In Bob Krauss' Jan. 11 "Our Honolulu" column, he related an incident in 'Aina Haina. Lightning struck a coconut tree, destroying it. A neighbor, who was a Buddhist, counseled the owner that her Buddhist mother had taught her to put a small bottle of wine and some flowers at the base of the tree on such occasions, because the tree had sacrificed itself for them. Ostensibly, the tree had attracted the lightning away from houses and people, preventing loss of life and property damage.

On the face of it, this incident might be understood to be simply a Buddhist superstition or a sentimental respect for the tree. However, we also may see in this delightful story a deeper idea nourished by Buddhism and reflected in the devotion of ordinary people: Japanese Buddhists believe generally that the world is an expression or manifestation of the cosmic Buddha mind. Therefore, humans, animals, trees, and sticks and stones are spiritual entities in a vast interacting, interdependent world.

It is a dynamic universe teeming with life, not just an inanimate world where only humans and perhaps animals are living, but all forms of existence have a life of their own. Rocks may embody a spirit, inspiring people to collect them, sensing the spirit of nature in their beauty.

Our lives are sustained and, as in the case of the coconut tree, protected by trees and plants. The child Gautama who became Sakyamuni Buddha was born in Lumbini under the sal trees (Shorea robusta), a common species in the area of the Himalayas used for building houses. Stories are told of the boy Gautama meditating under a jambolan tree. Finally, Buddha became enlightened under the bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa), which provided him shade. We can see that trees are very important in Buddhist symbolism, as well as other religions of the world.

For the kindly neighbor in our story, the coconut tree was a protector, and perhaps a source of food. It was a valued participant in the life of that neighborhood and its loss is to be acknowledged with gratefulness. Gratitude is a fundamental attitude and value in Buddhism, not merely to other humans, but to all beings in nature that sustain or enhance our lives.

A central idea of Buddhism is interdependence. We are not isolated but live in the world of nature. We extol the self-made man, cherishing our independence. However, we are often grossly insensitive to the needs of other forms of life that contribute to our lives. The threat of avian flu looming before us reminds us of the interconnectedness of our lives with the lives of other beings in our world.

The neighbor's exhortation to offer flowers and wine to the fallen tree expresses in a dramatic way this philosophic principle of Buddhism in a way perhaps more telling than all the abstract, technical explanations that may be offered in academic lectures. And so it is that the common faith of ordinary people may not be just sentimentality or superstition, but point to a deeper understanding of life.

The Rev. Alfred Bloom, a Buddhist, is professor emeritus of the University of Hawai'i religion department.