The story of a Bodhi Tree and a girl

I recently attended the 10-day Vipassana silent retreat for the third time. It was my second time at the Kuantan Malaysia centre, which is possibly one of the best-maintained sites with its expansive land to walk around, single rooms and toilets for each resident, and a separate hall with meditation cells for each old student. That’s why I went back again haha.
This time, I noticed the Bodhi Tree at the back of the female quarters. It was definitely there all along, but I only saw it on the 4th or 5th day. It was a retreat of severe need to let go, as several things happened (as it always does) to threaten my peace of mind to really detach and just observe in meditation. Anyway, on that evening, during tea time, my eyes suddenly zoomed in to a sharp focus on the outside scenery of the dining room. And it gave me such a clear and precise focus of just looking, no analysing, simply being clearly in that moment, that I suddenly realised that I had been looking for only the beautiful things around me as I took my daily walks in the lush space of nature. I had the idea to then walk again after tea time, and simply see things as they are, not needing to look out for that green foliage or those lively squirrels. I didn’t usually take walks in the evening, but on that day I did.
And I walked all the way to the back of the walking quarters, and the Bodhi Tree suddenly came upon me. Literally, I stood in front of it, realised it was a Bodhi Tree and it simply grounded me solidly in an instant. The immediate energy of the Tree just enveloped me like that, without words, without thought. And the setting sun rays were magnificent that evening, lighting up the sky beyond, and trickling through the leaves overhead. As the tall grasses in front waved in the wind, and the Bodhi leaves rustled as one overhead, I saw life and all of living happening before me. The entire miracle that happens, quite unassumingly, as it’s meant to be. The wonder of life is happening all the time, all around me, and within me. We just rarely appreciate it. And the birds flew by far away, high up in the sky. And that was when I started ‘communicating’ with the Bodhi Tree. As it’s a silent retreat, so our conversations started in our minds from henceforth. And as the conversation came to an end, the movements all around changed, signalling the slowing down and of transitions. That first evening, as the wind slowed down, a single leaf fell down. And I took that leaf, gave my heartfelt thanks to my newfound friend, and I went back to my room. After that, I would visit the Tree after every meal, and this is the story of what the Tree told me.
Hello Bodhi Tree, I have not noticed you before…but thank you. Thank you for giving me the way to find my way back to you now.
Hello… you are finally here. I have always been here…and will be here for a long long time.
Yes, you are the grounding presence that is always there for us here, as so many of us come and go, all to learn Vipassana and the Dharma. And you would stand here throughout everything, so wise, so sturdy, always there to watch over us and bring us groundedness and peace. Such a simple, single purpose, just silently doing your task for hundreds of years, not moving. A purpose can be so simple.
That is my duty. That is my karma. This is what I’m meant to do. In a previous lifetime, we used to be comrades, learning the path together.
We used to be comrades?
Yes, we used to be spiritual comrades, and we learnt a lot together, seeking enlightenment and doing a lot of good deeds together. We were prominent in our lifetime together, and we helped a great deal of people along the way. We were also lifelong partners for many lifetimes. Sometimes I was the male, and other times, you were the male. We were meant to progress along the path together, as we learnt the way to liberation.
But why are we separated now? You must have been and will be a Bodhi Tree for many many years, beyond my lifetime.
Because we went off the path. On our final lifetime together, we helped many people. But we also went astray and destroyed a lot of the good we had accumulated and harmed many many people in the end, without realising it, and in the end, we could not do very much to salvage things.
Is that why we are separated?
Yes. At the end of that lifetime, we were given a choice. One, to become a Bodhi Tree to last for a long long time, simple enough and gradually to accumulate merits again by fulfilling the single purpose of sheltering those who seek the path. And the other, to take on both the good and bad karma, and to seek a completely new path for oneself to dissolve the negativity and to continue on the path. And I took on the first, and enabled you to take on the second, which would come with a lot more turmoil with all the karma of our past lives, but with also a lot more possibilities for liberation.
You gave me this opportunity?
Yes my dear… you needed it. Look at yourself now, how far you have come! Who would have thought you would even be here right now, learning Vipassana and finding your own path to liberation. A great turnabout from just a few years ago, where spirituality was not even in your mind. As for me, my role is simple. In fact, without moving, simply being here, I already observe all the precepts of Dharma and can simply fulfill my obligations. It would take a long, long time, and this is my challenge to fulfill.
What about us? Would we never be together again?
Not for many, many lifetimes, my dear. From when we chose our respective roles from the last lifetime together, we already changed our paths. No more intertwining, no more merging. That is why you have felt this great sense of emptiness, of loss. Because I’m no longer by your side. I have felt this for a long time at first, but now I know my purpose to be here solidly as a tree, and I will stand for many, many years more, connecting with so many people that come here. And for you, you will now find a new partner with whom your destiny will now merge with for this and future lifetimes. He is soon to come, and you will both begin a new future and path together.
But no longer with you, my dear?
No longer… and that is okay.
I will miss you.
I have been missing you for a long time my dear… and I will always think of you. Finally now, you have come before me. And even when you return home, I will still be with you. In every Bodhi Tree that you come across, in the temple, in other countries, on the streets… I will be there. You can connect with me wherever you are, I will be there.
I understand… I will come to visit you everyday now, as much as I can before I leave.
Yes, I look forward to it.
I don’t know when I will be able to come back again. But I will remember you, remember our story, now that I know, thank you for telling me.
I will always remember you… even after this lifetime, I will still be standing. And I will always be here, and wherever you are.
Thank you Bodhi Tree, thank you my comrade.
