Some time ago， Sofan and I were visiting some friends in the country. We were staying a beautiful little guest cabin， surrounded by fruit trees， flowers and even a few goats. Painted above the doorway in brightly colored， flowing letters were the words： Your mind is a garden； your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers； you can grow weeds...
Little did we know it at the time， but this little poem was to have a profound① affect both on our thought patterns as well as our artworks.
It started almost as a kind of game. We decided to make a real effort to watch our thoughts and see exactly what it was that we were planting in our own “Mind Gardens”. It was difficult at first， but gradually， we began to pay more and more attention to what thoughts were repeatedly flashing across our minds.
How disturbing② it was to discover that many of these “seeds” were extremely negative thoughts destined to grow patches of thorny thistles and stinging nettles in our daily lives！
We gradually came to see how so many of the problems and difficulties we were encountering in our lives had their beginnings in the seeds of doubt， fear and anxiety that we were continually③ planting in our minds.
It does take effort， but like anything else it gets easier with practice， and the amazing thing is， as we became more and more aware of these negative thoughts we are able to say：
“No！ I will not plant this weed in the Garden of my Mind.”
I will consciously choose to plant something better. The results are truly spectacular.
When you start to consciously cultivate④ your own mind garden， you will truly be amazed at the changes which begin to happen in your life. Obstacles disappear， barriers fall away， and things that you once thought were either impossible or very far away will suddenly come into view.
Any garden is an ongoing process. It’s not enough to just plant a single seed of happiness and then forget about it. Your frail little seedling would soon be choked by weeds. It is necessary to continuously pull out and throw away those weeds of fear， doubt and anxiety as soon as they appear.
Love， happiness and tranquility⑤ are all contagious⑥. People who are continuously planting these seeds in their own minds are also planting them in other people’s.
Remember： Your mind is a garden； your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers； you can grow weeds...
So ask yourself， what are you going to grow in the glorious garden of your mind？ May your life be filled with love， happiness and inspiration.
① profoundadj. 深深地，深刻地
② disturbv. 扰乱，打乱
③ continuallyadv. 不停地
④ cultivatev. 耕种；培养
⑤ tranquilityn. 平静，安宁
⑥ contagiousadj. （感情等）感染性的，蔓延的
心如花园
不久前，我和索芬于乡间访友，暂居在一个给客人住的小木屋里。木屋很是漂亮，四周果树环绕，花开遍野，甚至还有几只山羊在屋旁踯躅。屋门上几行漆字，颜色鲜亮，字体流畅。写的是：心如花园，思想为种。既得繁花，亦生野稗。
当时我们不甚懂得这首小诗，但后来它却给我们的思维模式与艺术作品带来了深远的影响。
刚开始的时候几乎就像一场游戏。我们决定下一番真功夫去观察自己的思想，把我们在自己“心园”里种下的东西看个真切。起初并不容易，但渐渐地，我们开始愈发关注在自己心中反复闪过的是何种思想。
当发现大多数的“思之种子”都是很负面的思想，注定要在我们的日常生活中长成一丛丛带刺的野蓟、荨麻的时候，这是多么让人烦恼啊！
我们渐渐发现，我们在生活中遇到的诸多问题与困难，其源头正是我们不断在心中种下的疑惑、恐惧与焦虑的种子。
这确是件费劲的事，但跟其他所有事一样，它也是熟能生巧，令人惊异的是当我们越来越意识到这些负面的思想时，我们就能说：
“不！我不会把这颗杂草种在我的心园。”
我会有意识地去选择，种一些更好的东西，收获颇丰。
当你开始有意识地去耕作自己的心园，生命中因此发生的改变会令你大为惊异。障碍消失了，隔阂不见了，你一度认为不可能或离你很遥远的事情突然展现在你眼前。
每一个花园都处在不断变化之中。仅种下一颗幸福的种子，接着又抛之脑后是不行的。你那孱弱的秧苗很快就会被野稗吞噬。那些恐惧、疑惑与焦虑的野稗一长出来，就要持之以恒地把它们拔除扔掉。
爱、幸福与宁静都是有感染力的。那些在自己心园里不断播种这些种子的人们，他们也会把爱、幸福与宁静种到别人的心里去。
请记住，心如花园，思想为种。既得繁花，亦生野稗。
故而问问自己，你会在自己绚丽的心园里种些什么呢？愿你的生活充满爱、幸福与灵感。
