Thursday, May 8, 2008

What is it about trees?

I was walking through the park last week on my lunch break. It was a nice day, so I decided to sit down under a redwood tree and enjoy the weather. As I was sitting there thinking about the direction my life was heading, I realized that there are many epic stories of people receiving enlightenment near trees.

Adam and Eve started out in a state of ignorance. They gained knowledge by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Buddha received his enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi tree. It is commonly said that Isaac Newton discovered gravity while sitting under an apple tree and having an apple fall on his head.

What is it about trees? I know that when I'm in nature, especially in forests, I feel closer to God. I am more easily receptive to revelation. I suspect it is because I'm away from the distractions that are so common in the world. Also, I see trees as a reminder of a wise way to live life. They are firmly rooted in the earth, but they are always reaching heavenward. We, too, should enjoy our mortal life while still communing with the divine.

1 comment:

green mormon architect said...

Hi Keri - very nice post here. I agree with you completely about trees and forests - great places for insight and revelation. Isn't it interesting that both scientific and religious knowledge link back to nature? I hadn't thought of that. I have also been thinking about this connection between religious experience and the natural world lately and shared some of my thoughts in a post a couple of weeks ago.