The Story of Kutmero, the Walking Tree

In a sunny meadow overlooking a town, lived a young tree named Kutmero. Unlike other trees, he was curious and loved exploring.

One morning, Kutmero saw a monk in a maroon robe passing through the meadow, heading towards the snowy mountain in the north. The monk glanced at Kutmero, smiled warmly, and continued on his journey. The sight of the monk walking so freely filled Kutmero with excitement. He was fascinated by the idea that someone could simply get up and walk. He wanted to smile back at the monk but couldn’t in his hurry.

Driven by a desire to freely explore the world beyond his roots, Kutmero couldn’t sleep at night. Although his kin reminded him, “As trees, we must be rooted, not wandering,” Kutmero’s heart yearned for adventure.

Despite the warnings, one morning Kutmero decided to leave the meadow. His roots, not yet deeply anchored, allowed him to pull himself free from the earth. He began his journey downhill, his leaves trembling with both excitement and nervousness.

As he ventured down the hill, Kutmero passed through a small village. The villagers were astonished to see a walking tree and greeted him with curiosity and amusement. Soon, a mischievous calf spotted Kutmero and, tempted by his fresh green leaves, began to chase him playfully. Kutmero hurried away, his roots tapping the ground as he moved, laughing along with the playful calf.

At the foot of the hill, Kutmero encountered a river that sparkled under the morning sun. It was his first time seeing a river, and it made him nervous. The cold, flowing water greeted him as he cautiously crossed on all fours, using his roots and branches to steady himself. With each step, his body tingled in the icy water. He continued on, eager to reach the town he had imagined so vividly.

Kutmero felt a growing sense of anxiety rather than excitement as he encountered more people. Doubts about his own desires crept in in his heart, but he gave himself hope. From afar, it had seemed lively and inviting, but when he really entered the town, it was crowded and intimidating.

The towering buildings blocked out the sun, leaving him in shadow, and the air was unpleasant. Within a few hours, Kutmero felt exhausted and disoriented.  He needed sunlight to prepare food, but the city’s structures offered little. The water he found in a well tasted strange, and there wasn’t enough oxygen for him to breathe easily.

As Kutmero wandered through the city, searching for a place to rest, the sky suddenly darkened, signaling a violent storm. The winds howled, sweeping through the streets and tossing everything in their path. Kutmero was knocked to the ground, helpless against the storm’s fury. He lay there, exposed and defeated, feeling the cold rain battering his scratched bark.

Next day, as Kutmero was regaining his strength after the storm passed, he found himself being carried by a group of children. Feeling sorry for the young tree, they carefully took him to a nearby park and planted him beside an old banyan tree, the oldest in town.

Kutmero, now safely planted in the park, began to recover. He had not rested for the past three days, and it felt comforting to be a foot deep in the earth. The water seeping into his roots and the sunlight filtering through the banyan tree’s leaves felt different today as if life was flowing back into him at that very moment. As he regained his strength, he turned to the old-looking banyan tree and asked. Why do humans walk so freely? How do they stay rooted even when they’re constantly on the move? What keeps them stable during storms?

A bit amazed at first, the old banyan tree responded with a soft voice, 'My child, humans are not rooted in the ground, but in their brains. Their strength comes from a deep connection to their consciousness, which is more subtle but just as real as our roots in the earth. This inner grounding allows them to navigate life and weather its storms. When they lose touch with this inner root, I have seen them suffer and often retreat to the mountains.

Mystified by the answer, Kutmero asked quickly, 'How do I grow as tall as you?'

'Growing tall is like traveling towards the sky,' the banyan tree responded. 'That’s the only journey we, as trees, should undertake. It’s when you are deeply rooted in the ground that you, as a tree, can grow tall. Have you seen how creepers can move but lack a trunk of their own and therefore cannot grow tall?

Kutmero went silent. He realized that while the city had seemed exciting, it lacked the nourishment he truly needed—the sunlight, fresh air, and rich soil of his home. The city had left him thirsty, hungry, and tired. He longed for the simple, unspoiled life of the meadow.

Kutmero bid farewell to the old banyan tree, saying, 'thank you,' before heading back home. This time, he walked with a sense of calm and newfound confidence. With stories to share with his friends and a deeper understanding of where he truly belonged, he had something to smile about as he made his way home with a joyful stride.

When Kutmero finally returned to the meadow, he planted himself firmly beside his family. His roots found their ways deep into the soil, as if It always belonged there. He now understood that, although his kin weren’t as wise as the banyan tree, they wanted to keep him safe and close.

Kutmero started to live a life of fulfillment, relishing on the sound of chirping birds, with his leaves dancing along with the breeze of air. He drew nourishment from the earth beneath and reached toward the sky as he grew. He learned that true strength comes from being rooted in one’s place, much like sages among humans who are totally grounded in consciousness.

As Kutmero settled back into his familiar surroundings, he noticed the monk returning from the mountains. The monk, seeing Kutmero deeply rooted and flourishing in the meadow, stopped for a moment and smiled warmly once more. Kutmero smiled back, filled with a deep sense of peace. He knew that his true journey was not one of wandering, but of growing where he was meant to be—rooted in the earth, reaching for the sky, and at peace with his place in the world.