Even on a dark, drizzly winter day I am often pleasantly surprised and delighted by the sight of blooming bergenia in my garden. This perennial evergreen, native to the Himalayan Mountain regions, is sometimes called "pigsqueak" because of the sound their leaves make when rubbed together.
Bergenia's medical uses are many. The Nepalese people have traditionally used the whole plant to help treat urinary problems and modern researchers have found that Bergenia Ciliata to display strong antibacterial properties. The juice from the leaves has been used to help relieve earaches. The root is made into a tonic and used for the treatment of fevers and pulmonary infections. The juice of the root has been used to treat colds, coughs, and asthma. The root can also be bruised and then applied as a poultice to help treat boils, eye problems, and to relieve backaches. The plant's root is also reputed to help dissolve kidney stones.
Imagine if all the tumult of the body were to quiet down, along with our busy thoughts. Imagine if all things that are perishable grew still. And imagine if that moment were to go on and on, leaving behind all other sights and sounds but this one vision which ravishes and absorbs and fixes the beholder in joy, so that the rest of eternal life were like that moment of illumination which leaves us breathless.
