Speaking to What Stands Still

Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth.

Listen first. A tree doesn't answer questions; it teaches by presence. When you stand near one, you begin to notice what you've trained yourself to ignore: the particular slant of light on bark, the sound a leaf makes when nothing else moves. This is what Hesse means by speaking. You don't use words. You pay attention until something true becomes visible, not because the tree revealed it, but because you stopped long enough to see.