A solitary Psalm Tree once lived on a remote island, singing to all the creatures who visited her sanctuary by the sea. She shared melodies about the many ways to live as a good and decent being. Each day brought a new song, yet her themes remained focused on a select few subjects.
On one day, she sang about the importance of honesty and how the future well-being of children depends on a foundation of education and discipline. It’s essential to provide children with a quality education while steering clear of indoctrination.
On another day, her song emphasized the pursuit of knowledge above all else, underscoring that knowledge and wisdom are vital for building a strong and prosperous life. She also highlighted the importance of being generous to the less fortunate.
On other days, she warned against the temptation of greed, which can lead to coveting things you cannot afford and result in devastating debt. Her songs also advised against rejoicing in the misfortunes of others, as it may tempt you to engage in evil actions.
One day, a man washed ashore in a wooden boat made from the bodies of her distant cousins. The sight of him using dead bodies to float across the sea was frightening. Yet, it was her duty to sing to all who came to her island, no matter how different they might be.
As the man approached with an odd-looking tool, she sang about the pursuit of knowledge. He looked up at her bountiful branches, where her seeds nestled, and seemed overjoyed, dancing to the tune of her song.
But to her horror, he began striking her mighty trunk over and over! She must have misunderstood his dance as a positive response, thinking it a sign of appreciation. Trying to appease him, she sang another song, but he kept hacking away at her body.
With a horrific scream, she fell, bewildered that any creature would do this to her. All she ever wanted was to bask in the delightful sun and sing about how to be a good and decent being. Yet this man had cut her life short for no apparent reason. The last thing she saw was him stealing the fruit that held the seeds destined to become her children.
Most unfortunate of all was that the man hadn’t heard her songs at all. She sang in the language of plants, which fell outside the audible range of humans. If only he could hear her, he might have understood she was sentient and might not have killed her or stolen her future children.
At least there was some good news… for the man. Since he did not know the Psalm Tree was sentient, his actions were not considered murder. He could live his life blissfully unaware that a justly applied technicality exempted his actions from being deemed murder, sparing his soul from deletion upon his death.
The Path of Luminism 