And Pomegranates
Thanks
to a friend’s urging, I tried my first pomegranate yesterday. How did I live
this long without them?
I just
love the sweet pop of the seed capsule, then the crunch of the slightly bitter seed.
I also like pretty food, and the crimson, glossy seeds are just that. There’s a
little work involved in digging out the seeds, but it’s so worth it. Plus,
there are reports that pomegranates are anti-oxidant rich, high in punicic acid,
and act as an anti-inflammatory.
But
they’re also high in sugar, with 24 grams per cup of seed capsules. And yet a
cup of capsules – and that’s a lot to eat – has only 144 calories. But the
bottom line is that they’re yummy, and now I have to make more room in the
kitchen for a bowl of poms. First World problems for sure.
Here
and there I get a prayer, invocation, or mantra stuck in my head, like a song, and
spend days silently reciting it. I don’t know where these impulses come from,
but it can’t be anything but good, so I let my mind do its thing.
Bowing
to Shiva – the god of the universe - with love, my mind has been repeating ‘Om
Namah Shivaya’ incessantly since yesterday at about this time. Formless and
transcendent, Shiva is the protector and transformer of all that exists.
I can’t
imagine why this recitation would take hold of my mind for no apparent reason.
I know nothing of the future, but maybe I should strengthen myself for
something that’s to come. I don’t know and don’t care: this is a state of continuous
meditation, and it’s perfect.
Of
course, I set aside about 15 of those pomegranate seeds yesterday, wrapped them
in warm, wet paper towels, bagged them, and put them in a warm spot. Because
you know as well as I that if there’s a chance I can germinate seeds and grow
food, I’ll take it. Now that I’m loving pomegranates, I may have to make space in
the garden for another fruit-bearing bush. Being a plant geek is work.
Shankara
Shambo
Om
Namah
Shivaya
Shivaya
Namah Om