Buddha discovered the mysteries of human suffering while meditating under a banyan tree. The falling apple triggered thoughts of gravity in Isaac Newton’s head. I got some trace of wisdom when I bought a packet of rajgira (seeds of Amaranth).
Rajgira is the
seed of the Amaranth plants. These tiny seeds are used for food as raw seeds or flour. It is also called the Indian Quinoa. The leaves and stem are
also used as vegetables. They could be pink or green.
My experience of
the rajgira seeds in my porridge was horrible. It seems that the packet of seeds
that I bought from Amazon had fine grains of sand. At every spoon, I bit
something hard making me throw the whole bowl of porridge away.
I was angry that I
was duped. I had no idea about what I can do with two large packets of it that
I was left with.
Like Buddha, and
Newton I started thinking deep. I took the packet of seeds and threw it on the wet ground. It rained the following two days as
well. Then lo and behold on the third day, the seeds have sprouted. The little
plants rose up from the grains of sand it was mixed with.
The seeds had life
packed in each of them which the sand lacked. The particles of rock turned
to the soil from which it came–dust to dust. The patch of land where
the seeds fell are decked with little pink rajgira plants. They will grow, bloom
and produce seeds. I can harvest them fresh and make porridge that won’t hurt
my teeth any more.
This is an allegory.
Only what has life force in them will grow. The chickens lay eggs. Usually farm
chicken lay unfertilized eggs that cannot be hatched. They can be boiled, fried
and eaten raw. But free-ranger country chicken lay fertilized eggs that can be
hatched to adorable chicks. Anyone who want to raise a chicken farm has to
choose fertilized eggs for the incubator.
All are not fit to
be the citizens of the kingdom of God. Jesus told that kingdom of God is like
the net that catches all sort of fish. But all fish are not good for food. So,
the fisherman discards the bad catch and keep only the good ones in his basket (Matt
13:47–50). The Kingdom of God is also like sown field where the weeds grow with
grain. But when the plants are big enough to tell the weed from the wheat, the farmer
picks the weeds and burns it (Matt 13:24–30). Otherwise it will choke the good
plants.
Sow and nourish.
That is how to have a good harvest. Seeds may be adulterated, but good seeds will
certainly grow while the lifeless grains of sand sink into the mud they belong
to. That is secret of the confidence and joy of the sower.