ArchTale 56. The symbol of the tree

Word of the life of The-Saviour spread. More and more people became one with him in the growing embryo of The-Son.

“We are the seed upon the waters." he said to them.

And he gave another symbol from The-Father

He went up a mountain to a garden and in this garden was a fruit tree. Finding the fruit tree empty of fruit, he cursed it and it withered and died.

"The New-Tree is planted. The old tree may now perish.” he said to them.

The-Son was established and growing in The-Womb And because of this The-Saviour could now set about his saving work.

He allowed those who didn’t like him to hang him from a tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the World-Tree.

The-Saviour and the symbol of the curse

Here we shall see The-Saviour curse a fig tree on the Mount of Olives. One might ask why he would do such a seemingly reckless thing. The-Saviour was fulfilling the Father’s will for him to be a symbol to humanity. He cursed the fig tree as a symbol to honor the past and foreshadow the future.

The Place...

Jesus proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden called Gethsemane, which He entered with His disciples. When He arrived, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation. Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray.795

There are many stories of the world which contain a mountain as the centre of all things many of these mountains then have the central tree on top of them. The-Saviour customarily visited this mountain as a symbol of the centre of the world. Not only this, but he visited a garden on top of this mountain as a symbol of the garden in the beginning.

The Empty Tree...

Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

The-Saviour, who knew it was not the season for figs was leaving us a symbol honouring the past and foreshadowing the future. Going to a tree in a place that symbolizes the Garden of Eden and finding the fruit not there is a symbol honouring The-Seed of The-Man when he went to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil only to find it empty.

The Curse...

He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you. May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

The-Saviour cursing the fig tree is a symbol honouring The-Seed of The-Man when he, as a result of finding the tree empty, cursed the World-Tree causing the world to begin dying.

The Dying Tree...

At once the fig tree began to wither. Then they came to Jerusalem and He entered the temple. When evening came they went out of the city. As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen, it will be granted you. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”795

The withered tree is a symbol foreshadowing the death of the World-Tree, our universe.

When they led Him away to be crucified, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ “Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’ “For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when the tree is dry?”796

The World-Tree is destined to dry up, to wither and die

Rome

Under thy banner all the stains of ill that shame us yet, shall melt away and break the long, long night of universal dread. For the child’s birth-right is the life of gods, Heroes and gods together he shall know, and rule a world his sire has blessed with peace. For thee, fair Child, the lavish Earth shall spread thy earliest playthings, trailing ivy-wreaths and foxgloves red and cups of water-lilies, and wild acanthus leaves with sunshine stored. The goats shall come uncalled, weighed down with milk, Nor lions’ roar affright the labouring kine. Thy very cradle, blossoming for joy, shall with soft buds caress thy baby face. The treacherous snake and deadly herb shall die 797

She shall never bare fruit again yet her single fruit is coming, a New Tree to replace her.

795 Matthew 21:10-22 and Mark 11:12-26.

796 Luke 23:26-32

797 VIRGIL’S FOURTH ECLOGUE

795 Matthew 26:30-46 Mark 14:26-42 Luke 22:39-46 John 18-1.

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Death of The-Saviour and the symbol of the tree

The presence of the tree in the death of the The-Saviour is a symbol...

...honouring the death and regrowth of The-Tree in the beginning.

...honouring the death of The-Tree and growth of the Cosmic-Tree in the beginning.

...foreshadowing the death of the World-Tree, our universe and the growth of the New Tree that is coming to replace her.

Ancient Greece

Attis was a boy of marvelous beauty. The tale goes on that Agdistis fell in love with him. The savage deity took the grown lad out hunting, led him into the most inaccessible wildernesses and gave him spoils of the chase. Midas, King of Pessinous, sought to separate Attis from Agdistis, and to this end gave the boy his own daughter to wife. Agdistis appeared at the wedding and drove the participants mad with the notes of a syrinx. Attis castrated himself beneath a pine-tree, crying out: “Unto thee, Agdistis!” And thus he died. -810

Aino

A handsome and brave young man, who was skilful in the chase, one day pursued a large bear into the recesses of the mountains. On and on ran the bear, and still the young fellow pursued it up heights and crags more and more dangerous, but without ever being able to get near enough to shoot it with his poisoned arrows. At last, on a bleak mountain-summit, the bear disappeared down a hole in the ground. The young man followed it in, and found himself in an immense cavern, at the far end of which was a gleam of light. Towards this he groped his way, and, on emerging, found himself in another world. Everything there was as in the world of men, but more beautiful. There were trees, houses, villages, human beings. With these, however, the young hunter had no concern. What he wanted was his bear, which had totally disappeared. The best plan seemed to be to seek it in the remoter mountain district of this new world underground. So he followed up a valley; and, being tired and hungry, picked the grapes and mulberries that were hanging to the trees, and ate them as he trudged along. Happening suddenly, for some reason or other, to look down upon his own body, what was not his horror to find himself transformed into a serpent! His very cries and groans, on making the discovery, were turned into serpent’s hisses. What was he to do? To go back like this to his native world, where snakes are hated, would be certain death. No plan presented itself to his mind. But, unconsciously, he wandered, or rather crept and glided, back to the entrance of the cavern that led home to the world of men; and there, at the foot of a pine-tree of extraordinary size and height, he fell asleep. To him then, in a dream, appeared the goddess of the pine-tree, and said: “I am sorry to see you in this state. Why did you eat of the poisonous fruits of The Underworld? The only thing you can do to recover your proper shape is to climb to the top of this pine-tree, and fling yourself down. Then you may, perhaps, become a human being again.” On waking from this dream, the young man,—or rather snake, as he still found himself to be,—was filled half with hope and half with fear. But he resolved to follow the goddess’ advice. So, gliding up the tall pine-tree, he reached its topmost branch, and, after hesitating a few moments, flung himself down. Crash he went. On coming to his senses, he found himself standing at the foot of the tree; and close by was the body of an immense serpent, ripped open so as to allow of his having crawled out of it. After offering up thanks to the pine-tree, and setting up the divine symbols in its honour, he hastened to retrace his steps through the long, tunnel-like cavern, through which he had originally entered The Underworld. After walking for a certain time, he emerged into the world of men, to find himself on the mountain-top, whither he had pursued the bear which he had never seen again. On reaching his home, he went to bed, and dreamt a second time. It was the same goddess of the pine-tree, that appeared before him and said: “I have come to tell you that you cannot stay long in the world of men after once eating the grapes and mulberries of The Underworld. There is a goddess in The Underworld who wishes to marry you. She it was who, assuming the form of a bear, lured you into the cavern, and thence to the Underworld. You must make up your mind to come away.” And so it fell out. The young man awoke; but a grave sickness overpowered him. A few days later he went a second time to The Underworld, and returned no more to the land of the living.—(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 22nd July, 1886.)-811

810 C. Kerenyi, The Gods of the Greeks, p. 90.

811 Basil Chamberlain. pp 40-42.

Christianity

“If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. -799

And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand with which they also whipped his head: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! -800

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. -801

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. -802

799 Deuteronomy 21:22-23

800 Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17-19

801 Galatians 3:13-14

802 1 Peter 2:24

Death of The-Saviour and the symbol of the tree

The presence of the tree in the death of the The-Saviour is a symbol...

...honouring the death and regrowth of The-Tree in the beginning.

...honouring the death of The-Tree and growth of the Cosmic-Tree in the beginning.

...foreshadowing the death of the World-Tree, our universe and the growth of the New Tree that is coming to replace her.

Ancient Scandinavia

I know that I hung on the windswept tree all nine nights

With spear I was wounded and given to Odin

Myself to me

On that tree which no one knows from which roots it grows.

Bread I was not given, no drink from the horn, downward I glared; up I pulled the runes, screaming I took

them, from there I fell back again.803

Buyagoma of Burundi

God sent a beautiful angel to help the first people. The people saw the angel fly down on wings of thunder and they were terrified. “Do not fear me. God has sent me to help you. Ask what you wish.” The people asked for farming animals. God smiled and animals fell from the clouds. The Angel of God stayed on earth for many years to help people with their troubles but then one day evil men seized the angel and nailed him to a tree with iron spikes! God pulled out the spikes and healed the angel’s wounds. God sent a storm that blew the angel back to heaven.804

Bushmen of Southern Africa

Cagn was the first being, he gave orders and caused all things to appear. One day Cagn sent Cogaz his chief son to cut sticks for bows but he was caught by baboons. They asked him who sent him there. Cogaz told them. So they said “Your father thinks himself more clever than we are. He wants to kill us with those bows so we will kill you.” and they killed Cogaz and tied him up in the top of a tree and they danced around the tree singing. Then Cagn took Cogaz down and gave him canna and made him alive again.805

Hindu

There was a poisonous serpent called Kaliya in the waters of Jamna. For four leagues about him the water the boiled and bubbled with the serpent poison. No bird or beast could get near him without dying of poison. Only one solitary Kadamba tree grew on the river bank. Krishna had just healed some herdsman who had drunk from the waters and was now inclined to subdue the wicked serpent. He climbed the lone tree and hung from it over the water. With his belt well fastened, he slapped his arms and dropped into the poisonous water. Kaliya rose up with his hundred and ten hoods vomiting poison. But Krishna played in the water with no fear. Furious with Krishna’s lack of respect Kaliya bit Krishna’s tender parts and wrapped himself around Krishna’s body. Seeing Krishna lying motionless in the coils of the serpent his dear friends collapsed in great distress, they were overcome with sorrow and pain because they thought Krishna had met his death.806

Then Balarama went to the ocean and resorting to yoga he fixed his mind on the Supreme Being and departed from the world of mortals. Krishna saw his departure and placed himself down upon the lap of the earth under a banyan tree and was manifested in his four armed god-form dispelling the four quarters of darkness by his radiance. As he sat he placed his reddish lotus foot on his right thigh. Just then a hunter named Jara, who had approached the place, mistook the Lord’s foot for a deer’s face. Thinking he had found his prey, Jara pierced the foot with his arrow, which he had fashioned from the remaining iron fragment of Samba’s club. Then, seeing that four-armed god-form, the hunter became terrified of the offense he had committed, and he fell down, placing his head upon the feet of the enemy of the demons. Jara said: O Lord, I am a most sinful person. I have committed this act out of ignorance. O purest Lord, please forgive this sinner. O Lord Vishnu, the learned say that for any man, constant remembrance of You will destroy the darkness of ignorance. O master, I have wronged You! Therefore, O Lord of, please kill this sinful hunter of animals immediately so he may not again commit such offenses against saintly persons. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Jara, do not fear. Please get up. What has been done is actually My own desire. With My permission, go now to the abode of the pious, the spiritual world. Krishna’s charioteer Daruka soon arrived and upon seeing Lord Krishna resting at the foot of a banyan tree, surrounded by His shining weapons, Daruka could not control the affection he felt in his heart. His eyes filled with tears as he rushed down from the chariot and fell at the Lord’s feet.807 Without employing the mystic agni meditation to burn up His transcendental body, which is the all- attractive resting place of all the worlds and the object of all contemplation and meditation, Lord Krishna entered into His own abode.808

Buddhism

This was the manner of Buddha’s death, called Parinirvana, or Final Release. In the forty-fifth year of his ministry the Buddha suffered from a severe illness, and declared that he would not live long. All this was endured that others might be reminded that none are exempt from old age, decay, and death. Buddha lay down on a couch in a grove of sal-trees near Kushinagara. Then he said : “Now fourty five years have passed for me. While i lie on the bed of final enlightenment In between the two sala trees. Now I depart to Nirvana; I leave with you my ordinances ; the elements of the all-knowing one will indeed pass away, but the three gems will remain.” But Ananda broke down and wept bitterly. Then Buddha continued : “ O Ananda, do not let yourself be troubled ; do not weep. Have I not taught you that we must part from all that we hold most dear and pleasant? No being soever born or created can overcome the tendency to dissolution inherent in itself; a condition of permanence is impossible. For a long time, Ananda, your kindness in act and thought and speech has brought you very near to me. You have always done well; persevere, and you, too, shall win to perfect freedom from this thirst of life, this chain of ignorance.” Then he turned to the other mourners and commended Ananda to them. He said also that the least of those present who had entered the path to Release should never entirely fail, but should at last prevail and reach Nirvana. After a pause he said again: “Mendicants, I now impress it upon you that the parts and powers of man must be dissolved; work out your salvation with diligence.” Shortly afterward the Buddha became unconscious and passed away. He thus finished all the duties of a Buddha. While lying on the bed of final enlightenment between the twin sala trees in the sala grove.809

806 Coomaraswamy. A. K. pp. 226-227. and Hallisey C. trans The Sangityavamsa by Vimaladhamma pp 45-59.

807 Srimad Bhagavatam 11.30.32-11.31.6

808 Srimad Bhagavatam 11.30.32-11.31.6

809 Coomaraswamy. A. K. pp. 283-285.

799 Deuteronomy 21:22-23

800 Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17-19

801 Galatians 3:13-14

802 1 Peter 2:24

803 The saying of the high One

804 Hallet. J. pp. 154.

805 Sproul. B.C. p 31-33