We recently brought a new batch of baby chicks onto the property. Egg-laying hens tend to have shorter lifespans than chickens raised for meat, and we lost a few members of our original flock due to old age. Additionally, the ones that remain have started laying fewer eggs as their bodies age.
Overall, it’s not the end of the world. Our old girls are welcome to stay here as long as they are able, but it does mean that we need to bring in a new flock to make up for their lack of egg production.
It also means that I need to build a new chicken coop.
Technically, the old one works just fine. It’s predator-proof, and it does a good job of keeping our girls warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But it’s ugly. It’s a Frankenstein amalgam of things I bought and things I found in the barn, lumped together to serve various purposes.
The main portion is a chicken coop kit that I purchased from a nearby store. When we put our chickens inside it several years ago, it became clear that they didn’t have enough room. So I added a fenced-in area to give them a large run to enjoy.
But that presented new problems.
During summer they would become too hot as they ran around in the sunshine. And there was the constant threat of hawks swooping down to snatch one of them off the ground. So I strung some chicken wire over the top of the fencing and covered it with a tarp.
This ensured that the chickens had a safe, comfortable place to live, but made it challenging for humans to enter and exit the coop to feed and water the hens.
Sometimes our clothes would become caught on the chicken wire, and I had to stoop each time I entered to give them fresh food and water. So while the original chicken coop has done its job admirably for many years, it is now time to replace it with something better.
That said, while it’s true that the old coop has a number of problems, I still hold a certain amount of pride in its construction. It has protected our flock from extreme heat and extreme cold, and it has kept them from becoming lunch for some wily hawk, weasel, or raccoon.
Also, the process of building and improving it over the years has given me the knowledge I need to build a new and improved version.
Simply put, I wouldn’t be able to build the new coop without the lessons I learned from dealing with the old one. And having an imperfect chicken coop all these years was much better than having none at all.
As Buddhists, it’s easy for us to feel regret over actions we’ve taken and choices we’ve made in the past. The time we spend sitting in meditation and walking in nature provides ample time for self-reflection. Decisions we made months or even years ago may seem strange and disconcerting when held up to the bright light of the Dharma.
However, it’s important to remember that at any moment we are making the best choices that we can with the time, materials, and information available to us. Oftentimes, that means we won’t arrive at the perfect solution to a problem on the first try.
It may take multiple attempts and a long period of trial and error before things are “just right.” And while it’s important for us to correct our mistakes, make amends with people we’ve harmed, and ensure that we build something better in the future, it’s not useful to rake ourselves over the coals.
Rather, it’s better to look back on our past and be honest about our mistakes, while still taking the time to appreciate the good things that we did in lieu of those mistakes.
Simply put, a thing doesn’t need to be perfect in order to be good. That’s true of chicken coops and garden beds, and it’s especially true of human beings.
When we take an honest, hard look at our past, we can use the lessons we learn to build a rewarding, life-affirming future for ourselves. And we can give ourselves a small pat on the back on realizing just how far we’ve come.
As I build my new chicken coop, it will serve as a reminder of the mistakes I made with the first one and also become a source of pride as I begin putting lessons learned into action. I’ll also take a moment to appreciate the many years of service that I received from the old one.
As Buddhists, it’s important that we engage in this practice with every aspect of our lives, learning from the mistakes of the past and appreciating how far we have come. When we do this, the end result is a better life for us and everyone around us.
Namu Amida Butsu
Related features from BDG
Enabling Everyone to Live Happily
Metta’s Small Talk
Thirsty Chickens and Dirty Water
Engaging the Six Paramitas to Care for Animals, Part Two: Diligence, Concentration, and Wisdom
Acknowledging Mistakes and Moving Forward
