BAMBOO
Once upon a time, in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there in the cool of the day the Master of the Garden would talk. Of all the occupants of the plant world in the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was a gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, Bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master's love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle withal. And often, when Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would cast aside his stateliness, to dance and play right merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the Garden which most delighted the Master's heart.
Now upon a day, the Master himself drew near to contemplate his Bamboo, with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting. The Master spoke:
"Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you."
Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he would find his completion and destiny. His voice came low:
"Master, I am ready. Use me as you wish."
"Bamboo" --the Master's voice was grave -- "I would take you and cut you down!"
A trembling of a great horror shook Bamboo. "Cut...me...down! Me,...Master, whom you have made the most beautiful in all your garden...to cut me down! Oh, not that, not that. Use me for your joy, O Master, but don't cut me down!"
"Beloved Bamboo" --the Master's voice grew graver still --"if I don't cut you down, I cannot use you."
The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There came a whisper:
"Master, if you can't use me unless you cut me down...then...do your will and cut."
"Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would also cut your leaves and branches from you."
"Master, Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would you take from me my leaves and branches also?"
"Bamboo, if I don't cut them away, I cannot use you."
The sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low.
"Then Master, cut away."
"Bamboo, Bamboo, I would yet...separate you into two parts and cut out your heart, for if I don't cut out your heart, I cannot use you.
Then was Bamboo bowed to the ground.
"Master, Master...then cut and break me in two."
So did the Master of the Garden take Bamboo and cut him down and hack off his branches and strip off his leaves and cleave him in two and cut out his heart. And lifting him gently, he carried him to where there was a spring of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of his dry fields. Then putting one end of broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in his field, the Master laid down gently his beloved Bamboo. And the spring sang welcome and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo's torn body into the waiting fields. The rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew and the harvest came.
In that day was Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty he was life abundant, but in his brokeness he became a channel of abundant life to his Master's world.
(In the Shadow of Nine Dragon, Eric Hague. London : Highway Press, 1958)
"And then he laid down his life so that we might be born anew in the refreshing waters of Baptism."
After he had washed their feet, he put his cloak back on and reclined at table once more. He said to them:
"Do you understand what I just did for you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' And fittingly so, for that is what I am. But if I washed your feet -- I who am Teacher and Lord -- then you must wash each other's feet. What I just did was to give you an example: as I have done, so you must do."