One morning, Turnip awoke in a state of deep anxiety. Still trembling, he glanced around the garden. The moment he spotted Date, he hurried over and said, “Oh Date, you can’t imagine the terrible dream I had last night. It was so frightening that even now, I still shake when I think about it. But I feel I must share it with you.”
He took a breath and went on, “I dreamed of a terrifying creature—something like a ghost or shadow—that approached me slowly. It captured me and swallowed me whole. It was a strange creature. It looked like air, but it wasn’t. I believe an evil spirit has crept into this garden. When it seized me, I first felt a searing heat—then, all at once, I was destroyed. It happened so fast. Date, you have no idea how terrified I was.”
Date tilted her head and replied calmly, “That’s quite a strange dream. Still, I’m not afraid of such things because Walnut watches over all of us. He knows what he’s doing, and no matter how powerful this creature may seem, Walnut will protect us and defeat it.”
She began to share stories of Walnut’s bravery and strength, trying her best to comfort Turnip and ease his fear. But Turnip barely heard her. He remained fixated on the dream, convinced that the creature was dangerously real.
As the days passed, their conversations echoed throughout the garden. Slowly, word spread, and soon all the plants were aware of the story. Each had their own thoughts, and whispers of the dream stirred quiet debate among them.
One day, Almond turned to Walnut and said, “Dear Walnut, don’t you think it’s time to put an end to these rumours? Many of the plants are beginning to grow anxious.”
Walnut smiled faintly and interrupted him with a gentle chuckle. “And that’s how some drowned,” he said.
Almond blinked in surprise. “Drowned? What do you mean, drowned?”
“They drowned in their own imagination,” Walnut replied. “You see, every fear that takes root in the garden brings with it its own illusions. If you wish to be free of fear, you must first clear away the fantasies it casts in the mind.”
Almond said. “But in this case, I haven’t seen any trace of imagination or fantasies.”
Just then, Walnut turned away from Almond and addressed Date and Turnip directly. “Dear Date and Turnip, I’m sorry to say this—but both of you have failed your tests.”
The two plants exchanged bewildered glances. “What test, Walnut?” they asked. “We don’t remember being tested.”
Walnut’s expression grew serious, and he said. “Then let’s take a step back and look at the situation from the beginning. Turnip, let me start with you—have you had a dream that truly frightened you?
“Yes, I did,” said Turnip. “And I shared it with Date.”
“Would you like me to interpret it for you?” Walnut asked.
Turnip leaned forward eagerly. “Of course,” he replied.
Walnut began, “What you saw in your dream was the Sun.”
But Turnip quickly interrupted. “That can’t be true. There’s no way it was the Sun. You must have seen that terrifying creature—evil seeps from every part of it. How could the Sun, which we’ve always heard is kind and full of compassion, appear so cruel?”
Walnut fell silent for a moment, letting Turnip's words settle. Then, with calm and clarity, he said, “The Sun reveals itself in many forms. Do you remember when I told you the Sun even exists within our minds?”
“Yes, I remember,” Turnip replied quietly.
Walnut continued, “You should also know that the Sun exists in three distinct realms. The one you saw belongs to the third realm and is known as Fire. While it is the same Sun you encountered in your dream, the Sun I’ve spoken of so often is something quite different. Here on Earth, within this third realm, fire is a natural element—not an evil spirit. It possesses an inherent power to burn, and that is why it is regarded as sacred in this world.”
Turnip interrupted, still unsure. “But Walnut, the creature I saw didn’t seem sacred at all.”
“Turnip,” Walnut said gently, “you must first take in what I’m teaching. Only then can you revisit your dream and understand it properly; If you try to interpret it without this knowledge, you may fall right back into the same fire you dreamed of. So be patient. Reflect deeply on what you hear.”
Then he continued, “Fire is a vital force in nature. When it approaches a plant and burns it, nothing remains behind. This is fire’s true purpose—to destroy and purify. But after that destruction, the plant is given a chance to begin again and grow.
Plants grow under the Sun’s light and return to the earth through fire’s heat. The Sun provides light, while fire provides heat. Fire belongs to the earth and breaks things down, while the Sun is of the heavens and brings growth and vitality.
If you become trapped in earthly fire, you’ll break down. But if you remain close to the heavenly Sun, you’ll be uplifted. Divine fire is the divine light, while the earthly fire is the very form you saw in your dream.
Together, divine fire and water nurtures the growth of all beings. I, too, owe all my growth to the power of divine fire and water. Together, they are both nurturing and elevating. In the end, those who become children of the Sun will be exalted, while those who become children of fire will be reduced to ashes.”
“I think I understand now,” Turnip said slowly. “But I still don’t know why I saw fire in my dream.”
Before Walnut could answer, Date, anxious and unsettled, asked: “Walnut, why did you say we failed our test? I didn’t see any test at all.”
Without answering Date, Walnut turned to Turnip and asked, “Did you go to sleep last night with troubling thoughts? Thoughts that may have caused impurity and contamination in the third layer of your existence? If so, then mental fire has entered your mind to cleanse the corruption you’ve created in that space."
Turnip glanced around nervously and said, embarrassed, “Honestly, the night before, I was thinking about how much I love Date, hoping she would love me back and marry me. I fell asleep with thoughts of holding her. Is that wrong?”
Walnut replied, “Thank God that the purifying fire has cleansed the effects of your sinful and lustful thoughts. We'll discuss this more later. For now, tell me, have you understood the fire and its purifying power?”
“Is Turnip's desire for me the reason he failed the test?” asked Date.
“Turnip’s first mistake was not telling me about his dream directly,” Walnut pointed out, “but telling you about it instead. He had a fantasy of marrying you, which is why he wanted to share his dream. Fear entered the scene, leading him to tell stories about evil spirits, and thus spread his fear. Isn’t it clear that he has failed all the tests?”
“That’s true. But what was my mistake in all of this?” Date asked.
Walnut said, “When Turnip was trapped in fear, you knew his fears were imaginary and not real. But to help him, you told stories of my bravery, creating new fantasies to dismiss his. Do you think it’s correct to replace one fantasy with another? Won’t this just change the form of the original fantasy? You shouldn't have exaggerated my bravery. That’s called bias.”
“Walnut, I see you as very courageous. If you were in my place, what would you do?” Date asked.
“I don’t have special courage. What I have is love and loyalty. This Garden will face many problems, as it has before. I can't solve everything, and I don't have extraordinary abilities. I'm not as powerful or brave as you imagined,” Walnut replied.
All the plants were astonished. They had always seen Walnut as a supernatural being, but now he was saying he had never been one.
Walnut continued, “I've been with you through all the challenges and will always be here for you. My greatest gift is the love I have for all of you, and your love and trust in me. This mutual love has united us and protected us from many disasters. By fostering this love, I've created strong bonds among us. Our unity will help us overcome any problem. My true strength lies not in extraordinary powers but in bringing hearts together.
And as for you, Date, be mindful of your fantasies when facing fears. Fantasy is not a good way to deal with fear. So always keep your eyes open to reality. If you want to grow wisely, you must be able to distinguish between fantasy and reality.”
