The Tree of Life 1-1. Swami Krishnananda

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Thursday, July 28, 2022, 19;30.

Discourse 1: The Twofold Character of Cosmic Life - 1.

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Chapter 15 – Purushothama yogam :The Yogam of the Supreme Divine Personality : Lessons from the Analogy of a Banyan tree :

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Shree Krishna had enlightened Arjun in the previous chapter that by transcending the effects of the three gunas (modes of material nature), one can achieve the divine goal. He also declared that engaging in exclusive devotion is the best means of transcending beyond these gunas.  Such devotion is practiced by detaching the mind from the world and attaching it to God alone. Therefore, it is essential to understand both. He has already explained the nature of God in the previous chapters. In this chapter, He explains the material world graphically—so that Arjun can understand its nature and develop detachment from it.


Shree Krishna compares the material world to an upside-down aśhvatth (sacred fig) tree. On the branches of this mysterious tree, the embodied souls wander up and down, from lifetime after lifetime. They are unable to comprehend its origin, age, expanse, or how it continues to grow. However, as God is the source of this tree, its roots face upwards toward the sky. Its leaves are the fruitive activities defined in the Vedas. The three gunas irrigate this tree, which creates the objects of the senses that are like buds on the tree branches. These buds sprout aerial roots that further propagate this aśhvatth tree over a large area.   


By describing in detail this symbolism of the upside-down aśhvatth (sacred fig) tree, this chapter conveys the concept of how in ignorance of this tree of material existence, the embodied souls keep growing their bondage in the material world. Shree Krishna declares that if we are searching for the Supreme Lord, then we must first cut this tree of material existence with the axe of detachment. Then we must look for its base because the Supreme Lord Himself is the source of the material world as well. Once we find the source and surrender to Him as advised in this chapter, we will reach the Abode of God forever and never return to this material world.


Shree Krishna then explains that, as the souls are also His eternal fragments, they too are divine. However, they are under the influence of material nature, thus, struggle with their six senses, including the mind. The embodied soul, ignorant of its divine nature, savors the material objects of the senses. He then describes the transmigration of the soul to a new body at the time of death and how it carries with it the mind and senses; from the present and previous lives. The ignorant can neither perceive the presence of the soul in the body when alive nor its departure upon death. However, the yogis see this process clearly with the eyes of knowledge and purity of their minds. Similarly, God is everywhere in His creation; one needs to use the eyes of knowledge to realize His presence.


Lord Krishna reveals that, by recognizing the glories of God that shine forth all around us in this world, we can realize His existence. At the end of this chapter, He explains the terms: kshar, akshar, and Purushottam. Kshar are the perishable beings residing in the material world. The liberated beings who live in the Abode of God are called akshar. The Supreme Divine Personality, who is the eternal source, sustainer, and regulator of the entire world, is called Purushottam or God. He is transcendental to both imperishable and perishable beings. Therefore, we must worship God with complete surrender.


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Sadhakas and seekers of truth from various parts of the country come to this holy abode in search of a mysterious something, the acquisition of which is considered as a rectifying factor or a remedy for the various illnesses of life. They have not come here for nothing. It is taken for granted that their search is for a light, and not for a substance or object. They seek an enlightenment, a torch to illumine the path which they have to walk in the various fields of their activities.


There are doubts and difficulties, problems galore, so that it becomes difficult to take even one step ahead on account of a pitch darkness through the horizon that appears to be hanging heavy before our eyes, which is apparently a common factor in the life of each and every person. It does not appear that we are asking for any particular thing in this world. We seem to be asking for enlightenment and light so that we may move in the direction that is proper, lest we should move in an erroneous direction and fall into a pit.


Our notion that we are asking for things is basically an error. We are neither asking for food, clothing and shelter, nor for the company of people, nor for wealth, nor even for a lengthened life in this world, notwithstanding the fact that it appears we are asking for these things. There is a sorrow that is seeping into the very veins of our personality, and we try to get over this problem of sorrow by various means, just as a patient goes to various doctors under the impression that a physician will be able to cure his sorrow of disease. If he is not satisfied with one physician, he goes to another. He goes to a multitude of physicians in search of a cure for his ailment.


This is exactly what we are doing. We are in search of a cure for the sorrows of life, which is nothing but the illness of life, and we run to various places and personalities as patients go to doctors in search of recipes or magic prescriptions which can instantaneously place us in a haven of happiness and freedom. Neither are we able to diagnose the nature of the illness of our life, nor can it be said that we are in a position to understand what sort of happiness we are seeking. We have a very hazy notion of both these sides of life.


To be continued .....


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