The Wishing Tree and Karma

[Jitendra Hy-do-u-no-us?]

Sri Yukteswar often used a story to illustrate a point about karma. He said that everyone is living beneath his own magic wishing tree of all-desire-fulfilling will power. Mans will, being a reflection of the Almighty divine will, has in it the seeds of almightiness. Most people rejoice at sudden success in this life without stopping to think that success has come as a result of continuous will and effort in an unknown past life. It is also true that people who continuously misuse their will power, are surprised when suddenly they reap evil consequences, forgetting that these, too, were created by their own divinely bestowed wishing tree. If you have not learned to control your desires and wishes and thoughts, be thankful that every uncontrolled thought is NOT instantaneously materialized. Otherwise, how often your passions would cause tigerish misfortunes to spring upon others, and upon yourself.

We all have our own private wishing wells. They are the desires we have that will surely manifest if not in this life...then some future life. Physical desires are difficult to manifest in the ethereal realms...the astral and causal realms... known by many westerners as heaven. They do not drive Cadillac’s and drink 🍷 alcohol there or have wealthy owners of all kinds of property and singing rock stars. That is why we are here working out all material wishes and desires.

[guest88]

Thanks Steve,

it is true, I am grateful not every impulsive desire is rewarded in kind.

Funny you would mention Sri Yukteswar the day after I read this about him... Here's to hoping the wisdom lives on.

He is full with contentment who absorbs all desires within, as the brimful ocean remains unmoved (unchanged) by waters entering into it- not he who lusts after desires.

"This stanza was a favorite with my great master, Swami Sri Yukteswarji, and was oft quoted by him. He would experience some new manifestation arising from his vast inner ocean of peace (and infinite sea informed and fed by absorbing, transmuting, the inflowing rivers of all material desires); then he would express in a sonorous voice the realizations he was feeling within. His very face shone with a great inward light. At such times, those around him who were spiritually sensitive could feel my Master's overflowing perception of peace being transferred to them. I often inwardly hear him reciting this Gita verse in Sanskrit, just as I used to in years gone by." ~PY