A couple of years ago, i saw my artist friend, Dawn, at the Swap Program at the landfill–the place where people bring their usable junk. My trash is someone else’s treasure. I told Dawn i needed a new gate for my garden. She pointed out a few items that might serve.
I finally figured out how to use one of the possible “gates”–as a fence for peas.
To stabilize the fence i used handles i’ve been saving–a broom handle, a snow shovel handle, and a mop handle. The broom, snow shovel, and mop broke and went to the landfill, but i saved their handles. You never know when something might come in useful.
How do we convert the “trash” of daily life into a treasure? Jot down the trash, the dukkha, the dissatisfaction of daily life. Simply write it down. No judgments. No opinions. We are conducting a scientific experiment, and you are collecting raw data.
You never know when that trashy mind will become a beautiful mind. Simply pay attention.