In my office I have all of my books on display in a nice glass cabinet that came with our house when we moved in. Sometimes I scan the bookshelf for something that catches my eye, pull it down and read up for a bit.

Recently, I’ve been flipping through an old college book, ‘Asian Philosophies, Fourth Edition’, John M. Koller.

Chapter 18 is titled ‘Buddhism in Japan: Zen’ and parallels nicely with a book I’ve just recently finished by Rober Persig. Lately, I’ve been kicking around this idea of Zen, not as a lifestyle choice, but rather as a perspective to compare things to. And also as a subject to explore content through. So this post is derived again from this recent focus.

Now, how does arboriculture come into the picture? Quite beautifully, actually, and rather humorously, of course.

When I think of the Zen master, I immediately think of the consulting arborist. Because, let’s be honest here, no one can be more in the present moment with a tree than a consulting arborist. Typically, they are a master of their trade, literally holding the title of BCMA or something equivalent. Many years experience. But also, interestingly enough, I don’t think they are very high profile people. They do not seek the spotlight. Simplicity, serenity, soft spoken and happy. Centered. Trusting. The consulting arborist for some reason or another embodies the Zen concept very appropriately. But let us explore this character in conversation a bit.

For instance, if you were to ask the consulting arborist, “Is my tree a risk?”

“All trees are risks,” they may reply.

Hmm.

“Well how can I know this?” the tree owner asks.

“Have some tea,” the consulting arborist may reply.

The zen arborist will approach the tree, not look upward or downward, but first, will look inward, under, everywhere the tree is not, in order to truly see. Next, into the heart of the tree, where there is either something, or nothing, all the same.

Their is a disconnection that needs to happen in order to understand the tree completely now, in the present moment. So be quiet for a minute, and let them work, let them sit with the tree for a moment, for all moments.

“How can I expect to be billed for all this?” the tree owner may pry.

“You can pay the way that the ocean pays upon the shore, or the way moonlight pays upon an open meadow, in a million tiny droplets, on a million tiny blades. The earth can afford all of it, just as you can.”

The zen master consulting arborist may dig a few holes or poke their probe into a cavity. They take a resistograph reading. They listen, and they hope to hear nothing. Because nothing is just perfect.

“What does it say?’ the homeowner asks.

When the consultant shows the homeowner the printed out reading, it’s simply a smiling face on the graph paper.

Six Hundred Dollars.

Enlightenment.

“Well how much wood does the stem need to be safe?”

“Hollow trees still stand tall.”

“What does that mean?” the tree owner asks.

“Have some tea” the Zen consultant replies.

So eventually there will be a moment of enlightenment.

“My neighbors hate this tree and all they do is complain,” the tree owner notes.

“Let go of those distractions,” the consultant states. “That will only cloud the air.”

“What if a branch falls on their play set,” the tree owner is concerned.

“Branches must fall off just as we must let our own body and mind fall off on the road to enlightenment.”

“Do you think I should remove it completely, for liability purpose?”

The consulting zen arborist quotes Shen-Hsiu, Hung-jen’s famous disciple,

“The body is the Bodhi tree [enlightenment], the mind is like a clear mirror standing. Take care to wipe it all the time, Allow no grain of dust to cling.”

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