I have a lot of plants and fish and a pet lizard and Venus

In the words of the actor Chris Pratt, we hear a peculiar confession: “I have a lot of plants and fish and a pet lizard and Venus flytraps. I have a whole ecosystem in my room, like a running waterfall and different lights and sensors set on digital timers.” At first, the phrase may strike the ear as lighthearted, the portrait of a man surrounded by creatures, water, and light. But beneath its surface lies a profound lesson, as timeless as the rivers, as sacred as the balance of the heavens. For to create an ecosystem in one’s dwelling is not mere decoration—it is to imitate the harmony of nature, and to recognize the web of life in which all beings are bound.

The ancients would have seen this gesture not as eccentricity, but as wisdom. To cultivate plants, to keep fish, to care for a lizard, and even the fearsome beauty of Venus flytraps, is to bring into one’s life the reminder that every creature has its place and every element its role. The waterfall flowing by human design echoes the eternal rivers that carve valleys and sustain lands. The lights and sensors, though born of human craft, mimic the sun and moon in their measured rising and setting. Thus, in a single room, man has summoned the image of creation itself, a microcosm of the vast and infinite world.

In this, we are reminded of the gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though history cloaks them in mystery, they are remembered as a feat where man’s hand sought to capture the lush abundance of nature within the walls of stone. Just as the Hanging Gardens stood as a testimony of harmony between artifice and earth, so too does the image painted in Pratt’s words tell us that the human heart yearns always for connection to the living, breathing rhythm of the natural order.

But this is not only about beauty. It is also about responsibility. For when one creates an ecosystem, one must nurture it with diligence. The plants must be watered, the fish fed, the lizard cared for, the flytraps watched with patience. A running waterfall must be tended, the lights checked, the sensors reset. This is not unlike life itself. The balance of relationships, work, dreams, and duty forms a living ecosystem of the soul. Neglect one part, and the whole weakens; tend each part with care, and harmony will thrive.

There is also hidden power in such a vision. To live surrounded by an ecosystem is to remember humility. For though man may place timers and lights, it is not he who invented the principles of growth, nor the instincts of the creatures, nor the hunger of the flytrap. These mysteries belong to the Source that breathed life into being. Thus, by nurturing his ecosystem, man becomes both caretaker and student, learning reverence for the natural law that binds all things.

The lesson is clear: do not distance yourself from the living world. Even if you dwell in cities of stone, bring into your life plants, flowing water, or the quiet company of creatures. For in tending them, you will learn patience, in observing them, you will learn humility, and in dwelling among them, you will remember that you, too, are part of a vast and intricate web, not separate but bound by unseen threads to every leaf and every creature.

Therefore, let each one build, in whatever way is possible, a small ecosystem of their own. Place a flower on your windowsill and learn to care for it. Keep water flowing where you can, even if only as a bowl for the birds. Surround yourself with reminders of the balance of nature. And in doing so, you will cultivate not only beauty, but also the soul’s discipline. The running waterfall will remind you of time’s flow, the lights will teach you rhythm, and the creatures under your care will mirror your own spirit—fragile, hungry, yet filled with life.

So heed these words, O traveler of existence: to create an ecosystem is to honor creation itself. It is to weave yourself back into the eternal pattern, to live not as a lord above nature but as a participant within it. Let your room, your home, and your life reflect the living balance of the cosmos, and then you shall walk in harmony, both with the earth beneath your feet and with the spirit that guides your path.