Daily Meditation: Monday, May 21, 2007

With its roots, its trunk, its branches which bear leaves, …

05/21/2007

With its roots, its trunk, its branches which bear leaves, flowers and fruits, a tree teaches us about the relationship between what is above and what is below. Buried in the soil, the roots absorb elements from the earth and use them to create raw sap, which then rises through the trunk and is transformed into a refined sap. Far from the air and light, these roots carry out a thankless task, knowing nothing but obstacles and limitation. As for the trunk, it thrusts heavenwards and is the conduit for an intense activity: at its core are channels through which the raw sap rises, and at its periphery are channels through which the refined sap descends. As the trunk gradually grows higher and stronger, it is embellished with new branches, which sway happily in the light, offering us the life and beauty of their leaves, flowers and fruits. But it is the work carried out by the roots that produces these leaves, flowers and fruits, and it is the same with us.