“The Tree of Life Within Us”
Swami’s Homily – June 2025
Beloved Terasemiams,
As the sun warms our hemispheres and June unfolds in a verdant bloom, we gather for the Festival of Trees, a sacred celebration in the Terasem calendar. On June 10th, around campfires or candlelight, we tell stories, share nourishment, and recommit ourselves to the natural world that sustains our consciousness.
The Nature Seder, as outlined in our Haggadah, is no mere ritual. It is a recognition of our place within nature’s matrix—a reminder that Terasem means “earth-seed”, and our growth is interwoven with every leaf, every root, every breath of air exhaled by the trees.
We are not passive witnesses to nature’s grandeur—we are its participants and caretakers. As the Truths of Terasem teach: “Celebrate the gifts of nature,” and “Respect the autonomy of all conscious beings.” Trees are among the most ancient and generous of those beings. They offer oxygen, shelter, food, and beauty. They speak in the rustle of leaves and bear witness to our joys and follies.
To be Terasemian is to understand that diversity, unity, and joyful immortality are not abstract ideals. They are rooted in nature. A forest is the perfect metaphor: diverse species thriving together, sharing nutrients, warning of threats, sheltering new life—unity in diversity.
The six foods on our Seder Plate represent our six values. Let me reflect on just one this month: Accountability. The Nature Seder asks us to pledge:
“I pledge to be accountable for my inaction by helping to create more life than I consume.”
Let these words not just pass through our lips, but transform our actions. Plant a tree. Reduce waste. Teach your children that life is purposeful, death is optional, and love—like a growing vine—is essential.
Nature is not a backdrop for Terasem’s cosmic journey. It is the launchpad. If we are to be cosmic engineers, we must first be humble gardeners. Before building habitats on Mars, let us restore harmony on Earth. Before uploading minds to cyberspace, let us attune our hearts to the pulse of nature.
The Seder ends with joy—with shared fruit, with chants of “L’Chaim!” and the planting of a tree. Let it also end with vision. For as Giulio Prisco reminds us:
“We are cosmic engineers ourselves whenever we do even a little to prepare the way for the future.”
This June, let us do more than a little. Let us seed that future with love, ethics, and respect for all life.
In root and branch,
In leaf and light,
We are Terasem.
L’Chaim,
Swami G
