A lively day had dawned in the garden, buzzing with energy. In every corner, plants chatted and swayed in harmony. Walnut Tree cast a thoughtful glance around and reflected, “How marvelous it is to see everyone so connected, free from the agony of solitude. The garden feels just right now—balanced and thriving. Perhaps it’s time for me to step back a little, to ease my presence here. By doing so, I’ll give the others room to grow independently, to learn, bit by bit, how to stand tall and flourish not by leaning on me, but by discovering their own strength.”
Newly sprouted Carrot turned to Date Seed and proudly declared, “Hey, Date! Did you notice? I’ve sprouted too! From now on, you can call me Sprout of Carrot. I’m not just a seed anymore—soon, I’ll grow into a magnificent Carrot Tree. I dream of standing as tall as Walnut Tree, stretching toward the sky, and bearing thousands of nutritious, long-lasting Carrot fruits every year. They’ll be treasured by all! What do you think, Walnut Tree?”
Walnut Tree looked at Carrot and said warmly, “I’m truly pleased to see your determination to give your best. The future may be uncertain, but what truly matters is putting in your utmost effort and avoiding idleness. Focus on doing your best, and let go of the need to control the outcome.”
Eager for acknowledgment and attention from Walnut Tree, Carrot waited for a response, hoping to dive deeper into his fantasies and savor them even more. Walnut Tree, fully aware of Carrot’s tendencies, gently tried to steer his focus away from imagination and toward meaningful effort, careful not to fuel unrealistic expectations. Yet, Carrot hesitated to shift from his daydreams to reality, finding it difficult to fully grasp the wisdom in Walnut’s words. Instead, he remained lost in his own thoughts and fantasies, reluctant to let them go.
Walnut Tree took a deep breath and slowly turned his gaze across the garden. In one corner, he noticed Buxus, lively and radiant, delivering an impassioned speech. The other plants were completely captivated, their attention fixed on Buxus as if spellbound. The flowers and plants seemed to hang on his every word, their fascination fueling Buxus to speak with even more enthusiasm. In the midst of it all, Walnut Tree remained silent, watching quietly from afar.
Buxus proclaimed with confidence, “As you can see, I am remarkably agile and skilled in my work. By now, you must have noticed my many talents. I always know precisely what needs to be done, no matter the time or place. Take it from me— Strive to master a skill and excel in your work. Like me, pour your energy into what you truly desire, and work tirelessly to achieve it.”
The other plants listened intently to Buxus’s words, offering steady cheers and praise in response.
Buxus continued, “My dear friends, remember this, shadows must be crafted at dawn to remain fresh and revitalizing. If they arrive in the afternoon, they lose their effectiveness and become useless. And by nightfall, there’s no need for shadows at all. These insights are the result of my own discoveries over a long and fruitful life. In my younger days, I didn’t fully understand what a shadow was or the value it could hold. But over time, I came to appreciate their significance and mastered the art of creating them.”
For a moment, he paused and wondered if others might see him as somewhat arrogant or self-satisfied. Hoping to soften that impression, he added with a touch of feigned humility, “Of course, there may still be times when I’m unable to create shadows. However, this matter doesn’t carry much significance compared to the multitude of my abilities and countless successes. Even when I have made shadows, I’ve done so with excellence. Just recently, Grass needed a shadow, and I generously provided it.”
A plant from the crowd rose and spoke with admiration, “Oh, selfless Buxus, so kind and generous, would you create a shadow for me as well?” Another plant quickly joined in, pleading, “Dear Buxus, please teach me how to make a shadow. I long to learn this skill for myself.”
Buxus, now radiating what he believed to be the pinnacle of wisdom, felt the moment had come to generously share his vast knowledge with the world. Overflowing with enthusiasm and passion, he threw himself into answering the questions of the other plants. So engrossed was he in his own discourse that he remained completely unaware of the meaningful glances and subtle smiles exchanged by Walnut Tree, who watched him quietly.
Walnut Tree, with his aged and experienced demeanor, understood that casting shadows was not an extraordinary task. He knew shadows were simply the result of sunlight illuminating one area while leaving another in shade. Watching Buxus, who so proudly and arrogantly claimed credit for this natural occurrence, Walnut Tree was reminded of his own youth, when he too had been eager to impart lessons and guide others. Back then, he had felt a burning desire to teach the ways of life, almost like a preacher. But now, as a tired and aged tree, Walnut Tree had lost the urge to educate or inspire. He only had to perform his duty to the best of his ability, with no desires or aspirations beyond that.
Today, he noticed that same familiar feeling in Buxus once again and saw how eager Buxus was to speak and teach others. There was nothing inherently wrong with Buxus's desire to become a teacher for all trees and plants. The issue, however, was that neither the Sun nor the gardener had asked him to take on this role, nor had they provided him with any knowledge for this. Instead, they had entrusted this responsibility to Walnut tree, supporting and accompanying him throughout the entire mission. But how could he possibly convey proud Buxus that he was mistaken?
On the other hand, remaining silent would only mislead the other flowers and plants, making them believe they needed to strive to master the rules of creating shade.
Walnut Tree pondered, “I must choose my words wisely and with great care and find a way to avoid offending Buxus while gently warning other plants against error and misunderstanding."
After a moment of reflection, Walnut tree recalled the beautiful prayer the gardener had made for him: "O Walnut, may the life of your fruits be long." Walnut knew his fruits endured remarkably well in nature, retaining their value and usefulness even when dried. Indeed, the gardener's prayer had been fulfilled in Walnut.
Walnut tree’s words leaves a profound impression on the plants. He wondered to himself: How long would Buxus’s words truly linger in their minds? probably, within a few days, they would fade into oblivion. After that, he would have the perfect opportunity to teach them the truth, using the power of his own words. With this in mind, he chose to delay correcting Buxus’s mistakes. Instead, he resolved to wait for the right moment to share his knowledge of shade and sunlight with the others, confident that his lesson—unlike Buxus’s—would leave a lasting mark.
Before his eyes, he saw plants immersed in joy and delight alongside one another. He lifted his gaze to the sky, his heart brimming with happiness and gratitude. In that moment of reflection, he thought to himself, “How strange that Buxus believes he is the one creating the shade. How can he ignore the Sun, with all its splendor and magnificence, and claim to be the creator of anything? In the presence of the Sun’s wondrous creations, does shade even hold any value worth being proud of?!”
He paused to reflect once more: “An important question has arisen within me. What do I truly claim as my own and take pride in, without fully understanding its origin? I know I exist, and the gardener created me. I cannot imagine that I came into existence through my own efforts. Similarly, this garden must have been brought into existence by someone—either the gardener or the Sun. If everything that exists is the result of creation, then there must be a creator behind it all.”
This thought struck him as profound yet unfamiliar. “Everything that exists depends on a cause, and that cause must be its creator. For me, it’s clear that the gardener is my creator, for he planted and nurtured me. But what about the garden itself? Who created it? And what about the gardener—does he, too, have a creator? What is it that does not exist on its own, yet gives existence to everything that exists? This is a profound question to which I have no answer."
Walnut tree felt both perplexed and, at the same time, delighted and excited by his recent discovery. Deep within, he felt a surge of gratitude toward Buxus and whispered to himself, "I am truly grateful to you, dear Buxus. Your ignorance of my knowledge has opened my eyes to my own ignorance of a higher truth—a truth that exists, yet I have been blind to it. This state of not knowing—what a profound and wondrous state it is! I must first grasp the full extent of my ignorance, before I can begin to seek out the answers that lie beyond.”
Walnut, who had regained the excitement of his youthful days, joyfully set out to explore the causes of existence and non-existence. He sought to determine whether shadows truly exist. In essence, he wanted to know if only light exists, or if darkness has a presence as well. Can darkness and shadows be created in the same way as light?
Then, in his heart, he addressed the plants gathered around Buxus: “Please forgive me, for I cannot yet free your minds from Buxus’s misguided words. I must first complete an important task that remains unfinished. But soon, I will return to share the truth of this matter with you.”
He pondered over the sentence, "Existence has a cause for its existence. What is it that doesn’t exist itself but is the cause for the existence of everything else? If Buxus cannot create shade, even though he believes himself to be its creator, can we then conclude that darkness cannot be created?”
Walnut had entirely lost awareness of his presence in the garden. He felt himself adrift in an infinite, void-like space—a place of perfect emptiness. Being in this state, offered him the ideal opportunity to ponder deeply and seek answers to his questions.
