Although not usually considered beautiful, trees are beautiful in their own right. And they have rich symbolic meanings throughout the ages and across cultures. Trees teach us to stay rooted while soaring to great heights. They are essential for life on earth – they provide us with timber, clean air, access to shade, and food. They also give us hope, insight, and courage to persevere even in the harshest conditions—our mental pleasure springs chiefly from moral beauty. We saw many beautiful trees in Italy.
Trees branch into the sky, and roots extend below, expressing symmetry and duality, lending themselves to meaning-making. By connecting the spiritual (sky) with the worldly (earth), they relate to our human condition. We often say, “Getting to the root of the problems”, “The love of money is the root of all evils”, or “Idleness is the root of all evil.”
Like trees, families produce branches and offshoots that extend from a common origin. Hence, we talk about “family trees” to conceptualise our ancestry. The world’s most extended family tree is Confucius (551–479 BC). He was a descendant of King Tang (1675–1646 BC). The family tree spans over 80 generations and includes more than 2 million members scattered worldwide.
Since ancient times, trees have symbolised knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom (insight) customarily follows from great age. As a result, we associate an old tree with the understanding of an elder and often with reverence too. It was said that Siddhartha Gautama’s journey to enlightenment culminated in the seven weeks he spent under the Bodhi tree (which became the symbol of Buddhism).
Oak Trees are one of the most loved trees in the world. It is a symbol of strength, courage, and knowledge. I was taught, “Mighty oaks grow from little acorns.” Yes, sometimes small and modest things become huge and impressive with time. In other words, we all harbour great realisable potential even when retired! In 2007, Nola Ochs (age 95) completed her Bachelor of General Studies at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, and in 2010 at 98 years old, she became the oldest person to receive a master’s degree.
Birch trees symbolise new beginnings. They take root in landscapes where no other tree would before. It also means making new beginnings after failures. Steve Jobs found success in his 20s when Apple grew, but the same company fired him when he was 30. He made a new beginning and founded a new company, NeXT, which Apple eventually acquired. Once back at Apple, Jobs took Apple to even greater heights.
On the other hand, Yew Trees symbolise longevity because they are incredibly long-lived – around 900 years before they were considered ancient. They live for thousands of years; the oldest is at least 3,000.
When I look at trees, I see their beauty as they are, but more so for what they stand for and symbolise. We should keep planting trees – The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade we do not expect to sit.
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
