What (Tao's) skilful planter plantsI'm sure that all you gardeners out there know just how difficult it can be to rid your garden space of dandelions. Their roots seem to go on forever! No matter how deep you dig, the root system for one solitary plant always goes a bit deeper. (Even people who use non-earth-friendly poisons still have trouble getting rid of this species.)
Can never be uptorn;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
What is firmly established cannot be uprooted.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
That which is well established cannot be uprooted
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
Tao's power is so deeply entrenched
it can never be uprooted.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
In popular nomenclature, dandelions are considered a weed, but that's merely a distinction ascribed to them by humans! They are a life form just like the rest of us and they work hard to survive. Rather than denigrate them, we humans can learn a valuable lesson from them.
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hell, dandelions are good eats! Flowers are slightly sweet raw, or you can make fritters of them. The young leaves, though a bit bitter, are still tasty and full of vitamins and minerals. They are food-as-medicine, good for the blood, kidneys, and liver.
ReplyDeleteAnd wine!!!
ReplyDeleteNot so sure though that dandelions "work hard" to survive. They are just built for success.