Subscribe Menu

Zen and the art of gardening


A shameless steal from Robert Pirsig. The philosopher used the concept of motorcycle maintenance to make inquiries into our values system. Quite an interesting read. The slimster, way back when, was deeply into Zen, a branch of Buddhism. For one of the key concepts of that religion – if you can call it that, it is more a belief system – is the principle that all life is suffering. A good Buddhist respects nature and every single living creature, making sure, even, to not step on any nasty bugs.
A 1974 photo of Robert Pirsig


For as long as the slender one recalls, every living creature has been treated with the understanding that they too have a right to life. Excepting mosquitoes and horseflies, of course. Walking in the park, caterpillars get scooped up from the paved path and placed on a leaf. After a rainfall worms receive similar treatment. Hey, Rockin’ Robin’s gotta eat, after all. This is not Buddhist so much as being Estonian: we even apologize to the tree for cutting it down, for the firewood necessary in winter.

(Read more: Estonian Life No. 21 2021 paber- and PDF/digi)


Otepää Slim



Become a subscriber to continue reading!

Every week we bring you news from the community and exclusive columns. We're relying on your support to keep going and invite you to subscribe.

Starting from $2.30 per week.

Go to Subscription Plans

Read more