The Art of Burning

There is an incredible amount of healing that can manifest through the art of burning wood.  I have often maintained that trees are the masters among us.  Trees sit in perfect being-ness never allowing outside environmental circumstances to ever alter their state of peace.  Surely, trees do have to sway and bend from time to time when inclement weather arrives and occasionally a stray branch may fall to the earth, but the tree stands in peace regardless of the surrounding environment; until it transcends beyond the earth and back to the celestial realms.  At this time, the carcass of this former master waits to be transmuted back to the Divine.

We are the fortunate benefactors of these divine creatures of the Creator.  They hold the wisdom of centuries within them and when we burn them ritualistically after their earthly incarnation comes to term, we are able to access the wisdom held within the very branches of the trees.  Through the whispers of the flames of a fire we are able to hear the spiritual essence of trees.  The stories they tell harken back through time from generations we may have never known however these very trees have communed with our forefathers.  Trees experienced our ancestor’s happiness, sadness, elation, misery, triumphs and failures only to stand strong throughout while providing shade during the darkest of times.

I have been burning quite a bit of brush and firewood that has been lying on the land untouched for quite some time.  Something inside of me seems compelled to walk out on the land each day and search through the piles of brush for the very best pieces of wood to add to our firepit.  Each time I place a piece of wood upon the fire I ask that the wisdom contained within be released for me to understand and pass on.

My fires have been going for weeks now.  It definitely has become ritualistic in nature.  I feel myself burning away the past.  All that no longer serves me I place within the firepit and allow it to burn away while I simultaneously honor the very tree that provided the fire.

The essence of burning is transmutation.  It is taking something that once was and then transforming it into a new energetic aspect.  As we burn wood, we send the vibrational energetic wisdom back into the ether for others to access.  We burn away the past in the present moment allowing the future to emerge in a new moment of potential manifestation.  We must only allow the past to burn without the need to hold on to something that no longer is.  A tree never mourns the transmutation of its former carcass—instead, it welcomes the arrival of a new energetic state that liberates it from the shackles of having to remain rooted in the earth.

We are very similar to the tree in that we are rooted to the earth however we cling much more tightly to this vessel that we use to experience this earthly realm.  Trees teach us being-ness firstly and then, when the time comes, release from the constrictions of its earthly journey.  As the flames of a fire burns, the tree in consciousness allows the transformation thus returning to its Sourcely Essence.

Trees are our teachers, yet we seldom stop and acknowledge their immense wisdom.  What do we learn from trees?

1. Within the seedling of all trees the cosmic blueprint of the future tree waits to spring forth from the earth. The tree is complete within the seed, the only thing necessary is the patience to allow the manifestation to unfold.
2. Trees never strive to grow leaves. They sprout naturally without any effort on the part of the tree.
3. Trees remain rooted in the ground at all times and the deeper the roots, the stronger the tree.
4. When the turbulent winds come a tree bends and yet seldom breaks. Once the storm passes the tree stands tall once again without any concern for the passing storm.
5. Trees are the portals to unseen realms. When we commune with them, we are able to catch the Glance of the Divine.

All around us there are trees.  Most go unnoticed, very few appreciated as the elevated masters that they are.  They provide the very oxygen that we breathe, the paper that tells our stories, fruits and nuts, and the homes that we live in.  Without them, we would fail to exist yet how often do we acknowledge their contribution to our wellbeing?

I salute you, Master.  I long to learn your lessons.  I long to have your strength and patience.  I long to sit and bask in your brilliance.  Like the Buddha before me, I take my seat beneath you and I shall wait for you to whisper the secret of life to me.  I’ll listen for your whisper.

Sat Nam!