A tree offers a simple metaphor for something complex. It doesn’t just grow upward. It is rooted in the ground, endures the changing seasons, and bears the marks of the environment in which it has lived.
In the language of the PSL, life can be understood as a structure consisting of roots, a trunk, branches, blossoms, fruit, and harvest. Each part represents a function within the process.
Root: that which sustains
Roots speak of belonging, origin, and support. They are not always visible, but their condition affects the way a person stands in the world.
Trunk: the form that remains
The trunk reveals its structure. It bears marks, strengths, and inclinations. Some are the result of time. Others are the result of repeated responses to the field.
A tree’s life cannot be explained by its fruit alone. The fruit is the result of a whole history.
Branches, flowers, and fruit
The branches point to paths and connections. The blossoms show strength. The fruit reveals what has ripened. The harvest calls for discernment: not everything needs to be carried forward.
- Look at the root without getting caught up in it.
- Recognize the structure that still provides support.
- Recognize what is ready to change form.