Four elements, the
Ensure the perpetuation of life
June 20th 2016
For a seed to produce a tree, there are four necessary conditions: it must be placed in soil, watered, allowed to have air and provided with warmth and light from the sun. So, the four elements are present: earth, water, air and fire. As the roots burrow down into the soil, a small stem comes up to form a trunk, shoots grow from the trunk to form branches, which then grow buds. When the buds burst open, leaves and flowers appear and the flowers produce fruit. Finally, the fruits produce seeds once again and the cycle starts over.
Everything in the universe, in its own way, goes through the same phases – roots, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds – and it is this sequence of phases that assures the perpetuation of life. For certain beings, depending which realms or planes they appear in, some processes are longer, others shorter. For fruit trees, these processes are invariably repeated year after year, the four seasons being the four stages of the process.