The tree whispers..listen

On a recent vacation, I looked at the Sal tree at the edge of the reserve forest in my friend’s new home for days while soaking in the sun. The tree whispered in my ear, hear my story and share it with the world.

Dear child,

I was born of the unborn decades ago. I arrived as a piece of wood in this dense forest surrounded by majestic tall trees. I was little and afraid but the trees around me gave me their unconditional love and compassion. Slowly I relaxed, and allowed my roots to sink in mother earth. She cradled me gently year after year, the sun god was generous in his light and the rain god with water. The fresh mountain air nourished my soul. I was growing taller and taller and enjoying the beauty of my life. I had my moments of despair as the cold winds lashed out or the hot sun glared but the forest told me to not resist life but flow into it. I welcomed the laws of nature and welcomed the changing seasons as the spirit of life. I realized that each season was different the winter bought in inaudibility in the wood, summer the endless stream of visitors and the rain freshness in my life. I was told to pray to the spirit of the deity residing in the forest for protection always. She fiercely guided the domain and was kind to everyone who came for her. One had to call her and she was there with you. The connect strong and not defined by form alone.

As I grew in my teenage years I made several new friends. The animals of the forest, the butterflies, with amazing colors and shapes they flitted around me like fairies in an angel garden, the birds that sang the songs of paradise and the scent of the Sal around me nourished my soul. Each day, I welcomed the sunrise with open arms and sunset, moon and the stars with gentle knowingness. The elemental life shone bright around me and the directions of the life East, West, North and South stood suspended in time.

The world around me was however changing as humans like you cut us for hotels and fancy resorts. The noise of destruction rang through the forest. Others like me wept when we heard the news and waited with baited breath for our turn to come. Lucky for us the area was declared a reserve forest and man could not harm us anymore. The Devi’s blessing prevailed and we were at peace.

As years went by one morning I noticed a tiny leave appeared on my body. I was an adult by now with many new tiny branches and leaves. I was thrilled watching a new birth of life. I created this wonder and was awestruck. The leaves were tender and fresh like a breath of life. They were depended on me for survival and I took care of her them like a mother would of the child. They both learnt to enjoy the forest and our friends came to meet them every day.

One day as the weather changed the leaves started drying out and in horror, I watched them fly from the branch and fall into mother earth. Why of why mother did you give me to leaves to only take them away? I had of course witnessed this phenomenon for years yet the fall of the first leave from my own body cut me in deeply. The spirit whispered all us have different lifetimes and lessons some for a day some for decades and some forever like the planets and polar star. The leaves and the flowers fulfill their karma very early and move on. They give us hope and in their death also they help those around them. The grasshoppers eat them, or the humans burn them for warmth.

I had little choice but to reconcile to the karma of life. As decades went by, each year I was covered in a canopy of leaves with dense branches swaying me gently. Each branch swayed with the wind and carried messages from far. Voices of sadness and grief from the village or the happy sounds of children running in the woods, marriages in the village and lovers lying lost in the forest. I was now providing comforts to others just as others had given me love once. The younger trees blossomed in my tender care and my leaves shielded them from the hot son. The birds made their nests and taught the younger ones to fly. Monkeys jumped up and down my branches in joy like the birds.

The saddest day was when the tree next to me fell on its own. It sat bleeding for several months and said its time had come. The villagers took the tree and burnt it for its warmth. I knew my fate would be similar for I too was now getting old. I was happy knowing that my body will be of use to humans for its wood or if I am auspicious enough the fire gods would devour me and I will once again go back to the elements from which I had arrived.

I have lived well all these decades witnessing a changed universe. As the dawn of new year comes and you leave this is my message to you and other humans. Trust the laws of life, give unconditionally and stay still. Most important be kind to other spirits of the land, respect and give of yourself to them rather than just taking them for granted. The earth created us all equal so we must share in its blessing.

With love

The Sal tree of Dehradun?