Tree blessings

Almond tree in the yard.

Almond tree and a bench.

-Brian Mendonca 

Trees have a life of their own. To see them, to know them is to be blessed, to live in a parallel world. When trees become a part of your life, you sense the energy around them and connect with them. When you see one tree you remember its brothers or sisters who may have been axed.

When I saw this almond tree (top), I was drawn to it by its beauty. Amid all the slush around it, it stood, diminutive but tall. It didn't matter that it was the only tree there. It was proud - and alone.

Sometimes we downplay our strengths and play to the gallery. We elude our own beauty, our own strength. The tree had one chance to bloom and it did. Consigned to the yard of used cars, it nevertheless lived up to its destiny, its green leaves full of youth and promise.

In the morning I had taken four almond  leaves to class - each a different hue from lush green to deep brown. I was delighted when a student said they represent the life cycle of the almond tree.

The four leaves can be compared to the four stages of life in Hindu philosophy, viz. 

I. Brahmacharya Ashrama (Green) The period of learning.

II. Grihasta Ashrama (Greenish-Brown) The phase of the householder.

III. Vanaprastha Ashrama (Brown) The turning away from worldly things and the return to nature.

IV. Sanyasa Ashrama (Deep brown) Renunciation.

In the Mahabharata Arjuna places his weapons in the Shami tree asking it to hide them. He prays to the tree and asks its blessings. This connection is lost today. May we recover it. For our own sake.

The almond tree and a bench (below) exuded a sense of stillness amidst the hectic activity around it. The bench invited one to sit under the cool shade - an offer we seldom take.

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Pics taken at Verna (top) and Assagao (below) in Goa by me on 18 & 23 August 2025. Updated 24/8/25.