The Flowering Tree
Once upon a time, in the land of India, a wealthy merchant named Alaima was preparing to embark on a sea voyage to sell his fabrics, cotton, wool, jade, and jewels in Europe and Central Asia.
Back then, these journeys lasted for months. So, on the evening before his departure, the merchant's friends gathered at his home to wish him good luck.
Preparations for the Journey
During the feast, one of the friends asked the merchant while he was eating:
— Alaima, you'll be gone for months. You never told us who you want to look after your house, your property, and your warehouse in your absence.
— Oh, don't worry, brother. Jigme will take care of everything.
— What? Him? That Jigme who looks after your horses?
— Yes, of course.
— Are you well, Alaima? Jigme is just a stable hand, and you're leaving your fortune in his hands?
— What if he steals it and runs away?
— How can you be so foolish as to trust a servant and not us, who are your equals in both wealth and status?
— I've known Jigme for years. He's a good and faithful man, and I don't consider him a servant, but my friend.
— Only equals can be friends, Alaima. No matter how kind you are to a servant, he cannot be your friend.
— I disagree. Jigme has looked after me and stood by me like a friend.
— He won't agree. Let's take him to Buddha. Perhaps he will make him see how foolish he is.
Buddha's Wisdom
So the merchant's friends took him to the place where Buddha was preaching under the fig tree at sunset. They explained the situation to Buddha.
— Tell him, sir! How can he trust a poor servant and leave his fortune to his few possessions? Isn't it foolish, especially when we, his friends of the same status, are ready to take care of everything while he's away?
Buddha smiled and told them a story.
The Story of the Flowering Tree
A long time ago, in Benares, there lived a king. The king loved gardening and spent many hours in his beautiful palace garden.
Although he carefully tended to all the flowers, trees, and shrubs in the garden, he loved one particular tree the most: the Flowering Tree. No one knew how old the tree was, but it stood in the middle of the garden like a giant divine monster.
With deep roots that reached into the earth's depths, and it was said that its branches touched the heavens. The entire city of Benares was proud of this ancient tree, which was believed to be over a thousand years old.
Anyone who saw it admired it for its strength and size. People who had seen it were so amazed by it that no one noticed a tiny blade of Kuśa grass growing near its roots.
Danger in the Palace
One day, the king and queen were drinking tea in the main chamber of the palace when, suddenly, a few pieces of plaster fell onto the king.
— Plaster?
The king looked up and saw a crack in the ceiling, reaching all the way to the giant pillar that supported the roof. It was evident that the pillar was about to be destroyed, and if it wasn't replaced, the entire palace ceiling would collapse and kill everyone inside.
The king noticed the danger and immediately sent his servants and carpenters to search the forest for a tree strong enough to build a new giant pillar. The servants searched through the garden and returned to tell the king what they had found.
— The only tree from which we could build such a pillar is the Flowering Tree, Sire.
— Ah, my favorite tree. Are you sure?
— We looked at all the trees in the palace gardens, but none are strong enough except for the Flowering Tree.
The Sacrifice of the Flowering Tree
The king grew sad, thinking he would have to cut down his beloved Flowering Tree, but he had no choice.
— Oh! I cannot risk the lives of so many people in the palace just to save my beloved tree. Very well, if it must be, cut it down.
The spirit of the Flowering Tree, and even the spirits of the other trees and birds, sensed the disaster that was about to come. The fact that the old and mystical Flowering Tree would be cut down.
The birds stopped singing; a complete silence fell. The gardens became enveloped in an aura of sadness and lifelessness. Then, the spirit of the Kuśa grass spoke to the Flowering Tree.
The Unexpected Rescue
The next day, when the foresters came to cut down the tree and were preparing to strike with their axes,
— Everyone! It seems this tree is rotten here. See? The color of the bark?
— Yes, and it's soft here. We cannot cut down this tree. It's not strong enough to make that pillar from it.
— I don't understand anything. Yesterday, this tree was strong, mighty, and imposing, and now it's rotting. This can't be! It is...
— Perhaps we shouldn't cut down the tree.
When the foresters left, the birds began to sing again. The wind began to dance wonderfully among the branches. It was as if someone had filled the palace garden with life and joy.
The Flowering Tree became strong and imposing once more. The other trees were amazed when they saw this.
— Flowering Tree, now you are well and healthy! How did you make it seem like you were rotting?
— Ah, it's all thanks to the spirit of my friend, the Kuśa grass. She spoke to the spirit of the chameleon, who called the other chameleons onto my trunk. And then they changed their color, and so, when the foresters saw it, they thought my trunk was rotting.
— But how did you make your trunk so soft?
— The clever chameleons immediately went to the spots where the foresters touched the bark, so instead of touching my trunk, they touched the soft bodies of the chameleons and believed I was soft and rotten.
— Wonderful, Kuśa! When we, the so-called mighty trees, couldn't help our friend, your wisdom saved his life, and we want to thank you.
The Moral of the Story
And so, Buddha concluded his story.
Friendship and trust are offered to those who are wise and faithful. Wisdom and loyalty have nothing to do with a person's status. We must pay attention to a person's qualities, not their wealth or status, age or occupation.
Hearing this, the merchant smiled, for his friends left Buddha's side, humbled and submissive.
From then on, they no longer judged anyone based on wealth or status, but looked at people's qualities, and if they were wise and loyal, they treated them with respect.
