The philosopher-gardener cultivates ideas through the practice of horticulture. The garden is both physical space and a metaphor. In the [Mula Sutta (Discourse of the Roots, AN 3.69)](https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.069.than.html), the Buddha invokes the image of a tree suffocated by the vines of attachment, aversion, and ignorance. In this metaphor, the [[a general theory of meditation|practitioner]] is a gardener who methodically removes the vines while maintaining the health and structure of the tree. >[!quote] [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://tricycle.org/article/the-gift-of-fearlessness/) Watering the seeds of happiness is a very important practice for those who are sick or dying. “Meditation is our agriculture of the soul.” - **Note:** A powerful image. Could it be used in a plea for tending to our landscapes? Thoughts and feelings are natural manifestations of the mind. They are inner [[abhasa|appearances]] derived from the human condition. Separating parasitic thoughts from the [[rang tsal|natural energy]] of our own [[cognition]] requires a nonadversarial relationship to them. We must befriend the tree (ourselves) in order to investigate the attachment of the vines. This is an act of [[intimacy]]. >[!quote] Willa Blythe Baker >To disentangle a great tree from an invasive vine, you must become intimate with both. We meditators often make a grave mistake in this regard. We want to become intimate with our states of ease and leave our states of dis-ease behind. Any image that creates discomfort makes [[the self]] vulnerable to severance. For me it is our cities and our lifestyle. As well the blank slate approach.