In the NORTH lived a tree whose fruit was snow white.
The fruit was so beautiful to behold …
That children came from near and far to see the fruit upon this tree.
In the EAST lived a tree whose fruit was sunbeam yellow.
The fruit was filled with such a gentle warmth …
That children came from near and far to touch the fruit upon this tree.
In the SOUTH lived a tree whose fruit was midnight black.
The fruit had such a glorious taste that it invited all to feast and dance …
And children came from near and far to taste the fruit upon this tree.
In the WEST lived a tree whose fruit was fire red.
The fruit had such a delightful aroma that it filled the soul with music and invited all to chant and sing …
And children came from near and far to smell the fruit upon this tree.
And so the Great Wind carried …
the white seeds from the NORTH
the yellow seeds from the EAST
the black seeds from the SOUTH
the red seeds from the WEST
To a place deep within
the heart of the earth.
The seeds mingled with each other, and a new tree, unlike any other ever seen before, began to grow. The trunk and branches were all rainbow colored. The fruit, however, was the same color as the tree from which it came. There was some white, some yellow, some black, and some red fruit all growing together on this new rainbow tree.
Each was the same.
Yet, something was different.
The yellow fruit still retained its gentle warmth. And now, it also had a glorious taste, a delightful aroma, and was beautiful to behold. And so it was with all the other fruits. Each retained its special gift … and also gained the gifts of all the others.
And so it is with the oneness of life. When we unite in harmony, each of us retains all the wondrous qualities that make us unique. We also gain the qualities of those with whom we mingle.
