You are walking through a beautiful rainforest. The forest is filled with tropical plants, bright vibrantly colored flowers, and huge magnificent trees. Birds are filling the air with their calls and there is the rushing sound of a nearby river. You are walking with a good friend from a far off land and culture, a special person who embodies the inner goodness that is in all people. Together you are thrilled to be in this tropical paradise. Soon you see a huge tree with a curved trunk. Because of the way it is curved, you and your friend can walk right up the trunk. On the trunk, you walk up to a huge branch as wide as two elephants standing side by side. The branch is quite long and goes out over the river. Excitedly you run across the branch taking in all the beauty of the leaves, flowers, birds, and small animals among the branches. Pausing you look below and see the river, a gorgeous, sparkling-clear, large river. You’re about 50 feet above the river, and the river is about 40 feet deep, but it’s so clear you can see its white sandy bottom. You and your friend are taken by the sight and without talking you know just what to do. You jump and when you jump, you and your friend turn into eagles, beating your wings vigorously as you soar straight up above the forest and into the beautiful blue sky. Still together flying high above the immense green forest, you fold your wings and let yourselves fall rapidly though the forest and toward the river. Crashing into the river, you regain your human forms and in a curved motion go deep into the water and turning with tremendous momentum pop up to surface. Thrilled and smiling at one another, you and your friend tread water and begin to notice that the rushing waters of the river have ceased to be rushing. The waters are now gently swirling around you. Looking around in wonder, you feel something mysterious coming. You sense its friendship with the whole rainforest. Without sound, color, or anything else perceptible, but with unmistakable power, a deep message begins to reverberate within the forest: “For a reward this great, you have to work hard! For a reward this great, you have to work hard! For a reward this great, you have to work hard! …” The message impacts you deeply and wakes you from your sleep.

This dream from 1997 still fills me joy. Now it’s your dream too. All is gift but our hard work is needed too. Our communion with the Friend of All requires communion with nature too.

Here are two videos about different kinds of rain forests.