gradually, I stopped thinking about it. The replay occurred in the midst of the subsequent rainy season. I was standing in the balcony, looking at the downpour when I noticed a bunch of vibrant, tender peepal leaves glaring at me again! As I contemplated my next steps to get rid of the sapling, I marvelled at the profound lesson nature was imparting – of life’s remarkable capacity to persist and flourish even in the face of adversity! At the same time, I reflected upon the resilience of the unwanted sapling – its ability to thrive despite all efforts taken to eradicate it.

 

I drew a parallel to the human experiences, where we often harbour negative thoughts towards others. Resentment, ill-feelings, hate, anger, misunderstandings and jealousy have the power to destruct relationships and gradually corrode the very essence of our being. Weeds can infest and stifle a beautiful lawn, if left unattended. Negative feelings can suffocate a constructive mind-set and curb growth and happiness, if left unchecked. Regularly tending to mental space by addressing and removing these negative influences is essential for psychological wellness. We all must, therefore, diligently strive to uproot such toxic sentiments from our hearts. By allowing the fertile soil of our souls to foster the seeds of joy, harmony and contentment, we cultivate a serene and healthy inner garden.