10. The Tree
- Many weeks had passed as the Poet learned from the Sage, and the Poet had grown uneasy, and he felt that there was no time to waste, for the people of the village grew angrier every day, and they did despise their lives, and they murmured amongst themselves, and they saw no good.
- And he wished to speak to the Sage, for he feared that he might not be guided in time to save his village.
- The Poet became impatient with the Sage, and he went about preparing to commune.
- He sat in his cabin, and he looked to the distant hills; his breath was as the waves of the tide, and he felt not only the larger waves, but also the ripples.
- He nurtured a song in his heart, even the song of eternity, and he could feel the rhythm of all things, and he could hear the harmony of the Cosmos.
- And behold, the Poet did speak unto the Sage, saying, “Great Sage, reveal unto me the things which have been kept from my sight! Remove this veil, as Thou hath done so before, even that I may know of the secret things which have been hidden. Speak through me, even that I may save my village. I am uneasy, Great Sage, and though Thou might see this as a wavering faith, I have perceived that this feeling has come from Thee, for the people of my village are in pain, and Thou hath chosen me to save them. And wilt Thou now have mercy on them? And wilt Thou now have mercy on me by again pouring the waters of eternal knowledge into my weeping heart?”
- The Sage heard the Poet’s prayer, for they were one, and they communed.
- And the Sage said unto the Poet, “Surely thou art with Me, Righteous Poet, and I am with thee, for I knew that thou wouldst call out to Me at this hour. But I ask thee now: why doth thou fret? And why doth thou fear things to come? Did I not show unto thee that all things which are to be will become in Nature’s own time, which is good for thee? And did I not teach thee that all that which is hidden from thee shall be revealed by My own time, which is good for thee?
- And now I tell thee, Righteous Poet, that the people of thy village may toss and turn and worry about things to come, for they know only of human matters, which are as a grain of sand in a desert. But he who has gained knowledge of divine matters need not fret, for his knowledge is Wisdom, and on this foundation he may rely.
- Do not be disturbed, Righteous Poet, for thy fears act not to serve thee when thou art dealing with matters of a divine nature. And know this, too, that if thine aim is pure and without fault, then I shall guide thee toward thy aim, and I shall see to it that all who conspire against thee shall perish, and that all they who listen and hear, and look and see, and feel, and know, shall gain knowledge of eternal life.
- And now, Righteous Poet, I will show unto thee the roots of the Tree, and even the trunk, and even the canopy—the branches of which reach out to eternity. And I will show thee who thou art, and what thou art, and why thou art, and where thou art, and how thou art, for this is the true path to Wisdom, and even to eternal life, and even to Alignment.”
- The Poet was comforted by the divine Wisdom which had been spoken, and in an instant the Sage had placed a vision before the Poet, even that he might learn of the roots of the Tree.
- The Poet became powerless, and he fell to the floor. As he lay there, he perceived that his sight began to fail him, and he now beheld a great void of darkness.
- The Poet remembered the words which the Sage had spoken, and he was at peace in his vision, and he perceived that he did descend into the great void of darkness, even as a soft feather falls through still air.
- With joy in his heart, the Poet now began to perceive the roots of the Tree, even those which the Sage had promised to reveal.
- The roots surrounded the Poet, and he did become the roots, even that he might know them. And he felt that the roots were precious and pure, and full of simple joy, and without fault, and careful, and wise, and teeming with life that was incomprehensible to mere human perception.
- The roots were without form, without direction, without want, without time, without limits, and without consequence; the roots were nothing, and everything.
- The Sage spoke unto the Poet in his vision, saying, “I have shown thee this vision that thou mayest learn of the limits of thine understanding, even that thou art found to be wanting. And I ask thee now, Righteous Poet: hath thou gained in Wisdom? Hath thine eyes been opened to the nature of the Whole, even to the roots of the Tree?”
- The Poet replied softly to the Sage in his vision, saying, “I have, Great Sage, gained much divine Wisdom within this vision I inhabit, for I have seen the infinite nature of the roots of the Tree, even the roots of the Cosmos; they bend and wind, and they show me that everything that can happen will happen, and has happened.
- And I have felt that time is not as we imagine, for it is still, and yet all is in motion.
- And the roots are as a clear, dark void painted in stardust, gliding upon an ocean swell. Behold, Great Sage, I have seen that all will be blessed and that all will be cursed, and that all things will come to pass that are imaginable, and that all things will come to pass which are unimaginable.
- And it doth weigh heavily upon my heart to think of what is to come, for the Cosmos is without limits, and it is as a wild horse which doth eat its own hoof, and then a leg, and then a rib, for that which I have seen was without purpose, and without guidance or aims; it was sick.
- But lo, I have seen the other side of the distant hills upon which the glorious Sun did shine when I met Thee at the fountain of my youth, for if all that is bad is to come, then so too is everything good to come!
- And I have perceived that Nature is as a young child, for She comprehendeth not which way She moveth, or which aim She doth set Her eye upon, or by which manner She destructs those things which are not pleasing to Her. There are no limits to Her hate, and no limits to Her love, for She taketh the most, and She giveth the most. She is without beginning and without end, and She asketh for nothing, though She doth receive everything.
- And I now perceive that all is a dream, even my dreams and Thy dreams. And these dreams are without time, and without form, and though I know them not in totality, I am at peace.
- And I feel that I am supremely blessed, for I have seen all that has been shown unto me, and I have heard the voices of eternity resounding in my soul, and my gratitude is now lifted to the heights of my understanding.
- Lo, I have now felt that I am as an actor in a play, for if I perform my role well, then the audience will applaud, but if I perform my role poorly, then I will surely be booed off the stage. And the audience is Nature herself, and She sees us, and we see Her. Our only option is to love Her, to care for Her, to encourage Her, to be Her caretaker, to laugh with Her, to cry with Her, to live with Her—nay, to live for Her—to give Her what She requires, to accept with grace what She gives by grace, and most importantly, to learn Her rules and to abide by them!”
- The Poet perceived that he had gained much Wisdom, for his eyes were open, and his ears could hear, and his heart could feel. And he felt gratitude in his heart for what he had seen, for it truly was the root of all eternity, even the vine which doth twist and weave throughout the infinite expanse of the Cosmos.
- And he felt powerful in that moment, for he perceived that Nature’s way was as the way of a child, and that She would go this way and then that way; and he comprehended not which way She went, but he knew Her trick, and he knew Her.
- The Sage was angered by the Poet’s arrogance, and He spoke to the Poet directly, saying, “Art thou so gluttonous that thou hath left nothing for Me? Thou hath surely seen the roots of the Cosmos, that they bend and twist, and that they bring about all things, but hath thou forgotten how these things which were once hidden have been revealed unto thee? For I am within thee, and thou art within Me, and we are as the light of the Cosmos, and as the caretakers of the people in thy village, and even as the caretakers of eternity.
- Have I revealed this Wisdom unto thee that thou might sit upon thy throne and bask in thine own glory? I warn thee that it is not for this reason that I have revealed such things, for this Wisdom belongeth not to thee, for at one moment it is with thee, and the next it is taken from thee.
- And hath thou not perceived that with this providential Wisdom cometh also a terrible burden? For thou hath been chosen, even that thou shouldst be as a lantern unto thy people. And hath thou not been warned of this before even our first meeting? Righteous Poet, the future of thy village—nay, the future of the Cosmos—doth lie in thine hands. Wilt thou shirk thine own responsibility to the Whole? Wilt thou be as those cowards who are of no use in times of peril?
- And let me ask thee, Righteous Poet, that if the roof above thee were to cave in, even the roof which doth protect thee from the storms of life, would such a fate not come to pass first by way of a mere crack? I pray thee, be thou not as a crack which doth lead the way to greater sorrows, but be thou as the caretaker who doth mend the crack, lest thou live in blindness as thy Mother Nature proceedeth to pour out Her great vengeance upon all the Cosmos!
- Wilt thou now be a careful steward of the Wisdom I reveal to thee, Righteous Poet? Wilt thou be guided by My voice in all things as thou doth fulfil thine own divine ordination?”
- “Thou hath humbled me, Great Sage, for I have felt of the burden which I must bear, and I see now that mine is not a worldly occupation, but one which doth spread its effect far into the deepest roots of the Cosmos. I fear that I cannot bear the weight of this burden, but I know that Thou art with me in all that I do, and I know that Thou doth guide my every move. Guide me now, Great Sage—what have I yet to learn of the roots of the Tree?”
- “Know these things, which are sufficient for thine understanding of the roots, that a root is not without a seed, and a seed is not without a germ, and from where doth a germ begin?
- This, Righteous Poet, is eternity, for the roots are not for the seed, and the seed not for the germ, and the germ not for the atom, and what doth lie beyond the atom?
- And I tell thee this: all is one, for the roots need seed and soil and sunshine and rain, and what do all these things need?
- And know this also, that a tree doth not sustain itself merely by spiralling its roots into the dark depths below, nor by reaching its branches up to the light above. Behold, neither of these are sufficient, for a tree doth need the water that flows throughout the darkest depths as well as the light which shines from the greatest heights. All these things have burst forth from THE ONE, for THE ONE is the source of all, and THE ONE is everything, and THE ONE is nothing, and THE ONE is without time or space, and THE ONE is all time and all space.
- And remember this, Righteous Poet, that thou art also as a tree which doth spread its branches high into the infinite plains of eternity, and which digs its roots deep into the dark abyss below. And I ask thee, Righteous Poet: from which seed doth thou burst forth from but from THE ONE?
- And this is the Cosmos: a ripple throughout eternity which knoweth no limits and no aims except everything and anything. And all is perfect in THE ONE, for that which thou exists within—and even that which thou art beholden to—is that which thou art, and thou art built upon virtue and goodness, for many things do labour diligently for thy flourishing, and all these things hath sprung forth from THE ONE.
- And I ask thee, Righteous Poet: doth a fish comprehend the life of a fox? And doth a grasshopper perceive the life of a human? And canst thou understand the inner workings of that which is superior to thee? Nay, thou cannot understand these things in their fullness, for the few things which thou doth comprehend are nothing compared to those things which have been hidden. Humble thyself, and trust in Me, for by which other way might those things which are hidden be revealed?”
- “What Thou hath spoken is surely the truth, Great Sage, for although I have seen much, there is much yet to be revealed. And I ask Thee, Great Sage: if the roots—even Nature’s great deception—are as a great expanse, and as a mystery, and without aim or beginning or end, then by which means shall a seeker find Alignment? And where shall he find solitude and safety amidst the infinite deceptions of Nature? For in one moment, I trust in Thee, and in another, I am as a wayward soul, far from the safety of Thy guiding hand. But how may I be tied to Thee, even that I may walk on the path of Alignment?”
- “Surely thou hath heard correctly, Righteous Poet, for Nature knoweth no other way than that of deception. But behold, THE ONE has provided a way for all, for the red songbird doth not question her place, and neither is the tree perplexed, nor the ocean worried, for their duty is clear, and they do their duty well, and they are Aligned.
- And I ask thee now, Righteous Poet: if THE ONE has provided a way for even these things—that they may be Aligned—wouldst thou not also contain a compass within thy being, even a sense given to thee by THE ONE, that thou might navigate the tempest seas of life? Art thou the only creation within the Cosmos which has received no guide?
- I tell thee that it would not be so, for THE ONE has given to thee a compass, even I. I am the Logos, and yea, My lineage is derived from THE ONE. I shall guide thee if thou wouldst continue to listen, Righteous Poet.
- And doth thou now see that I have been given to thee as thy compass, even that thou might know thine own path, and thine own nature, and the aims which would be good for thee, and the powers which thou art beholden to, and the way which would lead thee to Alignment?”
- “I see, Great Sage, that Thou hath surely been given to me as my guide. And I shall be led by Thee in all my days. I may wander as I have done so before, but I shall trust in Thee and return to Thee as my nature wills.”
- “Righteous Poet, thy words hath pleased me! I shall guide thee, and I shall reveal unto thee even more of that which is now hidden.
- I know that thou hath seen the roots, even Nature’s great deception, that they are without end and without beginning. And thou hath seen that THE ONE has given thee a guide, even I.
- But lo, Righteous Poet, what would be the purpose of the roots if it were not for the trunk, which doth grow straight out of the soil and rise to lofty heights, even toward eternity?
- And if Nature is thy root, and if thou art from Nature and within Her, then doth the trunk not act to shape thee? And behold, the trunk may be likened unto Culture, for thine own ancestors and those who came before them have toiled day and night to find safety from Mother Nature’s ever-deceptive ways. And they were all led by Me, and I was led by them in return, for they helped Me to learn, and I helped them to see, and we were better for each other.
- And behold, Righteous Poet, thou art a beneficiary of these ancestors, and their life and their death, and their eternal vigilance, and their toil and their strife, for thou doth partake of thy culture, and thou art kept safe from thy Mother Nature’s pillage by virtue of thy culture.”
- “But Great Sage, doth not my culture arise from and within Nature? And has it not also sprung forth from THE ONE? And doth it not become corrupt both night and day? And doth it not beat down upon its people, and corrupt even them with false aims and all manner of distractions?”
- “Surely thou doth see clearly, Righteous Poet, for thy culture doth become corrupt—even as Nature doth deceive thee—and thy people are led astray by all manner of distractions. But I ask thee: if the trunk doth become corrupt, and if it should turn away from the straight path of Alignment, shouldst thou fell the trunk with thine axe and leave the roots to rot? Or shouldst thou be as a caretaker of the Tree and guide it toward the heights of its fullest divine potential?
- Yea, I tell thee that thou must be as a caretaker of the Tree; and if thou art to be a caretaker, then thou must be ever vigilant, and all seeing, and wise.
- And if a caretaker sees that one of his trees doth grow astray, and doth lean one way or another, will he not tie the trunk of the wayward tree to a stake which he will plant firmly in the ground? And will he not carefully guide the wayward tree back toward the direction in which it is required to grow? And art thou not a caretaker of thy culture? Art thou not a caretaker of the people of thy village? For they have gone astray, and thou hath been called as a shepherd unto them who have gone astray. And wilt thou now place a stake firmly in the soil below thy feet? Wilt thou guide thy culture, even as I guide thee? Wilt thou be as a caretaker to thy people, even that they may again aim at eternal life, and even at Alignment?”
- “I see what Thou hath taught me, Great Sage, and I know it in my heart, for I have understood the roots, which are Nature, and I have seen even the seed and the germ, and even THE ONE. And I have seen that Culture is that which doth spring forth from the roots and doth strive to reach its branches into eternity. And Great Sage, I have seen that Thou art as the stake which I shall tie my culture to, for if I am the caretaker, then surely Thou art that which doth teach me to take care, and to guide, and to be Aligned.”
- “Truth thou hath seen, Righteous Poet, for if thou wouldst firmly tie thine understanding to Me, and if thy culture would be tied to thee, then together we shall guide thy culture, and thou wilt taste of Alignment, which is eternal life. And the people of thy village will taste of Alignment, and thou wilt run and play in the canopy above thee which doth spread its lofty branches far throughout space and time. And thou wilt feel the warmth of the Sun which doth sustain the Tree, and which doth sustain thee.
- But if thou shouldst not tie thine own understanding to Me, then thou wilt surely be smitten by Nature, even by THE ONE, for THE ONE is the caretaker of the Cosmos, and if a caretaker doth perceive that a branch on one of his trees has become rotted and wayward, will he not cut the branch thereof and throw it into the fire? Lo, for what purpose should a rotted and wayward branch remain on a tree? For either it will fall on its own accord, or else it will spread its rot to the whole tree, and even to the roots.
- Therefore, tie thine understanding to Me, even thy compass, and the Logos, and THE ONE, and even that knowledge which doth never corrupt nor go astray.
- And now that thou hath known these things which were once hidden from thee, hath thou tasted truly of Alignment? And doth thou now perceive the path which thou shouldst take—even the path that would save the people of thy village from their imminent destruction?”
- “I have felt of Alignment, Great Sage, for I see what I can see, and I hear what I can hear, and I know what I can know.”
- “Set thy hands to work, then, Wise Poet, for now thou hath learned of the path to Alignment, and thou hath tasted of Alignment, and Nature is no mystery to thee, and Culture is no mystery to thee, and I—the Logos—have guided thee on this path.
- And I know that thy very being is both rooted in and aimed at virtue, and that the Tree is no mystery to thee. And thou art even as a tree, and thou hath risen above Nature, and even above the dream of thy culture.
- And now, Wise Poet, thou shalt rise even above Me, for I wish to save the people of thy village, though I cannot fulfil this task without thee. Doth thou see the way which thou must go? Hath thou perceived the path which will guide thee to save thy people?”
- “I know my path, Great Sage. I will speak to my people through the language of eternity, even that language which bursts forth from my being. I will teach them who they are, and what they are, and why they are, and where they are, and how they are, for this is the path to Alignment, and even to eternal life.”
- “Good. Now go, write, and teach the people of the village in thine own language, which hath come from Me, and which is eternal and true. Now that thou hath tasted of Alignment, they will listen, and they will be saved.
- And now, Wise Poet, there is a time for learning and a time for sitting with what thou hath learned. We will speak again soon.”
- “I thank Thee, Great Sage, for Thy guidance is as a song to my soul, and it doth bring me into harmony with all. And I shall love Nature, for She is me; and I shall care for Culture, for He shapes me as I shape Him; and I shall listen to Thee, for Thy guiding word doth strengthen me, and it doth raise me to the heights of eternity.”
