Almond asked, "Oh Walnut tree, you know I trust in your wisdom, and I believe that everything you do stems from this inner wisdom. However, tell me, how is it that you look after others without doing anything for them? I heard you say you care for Date seed, Radish, and the other plants, yet you haven't done anything to help them. How can this be? Please, share the secret behind your actions."
Wise Walnut tree paused and then spoke, “The greatest and most challenging wisdom I’ve learned in helping others is the very one you find difficult to understand. Over the years, through hardships and reflection, I’ve come to understand the most valuable wisdom: knowing whom to help, when to help, and how much help to give. The answers to these three questions hold the essence of a leader's wisdom.”
After speaking, Walnut tree fell silent, gazing up at the sky as though lost in deep thought, as if silently praying to the heavens. Whenever he shared his wisdom or hinted at the knowledge within him, he would look upward and, in his heart, speak to the wise Sun. "Oh, radiant Sun of the world," he would say, "I know that all I have, comes from you and the Gardener and belongs to you. These deep roots, this sturdy wood, my towering stature, and these beautiful fruits—everything is yours. I understand well that I own nothing. In the face of your Magnificence, I am nothing. I am simply a tree, ever aware of the boundless mercy my Gardener has granted me."
He paused, as if gathering his thoughts. "Forgive me, for I sometimes feel compelled to speak of myself in these terms. You, who know all hidden truths, understand my inner state better than I do. You know how often I am forced to say ‘I,’ when in truth, my heart says ‘you’ a thousand times over. You know how faithful I remain to the vow I made with you. I wish I could speak the truth, but with these seeds and seedlings who struggle to see and accept reality, how can I speak of reality?"
Almond, watching Walnut tree in deep contemplation, remained silent, drawing calmness from the tree's peacefulness. Though he couldn't know the thoughts passing through Walnut tree's mind, he always found comfort and joy in the tree's calm presence.
A cold wind swept through the air. Walnut tree turned to Almond with a gentle smile and asked, "What do you wish to know?"
Almond replied, "Oh Walnut tree, I saw that you didn’t help the seeds; you just stood by and watched them. Then you said you were helping them. How can that be? What is the secret to helping without taking action?"
Walnut tree paused, reflecting on his memories as though flipping through the pages of an inner diary. He searched for a story that wouldn’t upset Almond or cause him distress. Even recalling past failures and setbacks among the seeds felt difficult.
After a moment of quiet thought, Walnut tree chose a story to share. “I’ll tell you a story, Almond. Long ago, there was a small seed named Tendril. Of all the seeds and seedlings, he was one of the best. Whatever I told him, he followed without hesitation, accepting my guidance wholeheartedly. Many other seeds admired him and wished to be like him. I, too, grew fond of him. Being young and inexperienced at the time, I often thought, 'I wish all seeds and seedlings were like Tendril.'
As the years passed, Tendril continued to grow. He was always eager to ask questions, and because he stayed close to me, listening intently to my every word, he grew rapidly. He absorbed everything I said and applied it with great enthusiasm.”
As time passed, Tendril, the beloved plant, continued to grow. One day, another seed asked him, "Oh Tendril, do you know the way to the Sun?" Without hesitation, Tendril replied, "Yes, just stay close to Walnut tree, like I do." I was puzzled by his answer, as it wasn’t the right path to the Sun. Curious, I decided to observe Tendril more closely, hoping to understand why he would offer such a response.
As I pondered this, the Gardener suddenly arrived and pulled Tendril from the earth by his roots. A wave of sadness washed over me, but I never questioned the Gardener's wisdom. Though my heart grieved, and tears welled within, I remained silent. My deep trust in the Gardener helped me accept what had happened and eased my sorrow. I turned to the Sun, asking him to lift my grief.
Weeks passed, and I began to feel calmer, having entrusted my sadness to the Sun, knowing his warmth could burn away my sorrow. But then, I noticed something—the dry, brittle stems of Tendril were still tangled in my trunk and branches. Every time the wind blew, the crackling of those dry stems stirred an uneasy feeling within me.
I thought long and hard and realized that Tendril hadn't been moving toward the Sun after all; he had simply become entangled in my branches, as if he were part of me. It was painful for me that the Gardener pulled him out by the root and let his dry branches scatter in the wind. It was especially hard because I knew that soon, there'd be no trace of him left."
As Walnut tree recalled this, a wave of sadness washed over him, and he looked up to the sky, silently praying once more.
Almond, fully absorbed in the story and eager to learn more, asked with wide-eyed curiosity, "Oh Walnut tree, is there anything in this world you don't know? How much experience do you have? Have you seen everything there is to, see?"
Walnut tree, with a soft smile, replied, "Many secrets lie hidden in the simplest moments of life."
Almond, his curiosity deepening, asked again, "For example, in the story you just told, what other lessons are there to be learned? You gained such wisdom, solved a mystery, and had a profound experience. Is there still something you don't understand?"
Walnut tree replied, "Oh Almond, if you wish to learn, you must look much deeper."
With a gentle smile, he then asked, "Oh Almond, tell me—was it my mistake to share so much knowledge with Tendril, or was it simply Tendril's nature to misunderstand the Sun and grow only in the shadows?"
Almond felt the weight of the question but struggled to find an answer. He fell silent, unsure of how to respond. "What kind of question is this?" he wondered. He thought for a moment longer but could find no clear response.
Finally, feeling frustrated, he said, "Oh Walnut tree, it seems the fault lies with you. I remember you once told me that, at the beginning of your journey, you made many mistakes but gained valuable experiences along the way. So, it’s likely that you were at fault in that story."
Walnut tree replied, "Perhaps you're right. I too believed that for a long time. But as I reflected more, I realized that I never had any ill intentions. I helped Tendril with nothing but goodwill. Why should the Sun's justice demand that another be uprooted because of my mistake? That doesn’t align with the pure justice I know from the Sun."
Almond, now eager, responded, "You're right, my dear Walnut tree. So, the fault must have been with Tendril’s nature. Perhaps he simply wasn’t meant to grow further, and that’s why the Gardener uprooted him."
Walnut tree reflected for a moment before replying, "That’s one way to look at it. But consider this: if I hadn’t helped him, he might never have grown at all, and perhaps things wouldn’t have reached the point of his uprooting. He suffered because of my mistake, and I felt deeply indebted to him. He grew with my help, and in turn, he sparked growth and wisdom in me. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have grown as much."
Almond, utterly confused, asked, "So whose fault was it, oh wise Walnut tree?"
Walnut tree replied, "For many years, I pondered whose fault it truly was. Then one day, I reached a conclusion—it was Gardener’s fault. He was the one who planted Tendril where he did. All the blame lay with him. For a long time, I firmly believed it was Gardener’s fault and no one else."
As time passed, this belief grew into a deep sadness, which eventually transformed into anger. "Why would Gardener do this?" I wondered. "Why plant Tendril by me and then uproot him later? It feels unfair that we seeds put our all into growing, only for Gardener to pull us out in an instant." These thoughts filled me with rage, and I vented to Sun every day. I complained until, one day, he opened the doors of light and wisdom and spoke to me with a beautiful answer. He said, "Nature, with its boundless mercy, will respond to your worthiest qualities."
At this point, Almond said, "I'm completely lost. What does Sun's response have to do with any of this? Now I think it’s Gardener’s fault. Clearly, he made a mistake. Was Tendril really deserving of being uprooted? And what about Gardener’s own worthiness?"
Suddenly, Walnut tree realized his words had stirred Almond's anger toward Gardener, and he quickly corrected himself. "Oh Almond, let me share something with you. Tendril could never have grown more than he did. He lacked the ambition and desire needed for further growth. He was waiting for someone to guide him, but he couldn’t move directly toward Sun. What he needed was a tree to offer him protective shade."
He continued, "Gardener placed me near Tendril, not only to help him grow, but also to teach me something. I supported Tendril and made it easier for him to thrive. Without my help, he wouldn’t have grown as much, but I, too, had a lesson to learn. Gardener used me as a tool, guiding Tendril toward his fullest potential and teaching me in the process. Tendril grew greatly with me, but after four years, his ability to learn had reached its limit. Staying any longer would have been pointless for him and could have posed risks for me. Gardener, in his infinite wisdom, had planned our paths carefully. He shows great mercy to all his seeds and plants, but his vast knowledge is far beyond our understanding."
Almond, feeling a surge of energy, asked eagerly, "When will I be able to understand Gardener's wisdom?"
Walnut tree paused, unsure if he should reveal more, then replied, "When you've grown as much as I have."
With a gentle smile, he left Almond to ponder the riddle in solitude.
