The great and rare mystics of the past . . . were, in fact, ahead of their time, and are still ahead of ours. In other words, they most definitely are not figures of the past. They are figures of the future.
Ken WilberRead
Bad Gardens copy, good gardens create, great gardens transcend. What all great gardens have in common are their ability to pull the sensitive viewer out of him or herself and into the garden, so completely that the separate self-sense disappears entirely, and at least for a brief moment one is ushered into a nondual and timeless awareness. A great garden, in other words, is mystical no matter what its actual content.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of great gardens to elevate the human experience beyond the self.
Ken Wilber suggests that while some gardens merely replicate others or follow trends, truly exceptional gardens have the capacity to engage the viewer on a deeper, almost spiritual level. These gardens foster a sense of connection that allows individuals to transcend their individual identities and experience a timeless awareness, highlighting the mystical quality that defines a truly great garden, irrespective of its physical elements.
Themes
GardensTranscendenceAwarenessNatureMystical
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could inspire a speech about the importance of nature in art during a gardening workshop.
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It is flat-out strange that something-that anything-is happening at all. There was nothing then a Big Bang, then here we all are. This is extremely weird.
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