At Plum Village, the practice center where I live, we learn to come in touch with the wonders of nature as a source of nourishment and healing. Cultivating awareness of the impact of our daily actions on the planet, we turn off lights when not in use, use water mindfully, buy things in bulk to avoid plastic wrappings, and recycle. Respecting, protecting, and living with deep connection with the earth is our daily practice.
One time, one of my monastic brothers told me that every time we fly, we should plant four trees. After all, each year one mature tree absorbs from the atmosphere more than forty-eight pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. I thought, if I fly more than once, then I need to plant more than four trees! Where could I find all these trees? It can be quite costly to buy saplings. I decided to grow the saplings myself.
“Little actions can bring love, joy, and nourishment. Little actions can help us do our part in caring for Mother Earth.”
Whenever I could, I began walking quietly around our gardens and fields in search of the saplings. I found tiny oaks, maples, lindens, pines, and firs, and I dug them up before they were cut down by lawn mowers. Then I potted them and watered them each day.
At first, I used water from a well. But soon I switched to reusing water to nourish the trees. Every time I washed my hands or face, I collected the water in a small basin. Then I poured it into a bucket that wasn’t too big or heavy for me. Whenever the bucket filled up, I carried it outside to the “sapling nursery.” Each day, I collected several little buckets of water like that, enough for all the potted plants.
In these baby trees I found so much joy and nourishment. Spending time watering them and seeing them grow beautiful and healthy, I touched the miracle of nature. To my great joy, the saplings grew big enough to be moved to their new homes directly in the earth!
I live at New Hamlet, one of the three hamlets of Plum Village. Over the years, more and more of my New Hamlet sisters joined me in planting young trees each fall and spring. We had some vacant land near our quarters that we wished to turn into a forest. So, we collected seeds in the fall—acorns, maple propellers, walnuts, pine kernels, hazelnuts, chestnuts, and horse chestnuts—and we embedded them into the soil.
One autumn, the sangha of all three Plum Village hamlets spent two days planting two hundred potted baby trees that came from the sapling nursery. It brought enormous joy to everyone that we were doing something to support Mother Earth—without spending money. This loving activity nourished siblinghood and inspired many people to find ways of their own to make a difference for the planet.
Today, the first generation of saplings have already grown into big trees, several stories high. And, after several generations of potted baby trees, New Hamlet is full of trees that came from the sapling nursery. These trees have become a refuge for many people during the hot summer days. People swing from their branches in hammocks, and they sit in their shade to meditate, read, relax, and be in touch with nature.
Little actions can bring love, joy, and nourishment. Little actions can help us do our part in caring for Mother Earth and giving back what Mother Earth has offered us.
