Recorded 10-6-99
Eddy: I read the pages you suggested, well some of them.
Sitaram: I hope you found something of interest or amusement.
Eddy: It was pretty hard going.
Eddy: Theres some heavy topics in there.
Sitaram: Yes. It's heavy duty deep stuff.
Eddy: I had to take a few breaks.
Sitaram: I am age 50 and I have been immersed in these topics since my teenage years.
Eddy: And I'm 15.
Sitaram: You are very advanced and mature to even try to read my pages. You will gain experience very quickly if you continue to study. This is excellent exercise for your intellect.
Eddy: I liked the part where you talked about the drop falling into the ocean. How it loses its identity, but at the same time becomes part of a greater one. It made sense to me.
Sitaram: Yes. I like that too. And also that the OCEAN is entering into the DROP as well, but ocean does not loose identity. It is not my metaphor, I heard it or read it elsewhere. One hears it occasionally in Hindu theological conversations.
Sitaram: What religion were you raised in?
Eddy: "Catholic."
Sitaram: I am glad that a young person is reading. I wanted to write someting to help young people to learn about these topics.
Eddy: What did you mean when you said we are purified by pain?
Sitaram: There is an ancient saying, "Wisdom comes through suffering," in ancient Greek "Pathemata Mathemata," meaning sufferings are lessons.
Eddy: Why suffering? Why not happiness?
Sitaram: We are ATTACHED to the body, the material world. Pain, sickness, suffering, and death teach us patience and detachment.
Eddy: So it's a question of rembering the lesson because of the pain.
Sitaram: Well actually we learn from pleasures as well.
Sitaram: Buddha said, "We suffer PRECISELY because we want things that we dont have, and we have things that we dont want."
Eddy: So the quote isnt all that valid.
Sitaram: You see. every statement, every utterance, is but a partial aspect of reality, a partial truth. This is the meaning of Anekantavada, Jain religious term.
Eddy: So in a lie, there is truth?
Sitaram: The Doctrine of Manifold Aspects - Anekantavada.
Eddy: That sounds a bit yin yang.
Sitaram: You see, your western mind (especially in our culture of today) has come to expect that reality is a multiple choice test, like the SAT Scholastic Aptitude Test. Our Western mind is always looking for a "Reality for Dummies" book or "Reality 101." Our culture teaches to say "skip to the bottom line" or "cut to the chase," and we are very impatient as you may notice.
Eddy: Yes.
Sitaram: "I hope you can find a translation of the Bhagavad-Gita.... a little shirt pocked size paperback published by SUNY PRESS by Winthrop Sargeant, ISBN 0-7914-2030-2. This will be nice reading for you. You can take it anywhere and read a page when you have a minute.
Eddy: "I didn't find the part I read all that enthralling.
Sitaram: "It is necessary (unavoidable) that each person experience pleasures and pains but he who experiences BOTH with Equanimity is a true yogin."
Eddy: It was, to me, alot like the Bible and the Qu'ran.
Sitaram: An even keeled, balanced spirit, that person is a true Yogi.
Sitaram: Trust me, it is nothing like Bible or Koran.
Sitaram: If you keep on studying my website you will see how Gita differs.
Eddy: That is a matter of opinion not of fact.
Sitaram: And I mean study and not casually browse and skim.
Sitaram: You are impatient like most in our society.
Eddy: My western drawback?
Sitaram: "and at age 15, you cannot POSSIBLY have the background of experience to judge such things.
Eddy: Why not?
Sitaram: That is one of the challenges for young people.
Sitaram: To a young person it SEEMS to them that their mind is capable of judging and deciding on EVERYTHING.
Eddy: Age does not always bring wisdom, so why can the reverse not be true.
Sitaram: For example, when someone says... "Well, it is necessary for you to study Algebra, and then, Trig, then Calculus, and finally Differential Equations... and then you will understand Physics," a young person takes a look at some algebra equations and says "Oh this is dry, what will I gain by this study?" The young person does not realize that if they DISCIPLINE THEMSELVES to practice every day for several years, that slowly, through such EXERCISES, their understanding will gradually be TRANSFORMED.
Eddy: "if it does not appeal to them why should they study it?"
Sitaram: Think about Arnold Schwartznegger who said "No Pain, No Gain." It is only through patience and discipline... that we evolve into something higher.
Eddy: You cannot even hope to fully understand any one thing, no matter how long you study.
Sitaram: Ours is a society of "Quick Fixes" and "Instant Gratification."
Sitaram: "well.... you know that one day you will die... does that mean you should not LIVE... and enjoy each day..."
Sitaram: "?"
Eddy: You can stare at a grain of sand and still not truly unterstand it.
Sitaram: Let me try to help you understand by asking you some questions.
Eddy: "ok"
Sitaram: First, let me ask you, do you find talking with ME interesting ? Do you find my thoughts unusual or fascinating?
Eddy: "i find it interesting, if I didnt like it I wouldnt do it"
Sitaram: I am going to make a point to you by these questions.
Sitaram: Good. That was the answer I was hoping for in order to make my next point.
Sitaram: Let us make an analogy.
Eddy: OK
Sitaram: Lets say that what I AM with regard to theology/philosophy is analogous to some super-star basketball player like Magic Johnson, lets say. So, for sake of argument, lets say I am SO GOOD that I am the Magic Johnson of Comparative Religion.
Eddy: OK
Sitaram: Just like when Magic Johnson zooms down the court and does something fabulous, the crowd says "OOOUUUU" and "AHHHHH" analogously my arguments and observations make crowds of philosophical type people go OUUUU and AHHHH. So, here come my point. I was ONLY ABLE to become WHAT I AM TODAY by YEARS of what seems like boring tedious reading of such books like Koran, Gita, Bible, Plato, etc.
Sitaram: Magic Johnson might tell you how many THOUSANDS of practice shots he took every day, for YEARS, just standing in an empty court, shooting baskets.
Eddy: "yes"
Sitaram: You might look at EITHER endeavor and say "hmmm this is BORING.. how will it benefit me to shoot baskets in this empty gym for 4 hours every day?" Just as one might say "hmmm.... that book seems dry and boring...""
Sitaram: It is hard to envision how doing HOURS of algebra problems for several years and then hours of trig problems and then hours of Calculus homework ould one day lead to something EXCITING like landing the Mars explorer on the surface of Mars."
Eddy: "yeah"
Sitaram: Good. So am I making any sense.
Sitaram: Let me put it a different way.. and make a different point to you.
Eddy: You didn't answer my question.
Sitaram: Lets stop and think for a minute about ALL the teenagers in the country today.
Eddy: Yours or mine?
Sitaram: You see, I AM answering your question in a very important way but you simply cant see what I am trying to tell you, partly , I suspect, because you are TOO ATTATCHED to the fondness you have for YOUR OWN MIND, thoughts, abilities, opinions. But you see that is the typical situation of a young person. You cant have your cake and eat it too.
Eddy: Thats pretty patronising. You are saying im missing the point because I dont agree with you.
Sitaram: Lets return to the example of Magic Johnson. If you met him tomorrow, and he said "Lets go on this basket ball court here an play..."
Eddy: I would say no.
Sitaram: Well, you already know that he would do circles around you, but that does not bother you.
Eddy: I don't like basketball.
Sitaram: YOU DO NOT ASSUME, that simply because you have 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 eyes etc. just like Magic, that therefore you are his equal on the court.
Eddy: "yes"
Sitaram: "well.. if you make the statement "I dont like basket ball" NOW you are REALLY SHOWING HOW SILLY and untrained your mind is..."
Eddy: "hey"
Sitaram: "because we agreed that this was an ANALOGY"
Eddy: "i was trying to make a point"
Sitaram: "an you are showing that your mind does not have the discipline to treat it as an analogy..."
Eddy: "no"
Sitaram: "ok... so your point is... "I dont LIKE this stuff,... so I dont want to read it""
Sitaram: "just like... "I dont LIKE basket ball.. so I wouldnt go on the court with Magic"..."
Sitaram: Well. If the Pope called you tomorrow to have lunch, WOULD YOU GO... or would you say "Oh... im not interested in Catholicism?"
Eddy: "i was saying that if I dont like basketball and I have nothing to gain from it why should I play it"
Eddy: "in an analogy of course"
Sitaram: Aha! But, you see, Mickey Mantle gained something from Baseball, Plato gained something from philosophy, Buddha gained something from Religion because they were intrested in it.
Sitaram: For EVERY human endeavor you can name you can find the Magic Johnsons, the Platos...
Sitaram: My point is, if you NEVER make yourself take an interest in ANYTHING.. you will loose out on life. You have to give ANYTHING in life a CHANCE. Otherwise you have fallen into this modern VIDEO GAME mentality of instant gratification.
Eddy: Why, cause you might end up liking it?
Sitaram: Yes! Do you think Arnold Schwartznegger is happy and satisfied with his accomplisments or the Pope or Mother Theresa or Gandhi? Do you think any of those people were GLAD that they suffered through the long process to BECOME what they now ARE?
Eddy: And you also might waste years of your life on somthing which you dislike.
Sitaram: We are talking about SELF-ACTUALIZATION. If you NEVER try anything, from fear of failure, or simple LAZINESS... then your life is already wasted before you have even lived it.
Eddy: Why start out doing somthing which you really have no reason to finish.
Sitaram: I don't believe ANYONE wastes their time by seriously pursuing some discipline.
Eddy: "if they dont want to the do"
Sitaram: I can't give you a reason for living, and actualizing your potentials, you must find that for yourself.
Sitaram: If you go to Magic Johnson, he can tell you how to go about trying to be a basket ball star, but he cant tell you much about theology.
Eddy: But you are saying that I should play Magic even if I dont want to.
Sitaram: If you come to me, I can tell you how to become what I am , but I cant tell you much about sports.
Eddy: And what then?
Sitaram: I am saying that, if Magic asked ME (and im an old man with a cane) I would go even if I fell on my face simply for the experience of having played for a minute with magic.
Eddy: Why?
Sitaram: And if the Pope or Dalai Lama asked me to lunch, id go in a heartbeat. If you have to ask WHY you will NEVER EVER understand the answer.
Eddy: That's no diffret to playing someone who you could beat.
Sitaram: I think I am sensing in you someone who is very frightened of trying ANYTHING, for fear of failure.
Eddy: And you seem to have a very high idea of your own judgement.
Eddy: "i do alot"
Eddy: because I like it, not just for the sake of it"
Sitaram: "let me try to explain to you...... what I was trying before..."
Sitaram: "you have NO DOUBT that Magic johnson would MOP the court with you... such that you would not even consider playing with him...."
Eddy: "no"
Sitaram: "that is because basket ball performance and skill is something you can EASILY SEE...."
Eddy: "i wouldnt play him because I feel there is no reason for me to do it"
Sitaram: "YET..... you assume that you are MY equal... in intellectual persuits,... when I am age 50, and have been doing this since age 15,... and you are only 15"
Sitaram: "can you see an absurdity in your reasoning..."
Eddy: "i didnt say that"
Sitaram: "i.e. you do not assume that you can beat Magic Johnson, simply because you have the same arms and legs..."
Eddy: "whan did I say anything like that"
Sitaram: "yet you assume that simply because you have a mind, language, thoughts, reasoning....that you are no different from me"
Sitaram: "its written all over you.... your very attitude"
Sitaram: "actually.. that is how most 15 yr olds think and feel"
Sitaram: "that is why teenage years are so painful and difficult"
Eddy: "im talking to you because I enjoy intelligent conversation"
Sitaram: "ahhh... well.. that is good... I hope at least I am giving you a "run for your money""
Eddy: "not because I have to prove weather or not you are smarter than I am"
Sitaram: "just like arnold schwartznegger said "no pain no gain"... you will not benefit and grow, unless you meet some resistance..."
Sitaram: "so... stay away from people who agree with you and make things easy..."
Sitaram: "its like a weight room with styrofoam weights..."
Sitaram: "you wont build any intellectual muscles"
Eddy: "why do I have to have intellectual muscles if I dont want them"
Sitaram: "by the way, I am enjoying this discussion"
Sitaram: "well... hmmm.... you have a body and a mind, right... obviously you will answer yes, of course you do...."
Sitaram: "now, you might say... "Oh... I dont like to run, or exercise, its more comfortable to sit and watch TV"... and lets pretend that you WON THE LOTTERY and you were "
Eddy: "you whole way of thinking pivots on me being forced to try to attain somthing I dont really want"
Sitaram: "so rich that you never had to go to school or work....and you COULD SIT all day if you liked and watch tv"
Eddy: "if I want to watch tv"
Eddy: "why shouldnt i?"
Sitaram: "so... we now have you fabulously wealthy... and for arguments sake... you have decided to watch tv and play video games all day, every day, because you like it..."
Eddy: "ok"
Sitaram: "ok... lets follow along in our example"
Eddy: "and its your example"
Sitaram: "now... you are so wealthy that you hire a maid and butler and cook...."
Eddy: "not our example"
Eddy: "ok"
Sitaram: Now THAT sentence shows your rotten attitude.
Eddy: How?
Sitaram: "I dont think there is any point in continuing this discussion"
Eddy: "i was stating a fact"
Sitaram: "if you are going to be SO VERY PETTY"
Sitaram: "as to say something like that..."
Eddy: "im not"
Sitaram: Then I can tell that I am really wasting my breath.
Sitaram: I am trying to communicate something to you that I feel is of value... and you are on this BIG PETTY EGO TRIP"
Eddy: You have its ok for you to correct me but not for me to correct you.
Sitaram: So you talk like a snotty little brat instead of trying to follow my line of reasoning.
Eddy: Don't get personal!
Sitaram: You are a fool.
This dialogue with Eddy touches upon something at the heart of our supernova problem. We have a childish difficulty about looking off into the future towards some long-range problem or goal and then disciplining ourselves to work and suffer towards that goal.
We have just enough religion to make us hate but not enough religion to make us love one another -Jonathan Swift
Which is it, is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s? -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car -Laurence J. Peter
The Christian god can easily be pictured as virtually the same god as the many ancient gods of past civilizations. The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful and capricious. If one wishes to know more of this raging, three headed beast-like god, one only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes: fools and hypocrites. -Thomas Jefferson
Creationists make it sound as though a ‘theory’ is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night -Isaac Asimov
When I think of all the harm the Bible has done, I despair of ever writing anything to equal it -Oscar Wilde
We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes. -Gene Roddenberry
PARADISE, earthly paradise, IS ALREADY within the grasp of mankind!! whatever do I mean by this strange statement??
Very simply this: If all 6 billion humans united and worked in harmony, this very moment,..... and through self-control, abstinance... whatever means (birth control, abstinance...whatever)
... if their goal was to reduce the world population to ONE BILLION over the next 200 years... SIMPLY by limiting reproduction....
Then in a short 200 years... the earths population would be at a reasonable stable level from an environmental point of view.....
After the population of the earth had decreased to one billion,.....over the next 200 years.... technology, science, medicine, and a united world democracy, would make EVERYONE independently wealthy, and disease free....
Computers and robots and modern technology makes possible a level of production (food and other materials) which does not require such a work force as in previous centuries... and CERTAINLY DOES NOT require the slave labor which was employed so many times in history....
But our own selfishness and greed, and our racial and ethinic prejudices and nationalistic pride, will perhaps never allow us to co-operate with one another, and to practice the personal asceticism and self denial, or long range planning, to achieve such an end....
Here is another one... we KNOW that our sun will super nova and destroy our planet in a short 8 billion years (give or take a billion)... the handwriting of that doom is on the wall.... and there are certain things we could attempt to do to prepare for that eventuality
We could develope artificial intelligence and robotics to the point where it achieved consciousness, and could carry on our knowledge and culture, and reproduce/redesign/improve itself... (remember 8 billion years give us a lot of time for R&D)
We could then send our intelligent machinery off into the cosmos, before our sun supernovas, carrying with it the frozen cells necessary to bring living humans back to life, should an earthlike planet ever be found
But if we continue to fight wars, and waste our 8 billion years... then one day, the earth and humanity will disappear, along with all language, culture, science and learning... socrates will have been for naught, buddha, einstein, shakespear
If everyone had such a hopeless attitude... then the jews would still be slaves in egypt, the blacks would still be slaves, the napoleons and hitlers would have conquered the world many times over, there would be no small pox vaccine...yada yada yada (as seinfeld would say)
A while ago, we were discussing starving children and empoverished nations... but i just described a plan might eliminate poverty and disease... even if i am insane... at least i am making a positive effort, and not throwing up my hands, shrugging my shoulders and saying "oh well, it is inevitable, there is nothing to be done"
Seriously, what is the point of a lifetime of education, or participating in dialogues and debates, or writing, if a person is never anything but negative, shooting down everything, saying I dont like this, I dont like that, this writer was stupid... (really, I have seen an awful lot of that on the net in the past 5 years)
Pass time, or waste time... depends on your point of view... even a crazy visionary, who never comes up with one working model or invention, is still far ahead of the game over the sourpuss critics who never make any positive attempt, and just criticize things (think about it)
You know, I once saw a panel of economists criticize american business because it never looked 30 years down the road to position itself, but only look to the short range, the next quarterly report, the bottom line, and how it would affect stock values, while japanese business were doing 30 year long range planning
I will give you antother terrific example of "short range thinking", namely, the rising sea level in venice... engineers already have a viable plan to control tides, BUT...it would take 20 years of planing, and no italian government lasts more than 18 months
Hence, no one wants to get behind such a long range project, because they personally will never see any short range benefits...
There is a terrific story somewhere in the Talmud (i think) about a king who was walking along, and saw an old man planting a breadfruit tree (which takes 30 years to grow and bear fruit)
So, the king asks him "Hey, old man. why do you work so hard planting that breadfruit tree, when you will never live to see it bear fruit..."
Well, he was doing it for his children and his children's children (posterity)
Plato's republic seems to indicate that one great potential for philosophy (philosopher kings), is to create a better society, in which all people enjoy a better life an reach a higher potential
In what way does/do philosophy/philosophers improve society/government/the quality of human life... in what way do our own studies/discussions improve us as a person/ or enrich the lives of others
There are replenishing cycles to everyting, water evaporates from the oceans to form clouds, cells divide and replace.. why not universes? suppose each black hole (a form of death) has within it another big bang, another expanding reimann time-space universe
Why should the universe which we see be the only universe
Conversations are redundant, universes are redundant, everything recycles,... thats the point
There are always more black holes, universes within universes, within universes...
The Universe of universes (or multiverse) is always escaping itself, devouring its own tail
It becomes eternity as an Escher drawing
But... if there is always somewhere, someone thinking, feeling, in what way is it not me (I)... and if that is the case, then what do "I" need to be saved from
When worlds are so complex, how could something like a universe be so simple as to be "one"
Its like thinking that the world is flat
The world only seems flat (but that is an illusion)...
The universe only seems to be one, but that is an illusion
God only SEEMS to be one, but that is an illusion
Ptolemy's epicycles in the Almagist were once "standard models", and they still work great for navigation
Newtonian physics still works great for projectiles
Imaginary numbers are no longer really "imaginary", they are essential to the mathematics of radio waves
Around 1976 in Scientific American, some Yale scientists worked out that the expanding universe has more than enough inertia to keep on expanding forever, rather than collapse on itself
I read an interestng comment last year regarding a universe being created, passing away, and then being created again (repeatedly, in cycles).... although trillions of years pass between creation and destruction, from a different vantagepoint and time frame, that universe might be seen as a vibration (perhaps generation a wavelength, some measurable form of energy from the oscillation)
"Torah is a tree of life for all who grasp it."(Proverbs 3:18)
You may remember from Hebrew School... once a year you'd get a little bag with some raisins, dates, and carob (the hard, brown "fruit" sometimes known as boxer). And you'd collect money to plant trees in Israel. That was Tu B'Shvat.
Of course, there's a deeper meaning behind the holiday, beyond that 13-year-old's view of Judaism!
The source for Tu B'Shvat is the opening statement of the Talmudic Tractate Rosh Hashana: "The Academy of Hillel taught that the 15th of Shvat is the New Year for the Trees."
What does that mean, "New Year for the Trees?" Do all the cedars and pines get together, make resolutions to improve themselves, and dip apples in honey?!
Of course not. Tu B'Shvat is technically the day when trees stop absorbing water from the ground, and instead draw nourishment from their sap. In Jewish law, this means that fruit which has blossomed prior to the 15th of Shvat could not be used as tithe for fruit which blossomed after that date.
So what relevance does this have for us in the 21st century?
In various places, the Torah compares a person to a tree:
- "A person is like the tree of a field..." (Deut. 20:19)
- "For as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people." (Isaiah 65:22)
- "He will be like a tree planted near water..." (Jeremiah 17:8)
Why the comparison?
A tree needs the four basic elements in order to survive -- soil, water, air, and fire (sun). Human beings also require the same basic elements. Let's examine these, one at a time:
SOIL
A tree needs to be planted firmly in the earth. The soil is not only the source through which nourishment is absorbed, but also provides room for the roots to grow.
This is true of a person as well. The Talmud explains:
"A person whose wisdom exceeds his good deeds is likened to a tree whose branches are numerous, but whose roots are few. The wind comes and uproots it and turns it upside down.
But a person whose good deeds exceed his wisdom is likened to a tree whose branches are few but whose roots are numerous. Even if all the winds of the world were to come and blow against it, they could not budge it from its place." (Avot 3:22)
A person can appear successful on the outside, with full branches and a fancy car. "But if the roots are few" -- if there is little connection to one's community and heritage -- then life can send challenges that are impossible to withstand. "A strong wind can turn the tree upside down." A person alone is vulnerable to trends and fads that may lead to despair and destruction.
But if a person -- irrespective of wealth and status -- is connected to community and heritage, then "even if all the winds of the world were to come and blow against it, they could not budge it from its place."
Humans require a strong home base, where values and morals are absorbed, and which provides a supportive growth environment. In a world rife with negativity; we need a "filter," a safe haven to return to and refresh. A community provides an impervious shield -- the "soil" where we can be ourselves, make our mistakes, and still be accepted, loved and nourished.
WATER
Rain-water is absorbed into the ground and -- through an elaborate system of roots -- is carried throughout the trunk, branches and leaves of the tree. Without water, the tree will whither and die.
The Torah is compared to water, as Moses proclaims: "May my teaching drop like the rain" (Deut. 32:2). Both rain and Torah descend from the heavens and provide relief to the thirsty and parched. The Torah flows down from God and has been absorbed by Jews in every generation. Torah gives zest and vitality to the human spirit. A life based on Torah will blossom with wisdom and good deeds.
Deprived of water, a person will become dehydrated and ultimately disoriented, even to the point where they may not be able to recognize their own father. So too, without Torah, a person becomes disoriented -- to the extent they may not even recognize their Father in Heaven, the Almighty God of Israel.
AIR
A tree needs air to survive. The air contains oxygen that a tree needs for respiration, and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. In an imbalanced atmosphere, the tree would suffocate and die.
The Torah (Genesis 2:7) states that "God breathed life into the form of Man." The Hebrew word for "breath" -- nesheema -- is the same as the word for "soul" -- neshama. Our spiritual life force comes, metaphorically, by way of air and respiration.
We use our senses of taste, touch and sight to perceive physical matter. (Even "hearing" involves the perception of sound waves.) But "smelling" is the most spiritual of senses, since the least "physical matter" is involved. As the Talmud says (Brachot 43b): "Smell is that which the soul benefits from, and the does body not."
In the Holy Temple, the incense offering (sense of smell) was elevated to the once-a-year Yom Kippur offering in the Holy of Holies. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 93a) also says that when the Messiah comes, he will "smell and judge" -- that is, he will use his spiritual sensitivity to determine the truth about complex matters.
FIRE
A tree also needs fire -- sunlight -- to survive. The absorption of energy from the light activates the process of photosynthesis, a chemical reaction that is essential for the growth and health of the tree.
Humans also need fire -- warmth -- to survive. This is the warmth of friendship and community. People absorb the energy of peers, friends, family, neighbors and associates -- and channel that into identity and actions. All the essential observances and ceremonies of Judaism are based on family and community -- from the celebration of birth, through the attainment of maturity, marriage, education, and even death.
The power of community is illustrated in the following Talmudic story:
An old man was planting a tree. A young person passed by and asked, "What are you planting?"
"A carob tree," the old man replied.
"Silly fool," said the youth. "Don't you know that it takes 70 years for a carob tree to bear fruit?"
"That's okay," said the old man. "Just as others planted for me, I plant for future generations."
A TIME TO GROW
This year on Tu B'Shvat, as you're gnawing that slab of carob, ask yourself:
Am I getting the spiritual food and shelter I need to survive, or is my tree being blown down by the forces of information overload and rampant materialism?
Am I part of a strong Jewish community, providing a warm and nurturing environment? Or am I cast into the pale bleak anonymity of urban life and cyberspace?
Am I looking to future generations knowing that I am providing them with the proper foundations for their lives?
(Ta'anit 23a)
Long ago, there lived a righteous man named Honi. One day he saw an old man planting a carob tree. Honi said to him: "Foolish man, do you think you will live to eat and enjoy the fruit of the tree you plant today? It will not bear fruit for many, many years."
The old man replied: "I found trees in the world when I was born. My grandparents planted them for me. Now I am planting for my grandchildren."
Honi sat down in the shade of a nearby tree to take a short nap. But his short nap lasted 70 years! When he awoke, he was surprised to see a full-grown carob tree where the old man had planted a seed just before Honi fell asleep. An elderly man was picking its fruit. "Are you the man who planted this tree?" asked Honi.
"No," replied the man. "My grandfather planted it for me." And so Honi learned the importance of planting seeds for future generations.
The most basic ecological teaching of Judaism is that humanity is made from the earth: adam (humankind) is formed out of adamah (earth, soil). We are connected with the Earth from the moment of our creation.
The whole of the Earth is a gift from God. As Psalm 24 says, "The Earth is God's and all that is in it." The Earth is not our possession; it belongs to God. We are not meant to dominate the Earth, but to care for it.
In the Talmud there is a story about an old man who was planting a carob tree as a king rode by.
"Old man," the king called out, "how old are you?"
The man replied, "Seventy years old, your majesty."
"How long before that tree you are planting will bear fruit?" "About 70 years or so," the old man replied.
"Do you expect to eat the fruit of the tree you are planting?" the king asked.
"Of course not, your majesty, but I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planted for me. And so I will do for my children and grandchildren."
Similarly, a rabbinical commentary on Leviticus 19:23 teaches that:
"When you come into the land, you shall plant all manner of trees for food. Even though you will find it full of all good, do not say that we shall sit idly by and not plant by ourselves. Rather, be careful to fulfil the obligation of planting. Just as you entered and found plants that had been planted by others, you too must plant for your children."
These texts teach us that we must care for the Earth for future generations. We must look ahead and see the consequence of our actions—and not only think about our immediate benefit.
Judaism is rooted in the cycle of the seasons. We use a lunar/solar calendar and are conscious of the ebb and flow of the seasons. At the festival of Tu B'Shevat, we celebrate the new year of the trees with a Seder meal that reconnects us with the fruits of the Earth. We also connect the Torah—the Divine Law—with the image of the Tree of Life. Some mystics use the image of a tree rooted in heaven, drawing God's blessings down and renewing the Earth.
At the festival of Sukkot, we live in three-sided huts made of wood and thatch, open to the stars above. This reminds us that we must be thankful, first and foremost, not for the dwellings that we have made, but rather for the habitation of God's world.
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810) taught that, "Every blade of grass has its own tune. And from the tunes of the blades of grass, a melody is composed." Creation manifests the beauty of God.
Unfortunately, we have lost sight of this sacred balance. We take the beauty and goodness of the Earth for granted. There is a saying that, "If the sun weren't to rise tomorrow, then we would realize how important the rising of the sun is." We take for granted the gift of the air, water and land. Creation is amazing, but it can only remain so if we act as partners with God in maintaining it.
In Judaism, we speak of "Tikkun olam"—our responsibility to work for the mending of the world as partners with God. We must undertake this responsibility in the land where we live, in this here and now. We are all called to renew the sacred balance that God created.
Maimonides (Eight Chapters, 5) said that "Just as the body becomes exhausted by hard labour and is envigorated by rest, so the mind needs its weariness relieved by rest." The Saadia Gaon said, Rest, yes; idleness, no. He said, "A man's body grows sluggish through too much rest--- . Even if a man has all his needs [can we add, through a pension], he dare not stay idle, for the idle man will end in weakness, insanity and sickness." When it comes to studying Torah, even Maimonides says that you should keep on doing it "until the day of one's death." I find it very sad when a retiree says, "I'm too old to learn that," or "What good will that do me at my age." I'm reminded of the famous old midrash from Ecclesiates Rabbah (2:20) about the Emperor Hadrian's encounter with an old man planting a fruit tree.
Hadrian asked him, "How old are you?" And the man replied, "100 years old." Hadrain then remarked, "Fool, do you think you will live to eat fruit from these trees?" and the old man replaied, "If I am worthy, I shall eat; if not, as my ancestors planted for me, so I am planting for my children and grandchildren."
The world is transformed with words, one person at a time.
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