A forest in my hand.

Do you see only a pine cone? I see a forest, held in the palm of my hand. Where once, I would have seen only a pine cone.

On a quiet journey, during a recent silent retreat in the forest, I picked it up.

I sensed it’s energy and presence. This single pine cone contains around 100 seeds. Each seed, when fully grown, has the potential to create thousands of these cones.

There is no final total to this sum, and no beginning.

Just this immense energy, the sensation of holding a boundless forest in the palm of my hand.

The forest has many lessons to share with us, if we keep quiet, and listen.

“Now I have given you the teaching, there are the trees, there are the roots of the trees.
Go meditate there, seek solace in the forest, lest you regret it later.”
— Buddha