The young monk was following his teacher's orders and busy cleaning up a field. He pulled weeds, gathered stray wood, put the rocks in perfect order. Then he mowed the lawn and then gathered the refuse in a bag to look for a place to throw it away. Perfectly natural, the monk thought. In fact, he thought he was doing a wonderful job.

But his teacher saw this and immediately shouted at him. 

Stop! What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for a place to throw this away," replied the completely shocked monk. 

"Throw it away?" The Master was horrified. "Don't you know that there is no such thing as garbage?" he asked. 

The monk was speechless. 

"Don't you know?" his teacher added, "that everything serves everything else?" 
The teacher then patiently showed his student how to make fertilizer from his leftovers, how they would help the earth to grow. But in fact, he taught him a much deeper lesson. Never regard anything as unessential, something to be tossed away.
 
This wonderful lesson applies to all of our lives, including the painful experiences that come our way. We try to block them out, erase them, or run away. We blame others or ourselves for them. In the same manner, we do our best to avoid jarring people, especially those that do not fit in. Some of these might be considered left over people, even, people who have no function. How do we regard these individuals? Are we unable to see the benefit they can bring and the wisdom they have to teach us?

By throwing all kinds of experiences and individuals away we are missing endless opportunities to expand our vistas and grow? These opportunities, when properly received, serve as fertilizer for our lives, nourishing our sensitivity and allowing us to live fully, not missing or injuring a thing.

Brenda Shoshanna, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, speaker and long-term practitioner of Zen meditation. Her work is dedicated to integrating Eastern and Western teachings and applying them to our everyday lives. Brenda is an original student of Lester Levenson, the creator of The Sedona Releasing Method. Her releasing workshop, One Breath Away (Releasing and Renewing Your Life) integrates Zen practice and principles, The Sedona Method and Brenda’s years of training and experience. She has offered over five hundred workshops and talks on all aspects of personal and spiritual development, living life to the brim and discovering authentic peace of mind. To learn more, go to brendashoshanna.com