Ancient Paintings and Natural Patterns

(Page 2 of 2)

June/July 2002
By JIM LONG 
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After our amazing tour of the well-preserved palace, we went a few miles across the valley to shop at a market as ancient as the Amber Palace itself in the city of Jaipur. As we walked along the narrow, crowded sidewalk, we saw a woman leaning out a window with a container of water.

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Just as we passed by, under her window, I felt a splash of water hit me on the back of the neck. The memory of the elephant’s sneeze flashed briefly across my mind.

My Hindu friend laughed and said, “In this desert region, that is a blessing. She has just given you the most precious thing we have here, water. It’s polite to turn and thank her.”

And so, laughing sheepishly, I turned and smiled at the generous gesture the woman had shown us. She was a water seller, leaning out her window and selling cups of water. She recognized us as strangers, and the polite thing to do was to splash a little water our way to say, “Welcome to our parched land.”

Slowly I made the connections in my mind. The desert, parched, its people conserving every drop of water, then and now. Artisans of centuries earlier had celebrated the medicinal plants that protected the king by painting them for eternity on the king’s walls. Without water, the plants would not survive. Without plants, the king would not survive, and without the king, the people would not flourish.

Everything was interconnected, dependent upon a balance between all of the elements. I smiled at my theory, seeing the ancient patterns of culture, still apparent in today’s world; they seem to create a precious balance even now.

Jim Long welcomes readers’ questions or comments; you may e-mail him directly at lcherbs@tri-lakes.net, or tour his gardens at www.longcreekherbs.com.

West Virginia

Alum Bridge. June 8. Discover deer-hardy plants that can be distilled for essential oils and hydrosols at the June conference. The cost of the seminar is $15 and will take place at the La Paix Herb Farm, 3052 Crooked Run Rd., Alum Bridge, WV 26321. Contact the La Paix Herb Farm, (304) 269-7681 or www.lapaixherbaljourney.com.
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Canada

Almonte, Ontario. July 28. The Ottawa Valley Herb Association’s 7th Annual Midsummer Herbfest will be held at the Herb Garden, 3840 Old Almonte Rd. This year the Herbfest is featuring a pesto contest. Contact the Herb Garden, (613) 256-0228 or herbgarden@icons.net.

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