Trees and Forests
Carol Blotter • April 29, 2022
When we think of a forest, we think of one “thing”, one object, a "forest". We can stop for a second and explore “forest.” It expands, becoming more alive as we understand all the parts. How long would it take to think of everything a forest is? To think of the animals in it, the flowers in it, the ferns and greens, the trees? Would you remember to think of each tree and to recognize that each tree has some imperfection unnoticed in the forest view? Would you remember to think of the insects in the tree and on the ground? The many different types, sizes and colors of leaves?
Our brains like to deal with one “thing” and our language reinforces the tendency to lump parts together in "concepts." So we can think “forest” and move on to the next concept. When a forest is cut, we often fall into thinking of that one concept. In that process, we’ve simplified life. We no longer aware of the complexity of what “forest” represents – all the life forms. Maybe we even dismiss those life forms in our thoughts and discussions because "forest" doesn't bring them to mind. Yet they are there, interbeing within a package we call forest.
We use concepts so completely. We classify someone as kind, mean, stupid, evil, political and so forth. In so doing, we ignore so many complexities of humanity. We call a leaf a leaf and does that truly point to the experience of leaf?
Is it possible to bring awareness to the “communion of subjects”*? To let our heart feel into the connectedness and presence of all life resting in every concept. To see concepts as a way of speech and not the truth of reality? To experience unity rather than separation? To realize, "We are touched by what we touch; we are shaped by what we shape; we are enhanced by what we enhance. The sense of the sacred is at the heart of it all."*
Can you step out of your head and into your heart to experience the sacredness of this life?
One way is to use the forest to open awareness of our connections. Practice being in that space with gratitude.
Life is just a vapor; let’s live it while we can. Every day’s a gift; breathe in and hold it. Every day’s a gift; it’s gone before you know it. Song and lyrics by Paul Thorn I’m sure you all have had a “song worm” that just repeats and repeats in your mind. Life is a just vapor has been in mine for over a week. I used the lyrics for a talk on impermanence at a daylong retreat. As it's played over in my head, the truth of it has deepened. The talk on impermanence reminded me that although we know intellectually that things change, we mostly don’t live from that knowing. For example, we know that everything that lives will die but why is that flower losing pedals right now when my mother is visiting! Or why is my body changing and failing when it always used to…. Living into impermanence has helped me appreciate life - as Paul Thorn sings. It turns an ordinary moment into a sacred moment. If you knew, truly knew, this moment would never happen again, would you be here differently? Would you rush through life? Would you spend any time whatsoever on resentments? Impermanence lessens the solidity of any thought or fear. When we focus on what “we think”, we can miss other ways of seeing and being. Impermanence helps us loose our grip. It doesn’t promise life will be easy. It promises that life will change. And change makes healing possible. Mary Oliver wrote “This one and precious life.” The preciousness of this life has surrounded me lately. My wish is that you too know this.
Sitting in the center, we serenely watch Yes and No chasing each other endlessly.
I love the parable of an elephant and three blind men. I’m sure you all know it. Each man touches a different part of the elephant and describes it based on his limited perspective. One touches the leg and declares an elephant is like a tree trunk. Another grabs the tail and “knows” an elephant is like a rope. The third holds an ear and says an elephant is like a fan. Each is “right” from their perspective. People argue and fight over what is true. They fail to acknowledge that their individual "truths" are only part of a larger reality. Their truth is not the whole truth. To grasp the whole truth, an integration of different viewpoints, experiences and perceptions helps. When we hold on to a single, narrow view, we are unable to see reality clearly. Being curious and listening to other’s views opens our own vision. For example, someone did something unskillful in the past and you don’t like them. One action does not make the whole person! Do you approach them as if it does? It’s not to condone behavior but perhaps to be willing to open to a different view. Or you meet with friends from the past. Not only do you have different memories of the past – each of you having highlighted a different piece of the event in your minds – but also you hold different expectations of each other in the present. How can you see who is in front of you while holding onto a view of the past? How often do you approach the next moment with true clarity? In Pali, the language used to document the Buddha’s initial teaching, Vipassana means “seeing clearly”. It’s more than just mindfulness or sitting meditation. It is also investigating the true nature of all phenomenon; impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self. It’s understanding the role that feeling, perception, memory and thought play in coloring reality. And so much more. Ultimately, seeing clearly is often more than just Buddhism. Many other traditions offer different strategies to see the truth. The truth is multi-faceted and the integration of other paths can help deepen wisdom. A daylong meditation retreat offers an opportunity to investigate what might be coloring your view, to name one “elephant” that might be obscuring your sight. At the same time, the retreat space offers time in nature to enjoy the woods, a lake and quiet spaciousness. It offers a time to refresh ourselves and as the mind quiets, we can see more clearly.
Silence is something that comes from your heart, not from outside. Silence doesn’t mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you are not disturbed inside. If you’re truly silent, then no matter what situation you find yourself in, you can enjoy the silence. - Thich Nhat Hanh “Silence is not merely negative – the pause between words, a temporary cessation of speech – but, properly understood, it is highly positive: an attitude of attentive alertness, of vigilance, and above all of listening.” - Archimandrite Kallistos Ware “We need silence, not to escape from ourselves but to know the foundation, the roots, the tendencies of our true nature. There is in us a zone where noise and tumult have no place, and a zone where everything reverberates. When we try to return to the inner, vital zone, it is not to cancel the noise. We do not make use of our moments of collectedness as a retreat. Inner silence is comparable to a light that reveals what is in the shadows, reveals our mechanicality. When we deeply relax, our attention unglues itself little by little from our preoccupations, our identifications. It moves, gropingly, toward the zone of silence… During the experience of inner silence, if thoughts appear, they pass as if upon a screen. Our emotions are short-lived movements that do not carry us toward externals. Our moments of inner openness are linked to the silence.” - Alphonse Osbert “Do not worship silence, but that to which the silence leads.” - Tom Rothschild “Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself. - Herman Hesse
