II
Learning from Nature
The Tree’s Eloquent Silence
No protest, no complaint, no demand, no street activism or
stage activism: simply trust your own natural abilities and work silently.
In front of my house in New Delhi there is a full-grown tree, in whose shade I am in the habit of sitting. I call it my spiritual tree. In fact, this tree is my teacher, although a silent one. The previous winter this tree, like many other trees, shed its green leaves. Gradually, it became simply like dry wood.
I was doubtful whether it would ever again turn green. But in the spring, the whole scenario changed. My spiritual tree again became a tree with lush green foliage. This rebirth of this tree was a great lesson. My spiritual tree turned into a speaking tree. It gave me a very significant message: ‘O man! Don’t be hopeless in any situation. After every dry season, there is a good harvest. After every spell of hopelessness, there is new hope, after every failure there is a great success, after every dark night, there is a bright morning.’
No protest, no complaint, no demand, no street activism or stage activism: simply trust your own natural abilities and work silently.
My spiritual tree never left its allotted space. It never protested against anyone, it never demanded that others find it new living leaves. It remained at the same place and started a new process within itself. What was this process? This process was to get its food from beneath as well as from the sunlight. This strategy worked. The whole of nature came to its help and after some months it gained its lost greenery again. This is the lesson I learned from my spiritual tree.
No protest, no complaint, no demand, no street activism or stage activism: simply trust your own natural abilities and work silently. Try to re-shape your destiny. And very soon you will be glad to discover that you have regained your life.
What is a tree? A tree is an illustration from nature. Nature tells us of its scheme through trees – that after every winter a new spring will follow. What is needed is only to discover yourself, to discover your potential. Discover the opportunities around you and then avail of all these opportunities by silent planning.
My spiritual tree creates no noise, no problems, no unwanted situations. These are the secrets of a green tree. This is also the secret of human life. Adopt the tree culture and you will be a good member of your society, just like a tree which is a good ‘member’ of its garden.
Moreover, my spiritual tree has never asked me for anything. It has never sent any bills to my office. Yet it gives me pleasant scenery, shade, green branches, fresh oxygen, flowers, etc. It also provides a perch for chirping birds who with their beautiful songs give me a lot of pleasure. This is the culture of my spiritual tree. It silently gives me a message: ‘O man! Adopt my culture and you will become a fitting ornament of the garden of the universe.’
My spiritual tree gives me the best definition of spirituality. Live as a complex free soul and you will find a complex free world to live in. Your destiny is in your hands. Never allow others to decide your destiny. Utilize your opportunities, turn your potential into actuality and very soon you will find that you have no complaints to register against others.
To my way of thinking, every tree is an embodiment of spirituality. It is a silent lexicon of spirituality. So adopt the tree as your teacher. The tree is a good teacher who is available at all times to every student. The only condition for learning from the tree is having the ability to listen to non-verbal language.
