When things are going well, be mindful of adversityWhen prosperous, be mindful of povertyWhen loved, be mindful of thoughtfulnessWhen respected, be mindful of humility

Gautama the Buddha

In a land not so far away, a new day dawns. The sun shines forth giving warmth and light. The seasons are in balance, rivers flow aplenty and all creatures thrive. It started with two brothers, so very different from each other that they hardly recognised each other as brothers. The pudgy little younger one was Banyan and the tall feisty one was Bamboo. They met each other by happenstance, carried far away from their parents by the elements.

Bamboo hails Banyan and says, hey there, it’s a brand new day. It is a great opportunity to soak up all there is as quickly as we can and grow like theres no tomorrow. To this Banyan replies, but what is the hurry brother, let’s take in the elements for sure but why not keep a steady pace, we’ll get there when we should.

Bamboo goes on his own path. He grows up in just a few weeks and starts producing seeds. Soon, he has dozens and within a few years hundreds of family surrounding him. He’s happy and content. But he has faced his share of troubles. Seeing his rapid pace of growth, the nearby settlers would cut his family down ever so often since they would grow back. In time, the humans develop a respect for him and his ilk. They revere his usefulness and build their civilisations with his help. He is spiteful in the beginning but slowly accepts his role in shaping their lives. He experiences a great loss because of a huge fire as well. His entire family comes down to none but his withered self and a few young saplings. Unperterbed, he continues his saga and re-establishes his family.
He is not prideful but humble of his chosen path.

Banyan goes up on his own path as well. He settles in and grows up leisurely. While bamboo is expanding his family over the years. Banyan, while he grows attracts a whole myriad of neighbours with whom he shares what is available. He too has his share of troubles no less. The humans attempt to cut his mighty trunk down but fail time and time again. However, with his large expanse over their heads, they find him cool and calming from the sweltering sun and the pouring rains. Some even spend months and years in his shade and find answers to questions troubling them. They are inspired by his might & humility and worship him.
He too is not prideful but humble in his chosen path.

The creatures whose lives are tied to these brothers are are different as their paths. While Bamboo is favoured by the tiniest creatures with as rapid a growth cycle as him, building mounds under the ground and within his shoots, Banyan has creatures who eat his fruit, build their nests within and find solace in his hanging roots and wide spread branches. The creatures in their journeys share their stories of the other brother during their visits which makes both of them very happy. Neither is jealous of the other for both are enablers of life.

And this was how the beautiful land came to be..

The lesson for us is that grit and perseverance are the underpinnings of any growth story no matter what the chosen path may be.

Drawing parallel to the current economy; We have the ever new and rapidly growing start-ups (Bamboos) and the mighty establishments with great legacy (Banyans). Is one better over the other? It doesn’t really matter, because each of them are enabling the economy and the ecosystem to thrive.

What are your parallels to the Bamboo & Banyan brothers? Share your thoughts.