Be Like a Tree

Tolerating the heat of the sun, the cold snow of the winter, the wind and rain in the monsoons, the tree is simply supplying all benefits to others:supplying shade to us, while it suffers in the sun; supplying firewood to warm us, while it suffers in the freezing winter. Although it stands alone without a home, it provides its limbs in the form of wood for us to build houses to live in.

Trees are immersed in the mood of service to all living entities without discrimination. They are compassionate.

This is the standard of a saintly person: to be like a tree, always willing to accept all kinds of inconveniences to bring happiness and relief to others.

A saintly person is not so concerned with his or her own problems, butis more concerned with others’ problems. If we do not care about others’problems, then we drown in our own problems, which are endless and which bring down our consciousness. But if we are concerned with others’ problems,then we don’t have time to think about our own problems.

This is a saint: like a tree, always eager to serve others, in all regards,in every possible way.

– Radhanath Swami