The Seven Masters

A group of six masters gathered around an ancient chestnut tree. It stood in a lush green meadow, surrounded by many young saplings. But like many of his species, he too was dying.[^1] The first master sighed as he knew the cause of this Chestnut's suffering: "There's an evil spirit that's consuming this chestnut’s life force." The second master furrowed his eyebrows at this: "The tree is dying because of a parasite, fool; there's no such thing as spirits." The third master pulled the other two masters apart and stood between them. "Look at all the veins running through this tree. Water has to reach every branch, and this chestnut can no longer choose what to feed, so the branches die one by one."

The fourth master, who had been daydreaming, chuckled with laughter: "Trees are animate beings. Can't you see he made more chestnuts than he could ripen? He can't support them all." Now, the fifth master, knowing a little bit about biology, came to stand beside the other four. "The tree is drying out in this meadow; the trunk is almost empty of water. The sixth master stood with his back to the others and sighed deeply. They slowly turned around, waiting for him to speak. "Trees, my friends, are no individual beings. Look at the forest. This one is old and has lost many of his friends when the blight swept through here. That is why there are so many young saplings around."

The Seventh Master

No one had noticed the seventh master approaching. He had listened attentively and said: "You are right." The first master who had spoken grunted in satisfaction. "His spirit is suffering, I knew it." The other masters squinted their eyes at the seventh master. The third one flustered with anger: "It's the constitution of fluids, can't you see how some parts are darker than others?" The sixth master master chipped in as well: "It's the relationships of the whole forest, I tell you, look around." All of them continued to argue, each certain of his own truth. The last farmer knew it was the way of things. Not a single one of them would give up what they knew.

So the seventh master spoke gently, as if the wind itself moved his voice. "Does each one of you agree that we could spend a lifetime on each explanation alone?" They all nodded. "Now, if all of your perspectives carry equal depth, what do you say if we nurture all aspects of the tree?" "Why would we do that?" three of them shouted at once. "Well," the seventh master replied. "Can we all agree on this: the life of this chestnut is important." They grunted in unison. The seventh master raised his finger to the sky: "Now, do we care for this chestnut to not merely live and heal, but to have a good life?" At this, they all fell silent. A flick of the hand from each, and the matter was settled.

Names

The seventh Master called them forward one by one. "Body, Mind, Matter, Relationships, Heart, and Spirit. I name you for the purpose you serve. Each of you carries a part to play. The only thing I ask of you is this: to develop a relationship with one another. Only together can we create a good life for this chestnut." The sky opened, and rain started pouring. Heart smiled with wet hair drooping over his face: "So, what about your name?" The seventh Master laughed: "I am Service, because I have united all six of you. Now harmony is required if we are to integrate our efforts." Service gave a slow nod to the first master.

Body slowly approached the chestnut. "It's clear to me that the tree is lacking in water." We need to hydrate it by increasing the quantity of water that reaches the roots. Some of these young saplings need to be uprooted. They suck up water from the topsoil, while this chestnut's roots lie far deeper. Water is life. In time, this will give him health.” Then Mind stepped forward. "The roots are healthy now, and water is plentiful. It is time to direct it well. We'll cut the dying branches. And when we set needles into its trunk, the distribution of water will shift. The tree will learn to move its life force with deliberate care. You can have all the water you want, but you need to be able to discern it." Matter stepped forward eagerly. "Although its water now reaches every part, this parasite still needs to be dealt with. Several wounds host a fungus. Getting entirely rid of the parasite is impossible. Neutralizing the poison is more efficient. This will allow it to grow without spending its nutrients on defence. You simply cannot get around the fact that material care is needed."

Relationships didn't directly approach the chestnut, but rather moved away from it. "He's healthy, sharp, and efficient; that is clear to me. But no networks are connecting him to the rest of these saplings. He has no way to share, teach, and learn from them. Through the mycelium and the air, they speak to each other. Connect them, and they stand stronger. Trees cannot live well without a forest to support them.” Heart came into view slowly. "We all see that the tree is alive, but mere survival is not enough. The leaves can grow long and lance-shaped, turning warm gold in autumn. Its patterns in the wind will baffle anyone who sees him dancing in the light of moon and sun. Its chestnuts will be beautiful and plentiful." He touched the core of the tree. A tremble ran through the forest, and it fell still. Spirit moved into the space without a sound. He laid his hand on the trunk, feeling the rough but smooth edges. He started to sing, and a trance enveloped the entire meadow. The chestnut surrendered and opened its roots to reveal a door. The wind stirred, and the clouds parted so beams of light touched the dark spaces. The shadows fell away, and an unnamable force entered the very essence of his being.

Becoming Alive

The chestnut made it through winter, and as spring turned into summer, it blossomed into life. The seven masters gathered in celebration. Some were exhausted while others were energized. Matter asked: "I understand that we won't be here all the time, and even though we're present now, there is still the chance that fortune will take some of us away. Service nodded his agreement. One doesn't need every single one of you at all times. Indeed, each of you has its season. Now you know how to work as one. Where one falls short, another must give what is needed. But this is precisely what makes life good, by living in harmony with the seasons. This chestnut knows and has seen many a winter. It will not shy away when one or more of you disappear. I only ask you to come back whenever you can.

Body stepped into the background, while Relationships came forth. The tree was healthy and strong, while many of the saplings around were suffering. So it shared its water and nutrients with others. And although the tree was beautiful beyond recognition, some branches had to be cut off to preserve the beauty of others. So as Heart went away, Mind stepped forward. The fungus had not returned, but some darkness had come again to reside within the cracks that had been formed by its growth. Spirit entered them, while Matter, too, receded in the background. After some time, Relationships, Heart, and Spirit came into alignment. He formed good relationships, an inner fire that burned to beautify, and the awareness of his true self. Not long after, Body, Mind, and Matter came together in achievement. The Chestnut grew capable in the world, to care for his health, to discern between what mattered, and was able to live with abundance. Service had tears in his eyes as he embraced all six of them. It was then that the chestnut realized the purpose of his life. He was quite content being a shepherd of the forest.