기적의 사과

 

                        일본 도쿄의 고급 주택가 시로가네다이(白金臺)에 있는

                        프랑스 요리점 ″쉐이구치″

                        이곳의 저녁 메뉴는 코스요리 2만엔(약 27만원)짜리

                        단 한가지다.

                        상당한 고가임에도 예약은 6개월이나 밀려 있다.

                        그 이유는 코스요리에 들어가 있는 ″사과 수프″에 있다고

                        한다. 

                        일본 아오모리(靑森)현의 기무라 아키노리가 생산하는

                        사과를 한번 맛보고자 고객이 쇄도한다는 것이다.

                        이름하여 ″기적의 사과″.

                        우연한 발견이었다. ″쉐이구치″의 주방장이 사과를 반으로

                        갈라 냉장고 위에 우연히 방치했는데 2년이 지나도록

                        썩지 않고 황갈색으로 변색하지도 않았다.

                        시든 것처럼 오그라든 채 달콤한 향을 내뿜고 있었다.

                        이후 기무라의 이름은 일본 전국에 널리 알려지게 됐다.

                        인터넷에선 그의 사과를 내놓으면 3분 이내에 동난다.

                        발견은 우연이었지만 과정은 순탄치 않았다.

                        기무라는 사과 재배의 4000년 상식인 농약을 전혀 쓰지

                        않았다. 

                        아내가 농약을 뿌린 뒤 1주일 동안 앓아눕는 것을 보고

                        유기농 무농약 사과에 도전한 것이다.

                        29세의 나이였다. 잘 될 리 없었다.

                        800그루의 사과나무에는 벌레가 대량으로 발생하고 잎은

                        병들어 떨어졌다.

                        작황이 안 좋으니 극심한 생활고에 빠졌다.

                        트럭 운전, 부두 하역작업 등 안 해본 것이 없었다.

                        집에서도 두 차례나 쫓겨났다.

                        울적한 마음을 달래기 위해 한밤중에 들어간 숲 속에서

                        기무라는 깨닫는다.

                        농약 한 방울 뿌리지 않은 숲 속 나뭇잎들이 우거져 있는

                        비밀은 농약이 뿌려지는 가지나 줄기에 있는 게 아니라

                        나무가 뿌리를 내린 흙에 있다는 것을 말이다.

                        ″아, 나무만 보지 말고 흙을 봐야 했다″.

                        그는 정신없이 산을 뛰어 내려와 사과 밭의 흙을 관찰했다.

                        기무라는 산속 환경처럼 사과 밭에 잡초가 무성하게

                        자라도록 내버려두고 흙이 본래의 생명력을 회복할 수

                        있도록 갖은 노력을 다했다.

                        그리고 그 결실은 9년 만에 이뤄졌다.

                        세계 최초로 썩지 않고, 다소 과장되게 이야기하면

                        ″눈물나게 맛있고 몸에 좋은″ 사과를 만들어낸 것이다.

                        1991년 일본 아오모리 현에 엄청난 태풍이 불어 이 지역

                        사과의 96%가 나무에서 떨어졌을 때 기무라의 사과는

                        80% 이상이 그대로 달려 있었다.

                        다른 사과나무들은 땅 속 뿌리 깊이가 3~5m 였지만,

                        기무라의 사과나무 뿌리는 20m나 됐기 때문이었다.

                        그러니 가지도 훨씬 굵고 단단했다.

                        우리는 늘 보이는 것만 보고 산다.

                        하지만 ″기적의 사과″가 흙에서 나왔듯, 정작 중요한 건

                        눈에 보이지 않는 뿌리, 즉 기초에 있다.

                        사람도 마찬가지다.

                        농약으로 해충을 없애듯 일시적으로 화장과 단장을 한다

                        해도 그 뿌리는 바꿀 수 없는 법이다.

                        우리 젊은이들도 보이지 않는 곳이 튼튼해 흔들리지 않는,

                        그런 사과나무가 되자.

                        그리고 부모들도 그런 아이를 키우자.

                        ″기적의 사과″를 잉태한 기무라의 변하지 않는 마음으로

                        말이다.

                          - 중앙일보 김현기 도쿄특파원 칼럼(2010.11.20)에서 -

 

 

 

 

The Apple Farmer

Recently, I was watching a documentary about an apple farmer in Japan and was extremely impressed by his attitudes and approach to apple farming. The philosophy with which he cultivates apple trees is the same philosophy that we use in the Gedatsu Church to cultivate people’s happiness. The apple farmer said that apple trees have an intrinsic capacity to grow and bear fruit. He said that it is his role, not to grow the apples but to support the trees so nature can do its work. The Gedatsu teachings work in much the same way. Everyone has received the potential for happiness from the Supreme Spirit. In order to cultivate people’s happiness, we must support people so that they can develop happiness in an environment that is free of judgment. I will expand more on this parallel between the apple farmer and the Gedatsu teachings today.

In Aomori Prefecture, Japan, there is a restaurant that is so popular that in order to dine there, you must make reservations more than year in advance. This restaurant exclusively uses apples cultivated by the apple farmer Mr. Kimura that I mentioned above. Although, Mr. Kimura’s apples are now famous, he had a difficult time starting his apple farm. In the beginning, Mr. Kimura purchased a large area of land on which there were 600 apple trees. He decided to cultivate apples organically and in order to do so, he read about organic farming and followed all of the instructions in his books. Despite all of his work, his trees were infested with harmful insects and for the first eight years, his apple trees did not bear fruit. He spent his days working on the farm, but at night he worked at the restaurant in order to make money to support himself and his family. During these eight years, Mr. Kimura and his family experienced great financial hardship.

Finally, Mr. Kimura felt so helpless that went into the mountains near his home to end his life. While he was searching for a place to die in the mountains, he came across a chestnut tree. The tree was surrounded by weeds, but it was full of chestnuts. Mr. Kimura was surprised to find a tree that was thriving in the absence of human cultivation. He ran over to the tree and found that the soil in which it was rooted was so soft that he could dig through it with his bare hands. In comparison, the soil in which his apple trees grew was compacted. Enlivened by the sight of the tree and the soil, he decided not to commit suicide. Instead, he wanted to see if cultivating his apple trees in such soft soil would, like the chestnut tree, allow them to bear fruit.

Mr. Kimura realized that the soil in which his apple trees grew was compacted because of the method he was using to dispense an organic insecticide. Apple farmers commonly use a spray truck that dispenses insecticides to spray their trees. They drive the spray truck between the rows of trees. Although this method is fast (Mr. Kimura was able to treat all of his trees in less than two hours), the weight of the truck inadvertently compresses the soil in which the roots lie. Instead of using the spray truck, Mr. Kimura decided to start treating his trees with the organic insecticide manually. on foot, it took him three days to spray all of the trees. Gradually, the soil on his apple farm became looser and softer, the roots of the trees strengthened, and, in the Spring, the trees bloomed with flowers for the first time in a long while.

There are some parallels between the ways that Mr. Kimura’s apple trees grow and the way that we humans develop happiness. The soil can be analogized to our thoughts and emotions. If we are criticized, we become afraid to share our thoughts and emotions for fear of being judged. Just as the weight of the truck on Mr. Kimura’s farm compressed the soil, criticism causes us to suppress our emotions. However, in order to become happy, we need to be able to express our emotions, including our anger, sadness, and resentment. In order to do so, we must live without fear of judgment or criticism.