Planting Twin Trees
जुड़वां पेड़ लगाना- रॉबिन वॉल किमेरर द्वारा लिखित (१८ अक्टूबर, २०१७)
उन्नीसवीं शताब्दी के मध्य में शादी का जश्न मनाने और एक नए घर की शुरूआत करने के लिए जुड़वां पेड़ लगाने की प्रथा थी। जिस तरह से इन दोनों को लगाया जाता था, सिर्फ दस फुट की दूरी पर, यह इस बात की याद कराता था कि जैसे एक दम्पत्ति पोर्च की सीढ़ियों पर एक साथ खड़े होते हैं, हाथ पकड़े हुए। उनकी छाया की पहुंच पोर्च की सड़क के पार खलिहान के साथ जुड़ती है, उस युवा परिवार के लिए आने जाने के रास्ते में एक छायादार रास्ता बनाती है।
मुझे एहसास है कि वो पहले दम्पत्ति उस छाया के लाभार्थी नहीं थे, कम से कम एक युवा जोड़े के रूप में नहीं। उनका मतलब अपने लोगों के वहाँ रहने से रहा होगा। निश्चित रूप से वो दोनों छाया के सड़क की दूसरी ओर पहुंचने से पहले पर कब्रिस्तान रोड पर सो रहे थे। आज मैं उस छाया भरे भविष्य में रह रहा हूं, जिसके बारे में उन्होंने सोचा था, उनकी शादी की रस्मों के साथ उगाए पेड़ों का रस पीता हुआ। वे मेरी कल्पना नहीं कर सकते थे, कई पीढ़ियों बाद, और फिर भी मैं उनकी देखभाल के उपहार में रहता हूँ। क्या उन्होंने इस बात की कल्पना की थी कि जब मेरी बेटी लिंडेन की शादी होगी, तो वह उस मेपल शुगर के पेड़ के पत्तों को शादी में आने वालों को उपहार में देने का निश्चय लेगी?
इन लोगों और इन पेड़ों के प्रति ऐसी ज़िम्मेदारी है मेरे ऊपर, अगर मुझ पर छोड़ दिया जाए, तो उन जुड़वा पेड़ों की संरक्षकता में, एक अपरिचित रहने आएगा, शरीर, भावना, और आध्यात्म के बंधन के साथ। मेरे पास उन्हें वापस चुकाने का कोई तरीका नहीं है। उनका ये उपहार मेरी उन्हें वापिस लौटने की क्षमता से कहीं बड़ा है। वो इतने बड़े हैं कि मेरी देखभाल कर पाने की क्षमता से लगभग बाहर, हालांकि मैं उनके नीचे खाद के कण बिखेर सकता था और गर्मियों के सूखे में उन पर पाइप से पानी डाल सकता हूं। शायद मैं उन्हें केवल प्यार कर सकता हूँ।मुझे एक ही काम करने का ज्ञान है कि मैं यहां एक और उपहार छोड़ दूँ, उनके लिए और भविष्य के लिए, उन अगले अज्ञात लोगों के लिए जो यहां रहेंगे।
प्रतिबिंब के लिए मूल प्रश्न: आप अपने जीवनकाल से कहीं परे के लिए उपहार छोड़ने से क्या समझते हैं ? क्या आप कोई अनुभव बाँट सकते हैं जहां किसी ने आपसे बहुत पहले कोई ऐसा विचारशील काम किया हो जिससे आपको सीधा लाभ हुआ हो? अपने उपहारों को और लोगों से बाँटने में आपको किस चीज़ से प्रेरणा मिलती है?
रोबिन वाल किमेरर द्वारा लिखित “ब्रेडिड स्वीटग्रीस” से उद्धृत
Excerpted from Braided Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to leaving gifts behind far beyond your own lifetime? Can you share a story of a thoughtful action someone long before you took that has benefited you directly? What inspires you to pay your gifts forward?
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7 Past Reflections
On Oct 18, 2017 Ted wrote :
I was thinking, as I read the final paragraph, that there is something you can do - something we all can do. Then, you answered it in the final sentence.
Perfect.
Perfect.
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On Oct 18, 2017 Brandon Steppe wrote :
What a beautiful reading. Thank you for the space to reflect. I am blessed to be the Dad of two little ones; Jasmine (9) and Joshua (7). From the time they were in the womb I have been praying that God would purpose their lives in loving service. They attend one of the most beautifully diverse schools in San Diego with 16 languages spoken. Everyday before school I ask them how they will shine God’s light of love, compassion and service. When I pick them up they report back to me. Occasionally I challenge them to stretch and reach beyond their comfort zone to encourage a Studnet they see having a hard time with something and everyday they must greet someone that they don’t know. As I read the passage I was moved because they ARE my twin trees. Ultimately they will decided if they want to live of life of faith marked by service love and compassion; being the shade to others that I hope they will be. I have planted them as saplings by a river of living water and it is m... [View Full Comment]
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On Oct 17, 2017 Deepak wrote :
Inspirational . For me , it is seeing my great great grand father whom I had the privilege of seeing as a child . When the British ruled India , he was in the police force and he was promoted to become an Inspector in the police one of they few Indians who rose to that rank during British rule . As a child he not only took interest in my education but also taught me the meaning of integrity , compassion , empathy and love , the values which i imbibed from him as a child . today it has been my endeavor to carry forward my great great father's legacy by setting an example of my own life spreading the values which I learnt from him . there is a considerable gratitude for him for inculcating the vales I imbibed from him .
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On Oct 15, 2017 Kristin Pedemonti wrote :
Beautiful. Leaving gifts behind far beyond one's lifetime to me means leaving a legacy of kindness, of being shelter, being shade to others, however you might define that for yourself. It is about being a place of respite, of being the one who listens, offers a hand, a shoulder. Being the one who can be leaned on. I think someone long before from whom I benefitted within family context was my great-great grandfather Martin Quigney who courageously fled Ireland during the potato famine. He left on one of the last famine ships in 1852 and made his way to the US where he created new roots. I am part of his tree. On a larger scale and unrelated, I think of the many women who stood up together so that I could have the right to vote, own property and do the work I currently do. What inspires me to pay my own gifts of Story and Listening and empowerment forward are all those who have gone before me who also shared kindness and love and compassion. And I must say, it also feels really g... [View Full Comment]
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On Oct 14, 2017 david doane wrote :
All life is connected -- as a river of life that has been flowing on earth for a couple billion years. We are the leading edge of all life that has come before us, and we will be part of life that comes after us. We do leave gifts behind far beyond our lifetime -- the only choice we have is in what gifts we leave. I like the story of the old man who is happily planting a tree that others will enjoy. A personal story is that my house was built by a man in 1930, he lived in it until he died in 1968, and I and my family have lived in and enjoyed it for the past 40 years. I never met him and am grateful to him. We've made changes and improvements to the house and property that will someday benefit the next owner. More significantly, mentors have given me life changing wisdom, some of which I've in turn passed on to others. Knowing that we are all connected in one river of life, and knowing that I have benefited from those who came befo... [View Full Comment]
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On Oct 13, 2017 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
I love the metaphor of planting the Twin Trees. Two hearts, minds and bodies bonding together , nourishing and taking care of each other and all connected with them. We have received gifts of love and caring from our ancestors, our guardians and we are continuing the same shade giving to each other and others and and planting the Tween Trees for the generations to come. This is our sacred responsibility called Dharma.
I strongly believe that we need to spend time with our children to talk about our ancestries, where we are coming from, how much sacrifice they have made for us and how grateful we are for having them in our lives.It is somewhat like modern scientists are indebted to the scientists who blazed a new path of discoveries and inventions. before them This applies to philosophers, musicians, writers and dancers. We all are indebted to our fore fathers and fore mothers.
In our family we spend time together talking about our ancestors and paying homage to them,... [View Full Comment]