The Garden of Paradise
The Lesson of a Tree
~ 59 ~
THE LESSON OF A TREE
Take a look at a tree. Its trunk is firm and solid, but
its leaves, fruits and flowers are weak and
impermanent. Yet the beauty of its leaves, the
colourfulness of its flowers, and the delicacy of its
fruits show that these less substantial parts of the
tree have deserved greater attention from nature
than the stronger parts. It seems as if the trunk and
the branches were created to bring into existence
the fragile masterpieces of creation called leaves,
flowers and fruits.
This is a sign of God, showing man what his Lord
requires of him, and what he should do to make the
tree of his life blossom. A tree shows man that he
should seek the meaning of things beneath the
surface; he should not be over-impressed by
outward strength. People who adopt this attitude to
life will be admitted into paradise.
Those who will not be admitted include the man
who worships stone and ignores truth; who is polite
and humane towards the mighty, and looks down
with disdain on those towards whom God would
