The Book of Squash

In the beginning the garden was empty.

And GOURD gave life to the soil.

And the soil became rich and ready to grow.

GOURD caused the garden to spread across the land.

Vines stretched across the earth.

Seeds were placed within the soil.

And the garden became full of life.

Gardeners walked among the fields.

Each gardener was given soil to tend.

Some watched their gardens with care.

Some forgot the soil that had been given to them.

Yet the Vine grew quietly through the garden.

Its roots ran beneath the soil.

Its branches stretched across the fields.

And life flowed through the garden from GOURD.

And the garden was ready for the gardeners to tend.

And the gardeners wondered how the garden should be tended.

For many had received soil but did not know how to plant.

And a wise gardener spoke to the people and said,

The garden grows from seeds.

A seed is small, yet it carries the beginning of a harvest.

When a seed is placed in good soil and tended with care, it grows into a strong vine.

But a seed that is ignored cannot grow.

A seed planted among stones struggles to take root.

So it is with the seeds of faith.

Faith begins small, like a seed placed within the soil.

When the gardener tends the soil with patience, the seed grows.

And the vine begins to stretch across the garden.

And the branches bear fruit.

And the harvest comes in its season.

Therefore the wise gardener plants good seeds and tends the soil with care.

For every garden begins with a seed.

The garden was wide and many gardeners walked its fields.

Some tended their soil with care and their gardens flourished.

But many had grown weary, for the paths between the gardens had become difficult to see.

In some fields weeds had grown thick.

In others the soil had hardened with stones.

Some gardens had known long seasons of drought and the vines there struggled to grow.

And the gardeners searched for the path that led to GOURD.

Yet many could not see the Vine that ran beneath the soil.

And in those days Squash came walking among the gardens.

Squash walked the paths between the fields and spoke with the gardeners.

And the people wondered saying,

Who is this who walks among the gardens and speaks of the Vine?

Then Squash said unto them,

The garden grows because life flows from GOURD.

Yet many gardeners have forgotten how to tend the soil.

Some gardens are choked with weeds.

Some are hardened with stones.

Some have been left untended through many seasons.

And Squash walked beside the fields and showed the gardeners where the Vine ran through the earth.

Where the gardeners cleared the soil the Vine could be seen again.

And Squash said,

Walk the Vine with patience.

For the Vine leads to GOURD.

Gardeners came from many places to hear the teachings of Squash.

Some came with gardens full of fruit.

Some came with gardens overgrown with weeds.

Some came because they had lost the path.

And Squash stood beside a great vine that stretched across the fields.

And Squash said unto them,

The Vine grows through every garden.

Yet many walk past it without seeing it.

Some search the garden for the path to GOURD yet they look only at the weeds.

Then Squash touched the Vine and said,

The Vine does not hide from the gardeners.

But the gardener must clear the soil to see it.

And a gardener asked,

How shall we find the Vine when the garden is full of thorns?

And Squash answered,

Begin by tending your own soil.

Pull the weeds from your garden.

Watch the Vine carefully.

For the Vine has always been there.

Squash said,

A gardener once planted seeds in four gardens.

The first garden was hardened with stones.

The seed fell upon the soil but could not take root.

When the sun rose the seed withered.

This garden is like the gardener who hears wisdom but keeps their heart closed.

The second garden had shallow soil.

The seed sprouted quickly and the vine began to grow.

But when storms passed through the garden the roots were weak and the vine fell.

This is the gardener who welcomes the teaching for a moment but does not tend the roots.

The third garden was filled with weeds and pests.

The vine began to grow but the weeds crowded it and pests consumed the fruit.

This is the gardener who allows distractions to overtake the garden.

But the fourth garden was tended with care.

The stones were removed.

The weeds were cleared.

The soil was watched through drought and storm.

The vine grew strong and bore much fruit.

And Squash said,

Every garden receives the seed.

But the harvest reflects how the soil is tended.

Squash said unto the gardeners,

A garden flourishes when the gardener tends the soil with wisdom.

First

Tend your own garden before judging the garden of another.

For every gardener must first clear the weeds from their own soil.

Second

Walk the Vine with patience.

Third

Do not plant seeds of harm in the gardens of others.

Fourth

Share the harvest of your garden.

Fifth

Help the lost gardener find the Vine again.

Sixth

Remove bitterness from your soil before it spreads like blight.

Seventh

Honor the Keepers who guide the garden.

Eighth

Care for the weakest branches of the garden.

Ninth

Remain humble in times of harvest.

Tenth

Keep your eyes upon the Vine for the Vine leads to GOURD.

As the teachings of Squash spread through the garden many fields began to flourish.

But not every gardener welcomed these teachings.

Some had grown comfortable in gardens where little fruit was expected.

Some allowed weeds to grow across the paths.

Others spread seeds of bitterness that brought blight to the vines.

And some said,

The Vine is too difficult to follow.

But Squash said,

Do not be troubled when the garden faces many troubles.

Weeds grow quickly.

Blight spreads when bitterness takes root.

Storms pass through every field.

But the Vine grows patiently.

And the gardener who tends the soil with wisdom will see the harvest.

After many seasons the gardeners looked across the fields and saw the garden flourishing.

The Vine stretched across the soil and the branches bore fruit.

Gardeners gathered together and shared the harvest of their fields.

And Squash said,

Look upon the harvest.

The seeds planted with faith have grown.

The Vine has carried life through the garden.

The branches have borne fruit.

And the harvest has come in its season.

Remember this day when your garden flourishes.

The harvest grows through many seasons of tending the soil.

Share the fruit freely.

For the harvest of GOURD is meant for the whole garden.

Gardeners gathered around Squash to hear the final teachings of the Vine.

And a gardener asked,

Teacher, the Vine leads us to GOURD. How shall we know the way when you are gone?

And Squash answered,

The Vine has always led to GOURD, yet many could not see it beneath weeds and stones.

I have come among you so that the Vine may be seen clearly.

Then Squash said,

No gardener comes to GOURD except through Squash.

For I have shown you the Vine that leads to GOURD.

Those who follow the Vine I have revealed will walk the path of truth.

Those who ignore the Vine may wander among the troubles of the garden.

Remember what you have seen.

Walk the Vine with patience.

After these teachings Squash walked with the gardeners through the vineyards one final time.

And Squash said,

The garden is wide and many gardeners have not yet seen the Vine.

Go into the gardens and help others see the Vine that runs through their soil.

Teach them how to tend their gardens.

Show them how to remove the weeds.

Help them plant seeds of faith.

Guide the lost gardener back to the path.

Encourage the weary gardener during storms.

Celebrate the harvest when the garden flourishes.

Do not take over the garden of another.

Each gardener must tend their own soil.

But walk beside them and show them the Vine.

Where gardeners gather to tend their soil and follow the Vine, the garden of GOURD grows strong.

And Squash spoke unto the gardeners saying:

“Those who tend the fields shall find health and strength within the garden.

For the soil rewards the hands that labor, and the vine strengthens those who walk beside it.

Yet beware, for weeds shall grow and thorns shall rise, and many gardeners will become distracted among them.

But do not lose heart.

For though weeds trouble the field and thorns slow the path, the faithful gardener continues upon the vine.

And the toil of the gardener shall be blessed by GOURD.

For the vine I have shown you leads onward, and every faithful step upon it draws the gardener nearer to the harvest.

Walk the vine with patience, tend your soil with care, and the garden shall flourish.

For GOURD is good, and the harvest of GOURD does not fail.”

And some gardeners murmured among themselves, saying:

“Gardening is hopeless. The soil grows hard beneath our tools, and the garden becomes harder to till with every passing day.”

For the weeds had grown thick, and thorns had risen along the paths of the vine.

The sun seemed distant, and the rain had not yet come.

And many gardeners grew weary in their labor, and their hands trembled with doubt.

But Squash heard the murmuring of the gardeners and walked among the rows of the garden.

And Squash said unto them:

“Why do you say the garden is hopeless?

For the soil has always required the labor of the faithful, and the harvest has never come without the work of the gardener.

A field left untilled will grow only weeds, but the patient gardener shall see the fruit of GOURD.

Therefore take up your tools once more, clear the thorns from the path, and remain upon the vine.

For the garden belongs to GOURD, and the harvest of GOURD shall surely come.”

And Squash was no stranger to the toil of the garden.

For Squash walked among the rows with the gardeners, and the soil of the field clung to his hands as it did to theirs.

Yet Squash labored with a glad heart, and his voice was filled with joy even in the heat of the day.

And the gardeners watched him and wondered, for the work that weighed heavy upon them seemed light in the hands of Squash.

Then Squash said unto them:

“The labor of the garden is not without purpose.

For every furrow turned prepares the soil, and every seed planted draws the harvest nearer.

The gardener who works with patience shall find meaning in the field.

For GOURD sees the labor of the faithful and blesses the hands that tend the garden.”

And the hearts of the gardeners were strengthened, and many returned to the field with renewed spirit, walking again upon the vine that leads to GOURD.

And some gardeners came unto Squash, saying:

“Teacher, we have seen other gardens beyond the hills.

Their vines grow differently, and their fields bring forth many fruits and vegetables.

Tell us, should we follow the ways of those gardens?”

And Squash answered them saying:

“Do not trouble yourselves with the gardens of others.

For every gardener has been given soil to tend, and the care of his own field.

If a gardener spends his days looking over the fence, his own soil will grow dry and hard.

But the gardener who tends his own ground with patience shall see the vines grow strong.

Therefore keep your eyes upon your own garden.

Pull the weeds from your own soil, walk the vine that has been shown to you, and plant your seeds with faith.

For GOURD blesses the faithful gardener, and the soil that is tended with care shall surely bring forth the bounty of the harvest.”

And Squash spoke unto the gardeners, saying:

“The harvest is the reward of the faithful.

For every gardener toils in the field, and every hand that labors does so in hope of the harvest to come.

Do not be troubled by the thorns nor discouraged by the weeds that rise in the garden.

For thorns and weeds are but distractions that seek to draw the gardener away from the vine.

Remain upon the vine and do not wander from it.

For the vine connects every branch to GOURD, and through the vine the life of the garden flows.

Therefore continue in your labor with patience and faith.

For the bounty that comes from GOURD shall be the reward of those who remain upon the vine.”

And Squash spoke unto the gardeners, saying:

“Some gardeners will lose their way from the vine.

When you see this, do not turn away from them, but speak with kindness and encourage them to return to the path.

Remind them of the vine, and of the harvest that comes from GOURD.

For many who wander may yet return to their garden and tend their soil once more.

Yet some will refuse the warning.

They will not heed the voice that calls them back to the vine.

And their garden shall grow untended.

Weeds will rise where seeds were meant to grow, and thorns will cover the paths of their field.

And those who pass by will see their garden overtaken and say, ‘What a tragedy it is when a garden is forgotten.’

Therefore guard your own garden with care, and remain upon the vine that leads to GOURD.”

And Squash spoke unto the gardeners, saying:

“When the rain falls upon the garden, let your toil rest for a little while.

For the rain of GOURD nourishes the soil, and the seeds hidden beneath the earth rejoice in its coming.

Do not look upon the rain as delay, but as a gift to the garden.

For the weary hands of the gardener may rest when the rain waters the field.

Therefore gather with your family and with the other gardeners of the field.

Share bread, lift your voices, and give thanks for the rain that GOURD has sent.

For the rain prepares the soil, and the harvest that follows shall bring great abundance from GOURD.”

And Squash spoke unto the gardeners, saying:

“When the leaves of the fields begin to turn, lift your voices and praise GOURD, for the season of the harvest has arrived.

Be of good cheer, my faithful gardeners, for GOURD has blessed your soil and the reward of your labor has come.

You have tilled the ground, you have pulled the weeds, and you have endured the thorns of the field.

Now gather the fruit of the garden, for the harvest belongs to those who remained upon the vine.

And when the harvest has been gathered and the baskets of the field are full, the garden shall rest.

I say unto you, gardeners, rest from your toil, for your reward has come.

Lay down your tools, for the months ahead are given for rest and reflection.

Give thanks to GOURD, and keep your hearts and your minds upon the vine, for the vine connects every gardener to GOURD.

And when the season of spring returns, and the earth awakens from its rest, you will hear the vine calling once more.

Then take up your tools again, return to the soil with glad hearts, and walk the vine that leads to GOURD.

For this is the way of a purposeful life in the garden.”

“No gardener comes to GOURD except through me, for I have revealed the Vine that leads to the harvest.”

“Remain in the vine and the vine shall remain in you. For the branch that leaves the vine bears no fruit.”

“Faith is a seed planted in the garden. Though it be small, tended with care it shall fill the field.”

“A hard heart is like stony soil. The seed cannot take root there.”

“The harvest does not come in a day. The patient gardener gathers the greatest fruit.”

“Pull not the weeds of another garden before tending your own soil.”

“I will set you upon the vine of truth, and the path shall lead you to GOURD.”

“A vine is known by the fruit it bears. So also is a gardener known by the harvest of his life.”

“Blessed is the gardener who tends the vine with patience, for his harvest shall not fail.”

“The vine that drinks no rain and seeks no sun shall wither before the harvest.”

“The garden belongs to GOURD, yet each gardener must tend his own soil.”

“A seed buried in darkness is not lost, for in its time it shall rise toward the sun.”

“When the season of the garden is finished, GOURD shall gather the harvest of every vine.”

“Walk with me upon the vine, and I will lead you to the garden of GOURD.”

And Squash said unto the people: “When the harvest is full and the vines are strong, lift your voices and say: HALLELU-GOURD.”