Storytelling for Week 3: The Great Banyan Tree

First up on the divine’s agenda was Solomon. 

Solomon spent much of his days meditating, preparing himself for the judgment he would face in the afterlife. Finally, it was time for Solomon to say goodbye to his family. Solomon could feel death approaching like an old friend. It was comfortable, and he wasn’t scared. Upon his arrival, Solomon was greeted by a divine being of obvious enlightenment who he assumed to be God. In a blindingly white room, the two individuals were accompanied only by a great banyan tree. 

Banyan Tree. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Breaking the silence, Solomon asked, “How many deaths must I die until I reach enlightenment?” 

“As many deaths as there are leaves in that tree,” the divine responded. 

Solomon couldn’t believe this answer! He begrudgingly complained, “I am never going to reach enlightenment. I wasted away an entire life meditating and this is what I get in return!” 

And back to Earth Solomon was sent to be reborn. 

Next up on the divine’s agenda was Tiny. 

Tiny was always content. He enjoyed the small things in life. For example, Tiny had to work very hard for much of his life, but even after a long day, Tiny would skip home merrily to greet his wife and children with a smile. Tiny hadn’t expected to meet death so early, yet he wasn’t scared of it either. Upon his arrival, Tiny was greeted by the divine and the great banyan tree in the same white room as Solomon and all of the other mortals who had passed through death. 

Tiny curiously asked, “How many lives must I live until I reach enlightenment?” 

“As many lives as there are leaves in that tree,” the divine responded. 

Tiny’s face lit up in delight. 

The divine inquired, “Tiny, why does this answer give you so much relief?” 

Tiny responded, “Because there are only so many leaves in that tree, which means I am well on my way!” 

With this, Tiny reached his enlightenment!

Author’s Note: I heard this story in my yoga teacher’s training a few weeks ago, and really loved it! The story itself is very old and has been passed down by word of mouth so I am not sure of the original source. When I heard the prompt “Trial in the Afterlife” for this week’s storytelling post, I instantly thought of this story and wanted to create an adaptation. I like this story because I think it’s meant to encourage gratefulness. If we are grateful and content rather than searching for something, we can live much more fulfilling lives whether we believe in the afterlife and reincarnation or not. 

Bibliography: I found a blogger's version of this story, which I referred to, called The Bodhisattva and the Two Aspirants by Doug O'Brien posted on June 25, 2014.