# Trees give shade to the one cutting them down

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Analogy
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-trees-give-shade-to-woodcutter
- Themes: kindness, forgiveness, nature, Buddhism
- Life situations: being hurt while still caring, ideal of compassion

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A forest sign in Sri Lanka: trees are so kind they even give shade to the person cutting them down — kindness that protects even those who harm you.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Trees are just so kind they even give shade to the person cutting them down.' And that is just a beautiful thing: they're hurting, they're killing the tree, but they still give shade to the people who are destroying them. That's kindness; that's something which is beautiful; that is something which is totally illogical, 100% emotional and just so, so Buddhist: even though someone is cutting you down and killing you, you still give shade to them and protect them. That is the meaning of life

## Teaching point

The highest kindness still shelters the one who hurts you.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A sign in a Sri Lankan forest says trees are so kind they shade even the person cutting them down. Ajahn Brahm calls that totally illogical and completely Buddhist. Kindness that shelters those who hurt us is the highest kind. If you give, give fully, with your whole heart.

## Source

- [How to Keep Giving Without Reward | Ajahn Brahm | 02-05-2014](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krhmz-dau0s) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 49:21 to 50:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krhmz-dau0s&t=2961s