A new morning dawned, and the sky grew bright. Almond tree gently shook his leaves and took a deep, refreshing breath. Reflecting on the previous day, he thought about the lessons he had learned and let their wisdom settle in his mind. The memory of the final lesson brought a smile to his thoughts. "I must learn more from Walnut tree," he mused. His mind wandered back to where it all began and how it unfolded into such a beautiful lesson.
Suddenly, he remembered: it had all started with a simple question. In a contemplative tone, he murmured to himself, "I recall asking Walnut tree how he seemed to help others just by observing them. I questioned why he chose to assist Radish but remained unmoved by Date seed's sorrow. In response, he taught me that profound lesson. Yet, despite its value, I can’t shake the fact that he never answered my question, and that doesn’t seem fair."
He reflected to himself, "I have learned an important lesson. In truth, Walnut tree has shared his wisdom with me, and I am truly grateful for it."
A few moments later, he wondered how Walnut had so skilfully avoided answering his question. His cleverness had revealed him to be a shrewd thinker. But how can I trust someone like that? How can I trust a tree that won’t answer my questions? This uncertainty threatens the very foundation of my trust in him.
Lost in thought for a while, he eventually came to the conclusion that he must protect this trust. "If Walnut is mistaken," he thought, " it’s my responsibility as a friend to help him see it. I’ll go to him and share my concerns openly."
With a heavy heart, filled with doubt and grievance, he made his way to meet Walnut tree. On his way, he spotted Date Seed and noticed something strange protruding from her side. He felt the urge to stop and ask what was wrong, but his anger and frustration drove him forward, leaving no room for pause. He passed by Date seed and continued, reaching Walnut tree at last.
As soon as he saw Walnut tree, something stirred deep within him. He paused, captivated by his majestic presence. High in the sky, strong winds blew through his branches, and Walnut tree swayed gracefully with them, as if dancing in harmony. The winds could not disturb or unsettle him, for he was perfectly in tune with the world around him. In that moment, Almond's anger and turmoil melted away, replaced by a soothing sense of joy and tranquillity.
Walnut tree greeted him, saying, "Hello, young Almond! What brings you here so early in the morning?"
Almond, who had initially approached Walnut tree in anger and frustration, now spoke with a sense of humility. "My dear Walnut," he began, "yesterday I asked you a question, but you did not respond. In return, however, you taught me a beautiful lesson, for which I am deeply grateful and happy. I spent the entire night rejoicing in what I had learned, and all through the night, I thanked the sun for bringing you into my life. But this morning, as I woke, a small doubt began to grow within me, and I’m ashamed to bring it up. Still, I must share what’s on my mind so that these concerns do not drive a wedge between us. Please, tell me—why didn’t you answer my question yesterday?"
Walnut tree chuckled and said, "I will teach you a piece of wisdom, young Almond, and I hope that one day you'll be able to pass it on to others. For when the time comes, you will be responsible for sharing the knowledge you’ve gained."
Every creature of God is confined to some form of prison. In this world, countless reasons, tools, and means exist to entrap anyone. I often see those who come to me, seeking to complain and voice their grievances about others. They ask me why they are suffering. To me, it’s clear that they are trapped in some issue or situation, speaking to me from within their own prison. If I answer their questions, my response will only lead to more, and before long, I too will find myself caught in their prison. Then, two prisoners will converse with one another. While they may find comfort in having someone to talk to, all I’ve done is offer them a fleeting moment of solace, without truly helping them escape their confinement.
Within me lies a wisdom intertwined with art. One that helps others break free from the prison of their own minds. It’s not about simply answering their questions right away. Instead, my way is to guide them in freeing their minds from their inner confinement.
Yesterday, when I saw you, there was sorrow for Date and anger towards Radish in your heart. When you saw me help Radish, that anger flared up within you. You were troubled because you had built a fortress within yourself, a fortress where you declared, I will not help Radish, for he is ungrateful. My actions contradicted the logic of your fortress, yet you refused to change it and align it with reality. As a result, your fortress lost its credibility, and you knew this well. That’s why you came to me with a question, hoping to make one last effort to preserve your fortress. I could clearly see how your mind had become trapped in the sorrow born of prejudice. In that moment, I knew I had to free you from your prison so that you could once again focus on your growth, your development, and your path toward the Sun. That’s why I shared that lesson with you. The beauty of that lesson, combined with the love flowing between us, soothed your heart and shifted your focus back to yourself. So, you spent your day and night in joy, and in that joy, you grew. And that’s why today, you are more elevated than you were yesterday.
Almond, now having understood the wisdom behind Walnut tree’s actions, remembered his earlier judgments and felt more embarrassed. He lowered his head and said, "Dear Walnut tree, you've taught me another valuable lesson, and I'm grateful for it. However, I must confess that this morning, I was angry with you and had some dark thoughts. Now I feel deeply regretful and ashamed. I don’t know what came over me at that time, but I do know that, in your presence, I am truly ashamed."
Walnut tree laughed and said, "I know. I know very well. I'm not upset with you."
Almond, filled with surprise, asked, "You know? How could you possibly know? I haven’t told anyone about it! I was only angry and frustrated in my mind. Can you read minds? Do you know hidden secrets?"
Walnut tree, with his usual smile, replied, "Of course not! I don't read minds. I just understand when, why, and how these things happen. What I can tell you is that, yesterday, powerful forces from deep within you had trapped and imprisoned you. I recognized your captivity and freed you from your own prison. Do you know what happened to those forces now?"
Almond shook his head.
Walnut continued, "The joy and peace you experienced last night shifted your focus toward the Sun, channelling your energy in that direction. As a result, most of those imprisoned forces were used to help you grow toward the Sun. What remained of that energy, manifested today as anger. Your mind directed this anger toward me, as I was the one who guided your energy toward the Sun. Since most of your strength had aligned with your goal last night, today’s anger is easier to manage. This small amount of anger, too, can be brought into harmony with a little effort."
Almond was amazed and said, "This lesson is truly remarkable. Should I always be mindful of my own energies and forces? Why haven’t you shared this with others? And why haven’t you told me earlier?"
Walnut said, " This lesson is only useful for those who have grown into saplings or at least begun to sprout. For seeds, recognizing and understanding these forces is not easy. I do it for them, without them even realizing it."
Almond nodded in appreciation, then suddenly remembered Date seed and said, "Oh! Did you know that poor Date seed is unwell? Her skin has cracked, and part of her has become swollen. I wish you could visit her. I'm really worried about her"
Walnut tree gave a gentle smile and said, "Don't worry about Date seed. I'm watching over her."
Almond felt relieved and walked away to reflect on the new lesson he had just learned.
