One of the most endearing anecdotes that shows Ken’an Rifâî’s sensitivity to nature and his being an environmentally conscious Sufi is an incident that happened in his house in Bostancı. Ken’an Rifâî loved the willow tree that stood opposite the window where he always sat. The willow tree is almost like a friend to him.
One day, this willow tree was attacked by caterpillars and lost most of its leaves. Realizing the situation, Ken’an Rifâî called his disciples and said:

“Today I faced a difficult problem. My neighbor, the willow tree, complained to me and said: ‘What kind of a neighbor are you that you never help me? Look, caterpillars are eating my leaves. At this rate, I will soon wither away.” I replied: “Before passing judgment on a matter, it is necessary to listen to both sides. Let’s listen to the caterpillars and see what they say.’ The caterpillars also have a point. They say: ‘We were shown this tree to provide us with our sustenance, we opened our eyes to the world here, what should we do, should we not provide our sustenance and die?’ Now I am torn between the two. I wonder which side is right, what do you say about this?”

Upon this incident, there is a discussion with the students for a while. Some justify the caterpillars, others the willow tree. At that moment, someone opening the window to change the air in the room shouts excitedly: The caterpillars on the willow tree are descending from the trunk of the tree in a long migratory caravan, heading towards the empty field next door.

Ken’an Rifâî draws profound lessons from this event about the balance of nature and the struggle for life of every living thing. This balance between the willow tree and the caterpillars creates an important opportunity to teach his students respect for nature and all living things.