Part of it is observing oneself more impersonally… When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.
The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying, “You’re too this, or I’m too this.” That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are.
How to Be Less Harsh with Yourself (and Others): Ram Dass on the Spiritual Lessons of Trees – The Marginalian
A couple who bought a farm in Portugal have posted wonderful YouTube videos of their work turning wild forestation into an orchard of pear, avocado, and all sorts of other trees. He is British; she is Irish, and they look in their sixties at least. Just the two of them and sometimes a few friends spend all day working among the trees and soil. They explain everything they are doing. Delightful!
I have begun to appreciate the trees more than just to look at them. They are Earth’s unselfish gift to all creatures, especially us. They are pure Love and Beauty. And this funny and lovely couple have a wonderful relationship with their trees and wildlife. I think they have actually turned into human trees.
Their YouTube channel is “Nearby Veggies.”
>You just allow it. You appreciate the tree.
This is excellent!