Take a look at this leaf.
Now take a deeper look at the leaf. What do you see?
Thich Nhat Hanh says:
"...when we look deeply into the leaf, we see many things. We can see the plant, we can see the sunshine, we can see the clouds, we can see the earth."
A leaf is also made of numerous cells and tissues. Each of these cells needs wind, water, and soil to grow. A leaf many not be in touch with the soil, may have no direct contact with the soil, but certainly it needs all the nutrients supplied by the soil. The needs of the leaf are reflected in its color, texture, and its health. A leaf can be said to represent the soil, the air, and the water that the plant grows in.
If we remove any one of these, there can be no leaf, no plant, nothing of substance to speak. This is clear to everyone. Or is it?
I can find no explanation regarding why humans are rapidly removing the forests. As an organism, it assimilates all the best things in nature and generously offer the fruits as tangible benefits. Share your thoughts on why the human beings cut the forests. In a way, they are endangering their own lives....
What do you see when you see a leaf?
Beautiful and thoughtful. What do I see when I see a leaf? A thought-provoking question indeed. I think what I see in a leaf is the persistent and eternally joyful willingness to work for the well being of the larger body (the tree or the plant). It is as if it is so happy to be fulfiling its purpose and then surrendering itself to the larger forces of the nature to merge and become one with the elements which were always there to help it fulfil its purpose. If only we human beings can learn from a leaf. Thanks Rani for this wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteThank you Beloo di. The joy of surrender....love your thought and words. Until I read the words, I could not articulate that connection and thought. Leaf is truly inspiring...
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