Spirit of Nature

ast Friday night, I was instructed by a group of Chinese professors on a topic entitled "Spirit of Nature". The group was astounding in performing the traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the pipa, drums, and flutes. One particular song that moved my heart was "Birds Amid Tree Shadows". A performer named Chen Tao was the soloist for this special piece. That night I listened to this song over and over, and during that same night I longed for the next morning to come soon because I wanted to go out to experience the feeling of nature described in the song.

My first experience on the next morning was going to a quiet spot on my college campus. I took with me just a thin blanket to sit on as protection from the morning dew. When I got there, at first I did not know where to settle. I was afraid that the birds might see my presence as a stranger and they would not sing. However, the birds were not afraid at all. As I found a good spot under a tree to set my blanket, a bird from another tree began to sing. The sweet song of the bird caused me to automatically recall what I heard from the night before. Then, above my head, another bird responded in the same manner to the bird that was from the other tree. Slowly, all the birds seemed to sing simultaneously. It was wonderful to listen because of the harmony of low and high pitches being put together as one song. I wondered how birds could use their voice to communicate with one another since they did not have language like we do. I wished I could understand what they were saying to each other through their singing. By noon, the birds eventually stopped singing. I guess they were hungry and needed some food, and so did I.

My second experience was the walk along a path called the Heritage Trail that afternoon. It was hot on that day, and as I was walking in the heat, I felt exhausted. I stopped under the shadow of a tree where I found that even the air was so important to my existence. This is what I experienced. As I was sitting under the tree, the wind blew over my face and hair. Even though I was not extremely parched, I felt as if I had found a stream full of cool water that quenched my thirst after many years thirsting for water. The air itself seemed to nourish my weariness as I took many deep breaths. I kept the precious air in my lungs for a while then slowly released it. This simple act of inhaling and exhaling made me to begin realizing that my life depended tremendously on the existence of air. Without this invisible mixture of gases, my respiratory system surely would stop and I would not have the chance to experience that wonderful moment.

Again, after lunch on Sunday, I went out for another experience. This time I chose to walk into a meadow where I could have direct sunshine, feel the open wind and the open space. Actually, I did not really know whether I had made that decision myself or some other force guided me. What I discovered as I came to the meadow was that I was surrounded by countless wild flowers. The meadow was a tapestry of a variety of colors that did not involve human's hands to grow. Yellow seemed to be the outstanding color because it was the most prevalent in all the wild flowers. The sight of all the wild flowers was breathtaking because it was so pretty. Their natural beauty made me recall a passage in the Bible in which Jesus tells us not to worry for tomorrow because even though wild flowers do not last long, God in his eternal goodness decorates them with 'beautiful clothes.' Thus, we should not worry too much what we have to eat and drink because God cares for us even more than those flowers.

As I was admiring the breathless sight of pretty flowers, the wind blew into my nose a mixture of smell that came from the flowers and the farms nearby. The smell somehow reminded me the traditional Chinese medicine that I had to take frequently when I was in Vietnam. Perhaps, I was sitting on some species of plant or grass that had some connection with my childhood. I wondered how these wild plants with their simple leaves, stems and roots were so helpful to my life. I remember that when I was young in Vietnam, I was so weak and could not handle Western medicine. Therefore, I had to resort to the natural herbs that were prepared for me.

Reflecting on what I had done over the weekend, I think it was a wonderful weekend for me because from these experiences, I was able to obtain an experience of my own being and of nature. Through them, I was able to experience nature in a new and spontaneous way. And through them, I realize that my life is like a music note among all the notes of a song. In other words, I consider my existence a simple note among all of creation. I realize that my life does not only depend on food and water, but also on air and on all the countless things around me that I do not see. Air is so important but I take it for granted. Indeed, if there were no air, I and other beings cannot live; unfortunately, we often do not think about this important fact in our daily life. Air is a mystery, and in many ways is as mysterious as the natural medicine that healed my sickness in Vietnam. Though I did not know how they worked, I did know that I could not live without them. It is important that we do not take anything for granted, whether it be the invisible air or the simplest wild flower, for each has its necessary functions in the world. Through the experiences of nature--the birds' singing, the awareness of the air surrounding me, the beauty of the flowers--I believe that there must be a programmer who programs these occurrences in the universe. It cannot be an accident. I think that as I continue to reflect on the things around me, I will be able to find a deeper experience of the universe and of God.