Apple Tree Story Comment
by Scientist
"I couldn't help commenting on the Apple tree story. Apple trees have apples to procreate. They want animals / birds to eat the apples and poop the seeds out to spread their genes. It's a symbiotic relationship rather than one of selflessness...." Yogi Mir: The example of an apple tree is commonly given in yoga philosophy to illustrate what causes stress. It's true that the apple tree wants to procreate, but the key is that it will not be upset or stressed out if someone likes the apples or not, if the apple seeds become trees or not. It produces apples because that is what it's meant to do by nature. In comparison, as people, we find it hard to let go of the fruits of our actions. If you teach a dance or yoga class, and some people don't come back, it's natural to ask if they liked the class or not. The apple tree doesn't ask. It just gives and gives and does what it's meant to do. "I think yoga is great. As a scientist, I have difficulty with some of the analogies... I hope you don't mind my belaboring this. An apple tree tries to have the most enticing fruit (in fact 3 of the worlds religions revolve around this concept - not that that's ok...) to seduce the picking/eating of them to spread its genes around as much as it can. Just because we can't "communicate" with the apple tree to understand this desire, it's apparent when an apple tree does not produce enticing fruit, something is wrong. (Same with flowers. It might appear they don't care if the bees take their pollen, but it's fundamental to their reproduction or they will die out. Hence, they try to make themselves the most attractive (e.g. give the best service) so the bees will visit.) So in conclusion, Nature does care if the apple is chosen, and if not, it will wipe out the apple tree if it's not "popular"." Yogi Mir: Yes, scientifically, you are correct. Yoga and other spiritual philosophies such as Buddhism and Sufism are full of metaphors, stories, and analogies to illustrate specific points (and not so much to be scientifically correct). The goal of yoga is achieving lasting Happiness and Inner Peace. An apple tree example is a useful tool to reduce stress and let go of expectations - to think how the apple tree just gives without worry. It doesn't get upset. Maybe, on some level, the apple tree feels a loss if its apples are wasted. But it's nothing similar to what our anti-depressant and anxiety-medication culture has to deal with, and what stressful predicaments our ego-driven minds get us into. Peace!
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