Talk to the Trees

Note: I have learned that one can literally "talk" to all life and get a response. It does help, however, to develop this kind of communication while spending a lot of time alone in nature without tv. cellphones, or even computers or internet. I found that only in this way can one be sure to have the capacity to separate ones own thoughts from the thoughts coming in from outside oneself. This helps prevent self delusional conversations. end note.

I was walking in the pine, fern and oak forests around where I live on the Northern California Coast. I was walking with my two dogs and they seemed especially happy to be out after a good rain. Though it was misting a little bit still I could see the sun breaking through a couple of places.

The trees were ecstatic and very grateful for the rain after such a long drought since February 2008. Though there have been a few storms with sprinkles, this is the first real storm with any real rain to speak of.

I first saw a green pine tree about 100 feet tall that had fallen and realized that during the storms sick trees with pitch canker often soak up water and break in the winds from the storm which is what happened here. I was amazed that the top 20 feet of the tree had been thrown about 100 feet or more from the rest of the tree and was glad I hadn't been there when it fell.

Later, I reached a view point of the ocean in the distance and it was beautiful. As I was enjoying the clear fresh air off the Pacific Ocean and fresh air from the storm and the rain rinsing the air, I noticed a 25 or 30 year old tree that had died in the drought. There was still enough life left in it to talk to me even though it was mostly brown pine needles completely. I said to it, "The rain has been great for us all." The tree said, "We call the clouds 'lifegivers'". I started to think about this and of course I'm translating this into English the best I can from pure thoughts the kinds trees sometimes have with those they trust like myself. So I said, "What do you call the Sun and the Earth?" To which many trees joined in and said, "The sun is father and the earth is Mother but the Clouds are the life givers and the rain is life!"

Since I have spend a lot of time in my life studying Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Religion I guess I sort of transposed this into Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or Buddha, Dharma, Sangha or Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. Anyway you look at it, it is a holy trinity of life for trees and the rest of life on earth.

I walked away inspired by this experience and then I walked by a tree I had tried to save by bending it upright a few weeks ago that I wrote a piece about then. The tree said, to me, "I don't have to die of shame now, of dying bent over while less than 20 season(years) old. You have immortalized me among my people, the trees, and now I will die young with honor."

Now you might say to me, "Oh. You're just 60 years old and retired and spend too much time alone walking in the woods with your dogs!" However, leisure to practice has been a realized ideal for me since I almost died in 1998 and was forced to retire. Though I'm well now and could theoretically work again I don't financially need to.

So I spend a part of my time helping people and another part of my time writing about my experiences in the hope that the human race can continue to evolve and become more civilized and alive in a more useful way and not go extinct as a race along with earth!