27. A fence

“First of all,” I said, “first of all, everything, of course, must be enclosed by a fence. Otherwise, when they start bringing in building materials to construct the manor house, somebody could come along and pilfer them. And when you plant a crop, it might be stolen before you harvest it. Or are you against fences on principle?”

“I am not against them, Vladimir. Even animals mark out their own territory Only what are you going to make the fence of?”

“What d’you mean, what of? Fence boards, of course... No, wait. Fence boards can turn out to be on the expensive side. For starters you need to dig post holes and string up barbed wire all around the property Even then you should still put up boards so people wouldn’t see inside the fence.”

‘And how many years could a board fence last without needing repair?”

“If it is constructed of good material, if you keep it painted or varnished and smear the parts of the posts that are in the ground with pitch, it might go five years or more without needing repair.”

‘And then?”

“Then you’d probably need to do some repair work and touch it up to keep it from rotting.”

“So, that means you will constantly have to fuss over the fence. And it will give your children and grandchildren even greater cause for concern. Would it not be better to construct it so your children will not have to bother about it, and so that

their view will not be spoilt by the sight of rotting timber? Let us think how to make the fence more solid and long-lasting, so that your descendants may have fonder remembrances of you.”

“Of course, you can build it so it will last longer. Who wouldn’t want that? For example, you could make brick pillars and a brick foundation, and put cast-iron grill work in between — that kind of fence doesn’t rust. It can even last a hundred years. But only very rich people can afford to build a fence like that. Can you imagine? A whole hectare — that’s a perimeter of 400 metres. A fence like that’s going to set you back several hundred thousand roubles, maybe even millions. Still, it’ll last a good hundred years, maybe two hundred or more. You can even have it made with all sorts of family monograms. Your descendants will look at it and remember their great-grandfather, and it’ll be the envy of everyone around.” “Envy is not a good feeling, Vladimir. In fact, it is harm- ful.”

“Well, there’s not much you can do about that. I tell you, enclosing a hectare of land with a good fence is not something many people can afford.”

“That means we must think up some other kind of fence.” “What other kind? Can you suggest something?”

“Would it not be better, Vladimir, in place of a whole lot of posts, which can later rot, to plant trees?”

“Trees? And then what, nail boards...?”

“Why nail boards to them? Look there, in the forest there are a lot of trees growing with their trunks only one-and-one- half to two metres apart.”

“Yes, you’re right. But there are holes between them. It’s not the same as a fence.”

“But it is possible to plant bushes in between them that people cannot get through. Take a careful look, and think what a splendid living fence you would have! And it would be just a little bit different with each person. And everyone would come to admire the view And your descendants in the ages to come will remember the creator of this splendid hedge. And the hedge will not only save them time on repairs but will bring them benefits as well. It will serve, in fact, as far more than just a barrier. One person will make a hedge out of birches growing in a row. Another will use oak. And someone with a creative impulse will make a coloured hedge, the kind one reads about in fairy tales.”

“What d’you mean, coloured?”

“Planting different-coloured trees. Birches, maples, oaks and cedars. Someone may intertwine a rowan-tree with clusters of bright red berries and still plant guelder-roses in between. And make room for bird-cherry trees and lilac bushes. After all, you can plan it all out in advance. Each planter should watch to see how high each one grows, how it blooms in the spring, what kind of a fragrance it has and what feathered friends it attracts. Thus your hedge will be both sonorous and pleasantly fragrant, and you will never get tired of looking at it, as the picture will be changing its tints with each passing day It will flourish with colours anew every spring and every autumn burst forth in an explosion of fiery hues.”

“Well, Anastasia, it seems you’re a poetess as well. We began with just a simple fence, and now see what all you’ve made of it! You know, I really like the way you’ve turned the whole thing around. And why haven’t people thought of this before? No painting required, no repair. And when the trees get too big, they can be cut down and used for firewood and people can plant new trees — they can change the picture, just like an artist. The only thing is, won’t it take a long time to plant that kind of a hedge? And if you’re going to plant the trees two metres apart, then you’ve got to dig two hundred holes for the saplings. And then plant the bushes in between. And no technology will be allowed, you’ll say”

“On the contrary, Vladimir. There is no sense in rejecting technology for the project at hand. Indeed, any invention of the dark forces must be put to use to serve the forces of light. It will hasten the implementation of the plan if you use a plough to dig a trench around the perimeter of the ground-lot and plant the saplings in it, along with the seeds at the same time — for the bushes you have decided to plant between the trees. Then you can go over it again with the plough to fill in the soil. While the earth is still loose, you can adjust the position of each sapling to even out the row.”

“That’s fantastic. So in two or three days one person can put in a whole hedge.”

“Yes.”

“The only drawback is that until the hedge grows, it won’t deter any thieves. And people will have to wait a long time for it to grow Especially in the case of oak and cedar.”

“But birch and aspen grow quickly, and the bushes between them will not take much time either. If you are in a hurry, you can plant tree saplings two metres high right away When the birches are grown, they can be cut up for household use, and their places will be taken by the maturing cedar and oak trees.” “Okay, then, a living fence is something I can grasp. I really like it. Now tell me, what style of house do you see on the ground-lot?”

“Perhaps we should first plan out the lot as a whole, Vladimir?”

“What d’you have in mind — different beds for tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers? That’s usually women’s work. Housebuilding is a man’s job. I think you need to build one large house right off — a fashionable manor house in the European style so that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will remember you fondly Then there can be a smaller cottage for the servants. It’s a pretty big lot, after all. It’ll require a lot of work.”

“Vladimir, if everything is done properly from the start, there will be no need for servants. Everything around you will serve you with great pleasure and with love — and not only you but your children and whole family, and your grandchildren too.”

“It doesn’t happen that way with anyone. Even with your beloved dachniks. They only have five or six hundred square metres, yet they’re working it every free day from dawn ’til dusk. And here they’re going to have a whole hectare! It’s going to take at least a dozen dump-trucks every year just to bring in the fertiliser and manure.

“First the loads of manure have to be spread over the whole growing area, and then all the earth has to be dug up and turned over. Otherwise nothing will grow right. And you’d better add some kind of fertiliser — you can get it in special stores. If you don’t fertilise, the soil won’t give a good yield. It’s something agronomists — people who study agriculture — know and dachniks have learnt from experience. I hope you agree on the need for fertiliser.”

“Of course, the earth needs fertilising, but the task need not be devitalising. God has thought through everything in advance so that the ground in the place you wish to live will turn out to have the right nutrients and be in an ideal condition without wearisome physical efforts on your part. You need only make contact with His thought and feel the wholeness of the system He has designed, instead of just relying on your own intellect in making decisions.”

“Then why is nothing fertilised today, anywhere on the Earth, according to God’s system?”

“Vladimir, right now you are in the taiga. Look around you, how high the trees are, how mighty their trunks! Among the trees herbs and bushes are growing. There are raspberries, and currants... indeed, a whole lot of everything grows right here in the taiga for Man’s use. And over thousands of years not a single person has fertilised the ground. But the land remains fruitful. What do you think: how has it been fertilised and by whom?”

“By whom? I don’t know how or by whom. But you’ve pointed out a really important fact. Indeed, it’s simply amazing how Man somehow gets everything twisted around. Tell me yourself, why aren’t various kinds of fertiliser needed in the taiga?”

“Here in the taiga God’s thought and God’s plan are not in-terfered with to the same degree as where Man lives today In the taiga leaves fall from the trees, and little branches are torn off by the breeze. And these leaves and branches, along with worms, fertilise the ground in the taiga. And the grass which grows all around regulates the composition of the earth. The bushes help it clear away excesses of acids and alkalis. None of the fertilisers you are familiar with can substitute for leaves falling from the trees. After all, leaves include many of the diverse energies of the Universe. They have seen the stars, the Sun and the Moon. And not only seen, but they have interacted with them. And even many thousands of years from now, the ground here in the taiga will still be fertile.”

“But the ground-lot where our house is to be built is not the taiga, you see.”

“Then start planning! You yourself can plant a forest of dif-ferent kinds of trees.”

‘Anastasia, maybe it’d be best if you told me right off how to make it so that the soil on the plot stays fertilised all on its own? That is a major undertaking, since there are so many other things to do. Planting beds, warding off various kinds of pests...”

“Of course we could talk about details and particulars, but it would be best for each one to apply his own thought, his soul and his dream to the building work. Each of us knows instinctively what will be the most suitable arrangement for him and bring joy to his children and grandchildren. There can be no one single plan that fits all. Each plan is individual, like a great artist’s masterpiece. Each Man must make it his own.”

“But give me an example. At least tell me in general terms.”

‘All right — look, I shall do a little outlining for you. But first there is the most important thing to understand. Everything is created by God’s hand for the good of Man. You are a Man and can control everything around you. You are a Man! Try to comprehend and feel through your soul what constitutes a real Paradise on the Earth...”

“Now more specifically, Anastasia, without philosophising. Tell me what to plant and where, tell me where I should dig. What cash crops should I grow that will bring me the biggest return on my investment?”

“Vladimir, do you know why peasants and farmers today

are so unhappy?”

“Well no, why?”

“So many of them are striving to bring in as big a harvest as they can. To sell. They think more about money than about the land. They themselves do not believe they can be happy in their own family nest, they think the rest of the people are happy in the big cities. Believe me, Vladimir, whatever is created in your soul will unfailingly be reflected in the whole world around you.

“Of course, outward details are also necessary Let us think together about one way we can plan out our plot. I shall simply start things rolling, and you help me on your part.”

“Okay, Eli help. You start.”

“Let us say our lot is on a barren section of land, and is now enclosed on all sides by a hedge. Let us divide it, reserving half or three-quarters of the lot for a forest, and there plant a variety of trees. On the edge of the forest, where it borders on the remaining part of the lot, we shall plant a hedge in such a way that animals cannot pass through it and trample the crops growing in the garden plot.

“In the forest we shall set up a pen using densely planted saplings, which in time will be home to a goat or two. And we shall also use saplings to construct a shelter for egg-laying hens.

“In the garden plot we shall make a pond approximately 16 metres across. We shall plant raspberry and currant bushes among the trees in the forest, and wild strawberries around the edge. Later, after the trees in the forest have grown a little, we can set up two or three empty log hives there for bees. And we shall use trees to make a gazebo where you will have a cool place, safe from the heat, to talk with your children or your friends. And we can make a summer sleeping area out of living things, along with a creative workshop for you. And sleeping places for the children, and a living room.”

“Wow! It won’t be a forest we end up with, but more of a palace!”

“Only the palace will be a living entity, and continue to grow in perpetuity This is how the Creator Himself thought up the whole balance of things. And all Man has to do is to assign everything its task — according to his own taste, design and understanding.”

“But why didn’t the Creator do it all this way to begin with? Everything in the forest grows just where it happens to end up.”

“Think of the forest as a book for you as a creator. Look more closely, Vladimir — everything therein has been written by the Father. Look over there: three trees are growing just a half-metre apart. You are free to plant them in a row and use a whole lot of them to make up other configurations. In among the trees there are bushes growing — think of how you can make use of them to sweeten your life. And where the trees do not allow grass and bushes to grow between them, you can take that as a lesson for building your future house out of living materials. It is as though all you have to do is to formulate the required programme and adjust it according to your taste. Everything around you is charged with the task of cherishing and delighting you and your children, cherishing and feeding them.”

“To feed ourselves, well need to plant a vegetable garden. And that’ll take a lot of sweat.”

“Believe me, Vladimir, even the vegetable garden can be set up so that it will not be an aggravation. You just need to keep everything under observation. Among the herbs, just the way everything grows in the forest, you could have the most splendid tomatoes and cucumbers under cultivation. Their taste will be much more appealing and healthful for the body than when they are grown simply on a patch of bare ground.” “But what about the weeds? And won’t they be destroyed by pests and beetles?”

“There is nothing useless in Nature, Vladimir, and there are no purposeless weeds. Neither are there any beetles that are harmful to Man.”

“What d’you mean, there aren’t any harmful beetles?! Take locusts, for example, or the Colorado beetle — a real vermin that eats away at potato crops in the fields.”

“Yes, it does. It is also thereby showing people how their ignorance is eating away at the self-sufficiency of the Earth, contradicting the designs of the Divine Creator. How can people keep stubbornly ploughing year after year in one and the same place, torturing the ground? It is like scraping an open wound, at the same time demanding benefits from the wound. Locusts or the Colorado beetle will not touch the ground-lot which you and I have outlined. When everything grows together in one grand harmony, the fruits accruing to the owner are also harmonious.”

“But if that’s the way everything is going to ultimately turn out, meaning that on the lot you have thought up there is no need for Man to fertilise the ground, or fight off vermin with various kinds of poisons, or do weeding, and everything is just going to grow all by itself, then what is there left for Man to do?”

“Live in Paradise. The way God wanted us to. Anyone who is able to build himself a Paradise like that will come into contact with the Divine thought and produce a new co-creation together with Him.”

“What new co-creation?”

“Its turn will come once the creation of Paradise has been completed in due course. Let us consider now what you and I still need to do.”

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