The power of Kalpa Vriksha Parama Karuna Dasi aprile 2001 - n.

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Chintamani prakara sadmasu kalpa-vriksha Lakshavriteshu surabhir abhipalayantam Lakshmi sahasra sata sambhrama sevyamanam Govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami... (Sri Brahma samhita)

I worship Govinda, the Primeval Supreme Lord. His Divine Abode is strewn with bea utiful houses built with touchstone, surrounded by millions of Desire Trees. The re the Lord, served with utmost love and respect by hundreds of thousands of God desses of Fortune, looks after the well-being of millions of Surabhi cows, who g ive unlimited quantities of milk.

WHAT IS A KALPA VRIKSHA The hindu or Vedic tradition tells us that a Kalpa Vriksha, a Desire Tree, is a very special tree which can give any kind of fruit. In the spiritual world, the happy residents just have to ask the tree for the specific fruits they need, and the tree will supply anything. We might think that this is just mithology or wi shful thinking, but it is something more than that. The human beings have forgot ten the real power of mind and spirit, but even today they can train their mind and spirit through proper application and knowledge. In the last two centuries, great progress has been made in the study of human mi nd, and the New Age psychology has integrated hypnosis, mind control, meditation, yoga and spiritual traditions of many cultures. Many books have been written on archetypes in religion and folklore, creative thinking, positive visualization, creative meditation, affirmations, positive thinking, spiritual healing, wholist ic psychology, personal growth, efficiency techniques, psycho-dynamics, explorat ion of subconscious, astral travelling, the power of crystals, gems and stones, the power of dreaming, exploration of past lives and so on. These techniques rea lly work. Our mind is a very powerful tool which can be of immense help in our l ife; usually we utilize only a small fraction of it (generally 15% of the brain capacity). We need to train our mind with some positive practice, educate it and tune it like a delicate and powerful instrument. Some devices, discovered by modern scientists or by ancient civilizations, can h elp us in this work.

A SPIRITUAL ANTENNA FOR TUNING IN THE MIND Many simple or complicated devices have been experimented in the New Age culture d uring the last 20 years. Some are made of metal or other materials (like pyramid

structures, spyrals, crystals etc.), some consist of electronic or magnetic imp ulses, some consist of sounds, some are made of light, images, symbols, etc. The y all act as a kind of antenna to help our mind to tune in . For thousands of years, hindu teachers have stressed the importance of yantra, m antra and archana for focusing the mind during meditation. The ritual worship of the Archa Vigraha (the Deity form) is especially meant for this purpose. Traditionally, a Deity can be made of jewels, stone, wood, clay, metal, sand or earth, paint or even mind , although grossly visible and recognizabl e materials are usually easier to utilize as instrument. The Deity for is thus a special instrument which can tune us in the reality and allow us to interact wi th the spiritual energy. From the ancient Vedic science we learn that spiritual ener-gy and material ener gy are coming from the same Supreme Source, and they can be switched to each oth er by an act of consciousness. Energy is thus one in nature, altough its manifes tations might be very different. We can compare it to electricity, which can equ ally operate a fridge, a fan, a bulb, an oven, an engine, a radio, a TV, a compu ter and thousands of different things in an apparently different way. One manife station will refrigerate, freeze, and make ice out of water, another will move a ir, another will give light or heat, another will push or carry objects or water in space and overpower gravity, friction and inertia, another will emit sounds, music or pictures, another will give informations or perform some other intellec tual work. But it is the same energy electricity which is manifesting all these f orms. In the Vedic terminology, energy is called Shakti, and is usually depicted as a Goddess. This same original Goddess takes many different forms and acts in diffe rent ways: Durga, Kali, Subhadra, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Radha, Bhu, Nila, etc. We do not want to establish here the merits of the different aspects of Shakti, but simply explain the fact that the Energy is fundamentally one. The differences i n Her manifestations, Her qualities, are connected with the level of awareness o f the worshiper. Thus the devotee who aspires to pure Divine Love for God will w orship Srimati Radhika, a scholar who aspires to learning and expression power w ill worship Sarasvati, a person who aspires to opulence will worship Lakshmi, an d so on. The effect might be different, but the intrinsic nature of the energy i s always one. This means as the great acharyas teach us that the real use of all energy is the service of the Supreme Source of Energy. In the service of the Su preme, the material energy becomes spiritualized, as in the practical example of prasadam and mahaprasadam, food offered to the Lord. Prasadam may seem ordinary food made of material energy, but sensitive people can practically observe and feel a great difference. In the same way, the Archa Vigraha of the Lord and His Energies might seem material, made of matter, but all sincere worshipers have pr actically experienced that it is not so. Cynics might not believe in such person al experiences of devotees or even in public miracles , but we are not interested i n discussing this matter here. We are only interested in proposing scientific ob servations, practical techniques and systematic tools for those who sincerely wa nt to try them with an unbiased attitude. A Vigraha acts like a spiritual satellite antenna, receiving and transmitting at the same time. We can observe that all the Vigrahas are functioning in this way . It is also explained in the shastras that all objects used in the service of t he Lord as worshipable, spiritual and conscious. This is the case in the spiritu al world but also in our day to day contact with the spiritual energy of Vigraha , mantra and yantra. Vigrahas should be properly installed and focused on, to fully manifest their fu

nction. All cultures in the world say that by calling the spirit in a form, a stro ng link is created, and the form itself starts to function as the called spirit. We can compare this procedure to plugging in the socket of our electrical appli ance to connect it with the main energy supply. Now, it is possible to install a Kalpa Vriksha in your home or workplace by call ing it from the spiritual world, just like you can install a Deity of the Lord. How to do this? You will see in the following pages.

PURPOSE OF THE KALPA VRIKHSA INSTALLATION A Kalpa Vriksha is not directly a form of God it is rather a servant of God. The relationship that a devotee has with a Kalpa Vriksha is similar to the relation ship with the Devatas, the embodiments of the archetypes who are in charge of vari ous aspects of life. Usually materialistic people worship the Devas (or influent ial politicians, teachers, gurus, and even the Supreme Lord) with the simple pur pose of getting some material benefit. They are not interested in developing the ir spiritual consciousness and their interest, respect and devotion are only aim ed at getting something for themselves. Everyone, however, has some kind of desire, even those who simply desire to serv e the Lord. The gopis the greatest, purest and most intimate devotees of the Lor d desire beautiful things to offer to Krishna, and the Kalpa Vrikshas fulfill th eir desires and supply what they need. In the same spirit, the same gopis worshi ped Durga Devi with the Katyayani vrata to ask for the opportunity to serve Kris hna with full love and give Him perfect pleasure. The best reason to install a Kalpa Vriksha in your house or working place is to focalize your desires in the spiritual direction. The best place to install it i s near the Deity of the Lord. Anyway, everything can be developed gradually and there is no incompatibility between spiritual opulence and so-called material opul ence. The connection of the Kalpa Vriksha with the worship of Lord Govinda is na tural, but we will leave its development to the individual tendencies and positi on of everyone. A Kalpa Vriksha is supremely kind and merciful: it will give its worshiper anyth ing and everything. You may ask for money or for a job, you may ask for a husban d or a wife, for a friend, a teacher or a guide, you may ask for enlightenment, courage, peace of mind, pure devotion. Whatever your mind will tune in to, in a positive, sincere and humble way, you will receive it. There is only one thing you should never ask a Kalpa Vriksha: a disgrace for som eone. Although some people might use the powers of yoga to try to harm other peo ple, it is always a bad idea to try to do so. Originally, these powers were inte nded only to ward off and defeat demoniac aggressors, and not people who have id eas different from our own. Anyway, it is always better to keep our mind clean o f all bad things. Whatever we send out, will come back multiplied. A Kalpa Vriks ha does not tolerate evil, and will not comply to evil requests, rather it will find the way to teach its wicked worshiper a good lesson, for his/her own benefi t.

THE SIDDHA BAKUL TREE IN JAGANNATH PURI In India, many holy places are considered blessed with the presence of Desire Tr ees. One of such Desire Trees can be seen in Jagannath Puri at Siddha Bakul, the

bhajan kutir (meditation place) of the great Vaishnava saint Haridas Thakur. The Bakul tree growing in the courtyard has a very special story and origin. Abo ut 500 years ago, the great spiritual revolutionary Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahapr abhu, spiritual master of Haridas Thakur, blessed His disciple by planting in hi s courtyard a small toothprick, made with Bakula wood, which had been used in th e worship of Lord Jagannath, the presiding Deity of Jagannath Puri and a form of God. The spiritual potency of the Lord Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu evoked a Kalpa Vriksha from this toothprick and made it grow instantly into a beautiful tree, under which Haridas reached th e complete and perfect enlightenment (Siddhi). Haridas Thakur is considered a ve ry special person because, already 500 years back, he became a great Vaishnava s aint, although he was born in a Muslim family. He attained such an elevated spir itual position than on his death, his spiritual master Shri Krishna Chaitanya Ma haprabhu danced in ecstasy carrying his dead body, and ordered all the present a nd future generations of Vaishnavas to worship Haridas Thakur as the acharya of the Holy Name of God. Back to this wonderful Bakula Desire Tree, a few years later some government off icers wanted to cut this large and strong tree to use its wood, but mystically, in one night, the tree hollowed its trunk to render it useless for that purpose. So the tree was not cut. Nonetheless, the tree continued to live with a complet ely hollow and open trunk, and is still living and healthy today, after almost 5 00 years. Many people visit this holy place, and tie small pebbles to the branches express ing a wish, hoping that the wonderful desire tree might grant it. This same trad ition is followed in many other holy places in India, like at th Kaliya Ghat in Vrindaban, Uttar Pradesh, where pilgrims and devotees worship the Kalpa Vriksha there and tie small pebbles or bits of cloth or thread to the branches, symboliz ing their prayer to the tree. But what to ask to a Kalpa Vriksha and how the Kalpa Vriksha fulfills our reques ts? We will see it in the next pages.

THE MAN WHO DREAMED A TIGER An old story tells about one man who was travelling on a pilgrimage in a holy pl ace, and sat down to take rest under a tree, not knownig that it was actually a Kalpa Vriksha. The man was enjoying the cool shade and resting his tired legs, but he was also feeling thirsty. He started to think, Oh, I am really thirsty. I would like to ha ve a nice drink. A big green coconut full of sweet water. So he was thinking very intensely about this big green coconut full of water. After a few minutes an ox en cart came by, loaded with green coconuts, and from the top of the pile one co conut fell down. The pilgrim called the driver to tell him about the lost coconu t, but after seeing what had happened, the driver smiled and said, Oh my brother, I can see I have overloaded my cart this time, I should have been more careful. If I put this coconut back on the pile, it will fall down again during my journ ey to the market, as the road is not very smooth, and perhaps no one will be the re to call me and give back my coconut. So this coconut might go wasted. It is b etter you keep it. Here, let me open it so that you can drink. The pilgrim could get his nice drink and wondered about his fortune. After quenc hing his thirst, he began thinking about food. He remembered the nice food he us ed to take at home rice, chapati, dal, several sabjis, and so on. He intensely t

hought of that food, nicely prepared by his wife, and recalled one special meal he once had for a feast. While he was thus immersed in thinking about that food, a young man passed by. He was celebrating his father s sraddha ceremony and had v owed to feed 100 holy people or pilgrims with sumptuous food. Seeing the pilgrim in the dress of a brahmana, he happily arranged for a nice feast to be served t o him. To the man s surprise, all the preparations he had been thinking about were thus served to him under that same tree. After eating, he became sleepy. Half-dozing, he thought of a nice bedding on whi ch to rest, and to his great joy, very soon a boy from the nearby village came w ith a nice mattress and pillow. Sir, we have seen you here resting under this tre e. My family is always happy to serve pilgrims and religious people. Please acce pt this bedding for tonight and enjoy a nice rest. The man was extremely pleased and happy. He blessed the boy and comfortably rested on the nice mattress. But h e could not sleep peacefully. The sun had set, and the shadows of night engulfed the forest. The place became very dark. He had no light, and the trees borderin g the road seemed to become silent and frightened. Now and then he could hear so me animal moving in the dark forest, but he could not see anything. Well, this is a nice place, but forests are the home of many wild animals. Who kn ows what kind of beasts might live here? The pilgrim tried to sleep but he was fe eling more and more restless, and he started to think that some dangerous tiger might be roaming in that dark and solitary forest. He finally fell asleep. In hi s sleep he dreamed a big tiger. He dreamed a very big and hungry tiger, coming t o devour him. Suddenly a loud roar awakened him from his sleep and he jumped up sitting on the mattress. But the tiger had really come, and it was really a hungry tiger: the poor pilgrim was eaten up. What is the meaning of this story? A Kalpa Vriksha will give us whatever we want consciously or unconsciously and w hatever we need, even if sometimes we cannot understand or appreciate it fully. This is a blessing in itself, as it forces us to become more conscious of our me ntal activities and processes, even at the subterranean level. It teaches us to tr y to see the blessing in an apparent disgrace or setback, to make the best use o f a bad bargain. It helps us to clarify our desires, aspirations and visions, to understand ourse lves better. Many folk stories tell the instructive experience of a person who i s suddenly offered three boons by some magician or holy person. After wasting th ese unexpected chances in foolish or even dangerous requests, usually the person becomes wiser, and this is the real blessing. Getting the material things we desire might not be sufficient for our happiness, because material desires are endless. However, people usually do not fully real ize this point unless they actually obtain what they wished for. If you desire s omething and you cannot obtain it, that thing will grow disproportionately in yo ur mind to become a myth of happiness and freedom, more than a material asset, a nd myths are always out of touch with reality. A Kalpa Vriksha helps us in the same awareness journey and gives us the supreme gift of enlightenment, which is far more valuable than any blessing of this worl d. The Kalpa Vriksha trains our mind to meditate through visualization of desira ble things (which is the natural tendency of the conditioned mind) and to overco me material desires by fulfilling them (the traditional Vedic approach of dharma ,

artha, kama and moksha). Under all aspects, the Kalpa Vriksha is an unlimited fo rm of compassionate blessing for all, descending from the Source of all Blessing s.

THE QUALITIES OF THE TREE What is the message symbolized by the tree? The tree is the symbol of life and growth, of endurance, prosperity and generosi ty. A tree does not require much work and care (definitely less work than rice, wheat or other annual plants) and gives everything: cooling shade, fruits, flowe rs, seeds, leaves, resin, bark, wood for building and making fire. A tree has th e power to attract the blessings of rain on the land and to hold the soil. Witho ut trees, the fertile soil would be washed away by the rains or blown away by th e winds; the presence of trees transforms even strong rain and wind in true life -giving blessings. A tree has no power to divert a storm, but it resists to floods and draughts. Li ke many humble trees, a desire tree cannot be broken, uprooted or damaged by a s torm it can feed you and protect you in times of great calamities, but it will n ot stop or divert the storm, because the winds of life (destruction and creation ) must do their work. A wise and humble tree bows down to destructive winds and survives: from its exa mple we should learn to do the same in our life. The destructive aspect of the S upreme Will is as sacred and beneficial as the creative one even more so and we must accept, respect and worship it. Every destruction, every death, brings the seed of a better life and creation, and we should not fear it. A Kalpa Vriksha does not keep us separated from life and growth, and as such it does not want to keep separated from death and loss. If we accept this deep trut h, prosperity and blessings will blossom and bring many fruits to our life. Prun ing the dry and old branches will strengthen the tree: we should learn to let go unnecessary desires, so that those which are really important shall bear good f ruits. A tree is very tolerant, and will always give its best, but if we respect and lo ve it, and do something good for it supply the water of our meditation and the f ertilizer of our work it will reciprocate with an overwhelming quantity of fruit s and flowers. A tree is a natural shelter for birds and bees, who are symbols o f ideas, aspirations of the souls, spirits of ancestors, as well as patient and tireless work, previdence for the future, sweetness and health. The tree is the symbol of the knowledge of Good and Evil, of return to life afte r death. Every year, especially in cold climates, most trees lose their leaves, fruits and flowers and seem dead, only to come back to a richer life in spring. The tree is the symbol of action, which sprouts from a forgotten seed sometimes after years then grows quietly, and finally fills the atmosphere with its fragra nce, rich pollen, delicate petals and juicy fruits, which in turn contain innume rable seeds. Each tree has male and female parts, and is self-sufficient. A tree has roots in the deep ground, and finds water in hidden and distant places; its trunk is str ong, supportive and sensitive, its branches spread in all directions and its lea ves absorb the light and the energy of the sun, purify the atmosphere and produc e oxygen. Trees utilize nitrogen and other substances present in the environment by mystically transforming them and producing a great quantity of useful substances nutritive, medicinal, aromatic, energetic and pleasurable. All these qualities are also pr esent in the Kalpa Vriksha as described by the Vedic tradition, and the blessing s and importance of its cultivation cannot be overestimated.

CONNECTION OF THE KALPA VRIKSHA WITH VASTU SCIENCE Vastu is an ancient Vedic science which is intended to help developing prosperit y in all aspects of human life. The size of this booklet does not allow an exten sive explanation of this science and anyway there are many other books which can offer such good explanations. Here we will just discuss about the position of t he Kalpa Vriksha you will install in your house or in your working place. You ma y install as many Kalpa Vrikshas as you like. They will be like your friends and companions: it will be as good as having as many saintly sadhus living in your house or working place. A house with a good Vastu situation will have its entrance preferably on the Nor th-East side, and its North-East portion will be lower and more empty than the Sou th-West side. Consequently, the different areas of the house (or property) will concern and influence the different sectors of your life. Please see in the next page a sketch of the position of these different areas in a house with the entr ance situated on the North-East direction. Usually the puja room or meditation room is situated in the center of the house (especially if it is a nice inner garden or courtyard) or in the front portion o f the house; the Deities should face East or North. In your house decoration, avoid sad or gloomy pictures, dark colours, cutting ed ges, points or thorns, which damage the flow of energy. Keep the place clean and free from clutter, useless, torn or broken things. Nice fragrances, lights and pleasant sounds should also grace the atmosphere. Co rners should be specifically taken care of, by keeping them free and clean. A Kalpa Vriksha can be installed in the puja or meditation room or in any other room, except of course in the bathroom and toilet. As a rule, laundry roms, bathrooms and toilets should always be kept closed; it is advisable to keep a mirror on their doors to avoid good energy being flushed o ut through the drain from the house. Keep your house carefully free from dead bodies (animals, insects, etc.) and any violent materials (leather, fur, bones and similar things, including non vegeta rian food). In this pleasing atmosphere a Kalpa Vriksha can happily grow and pro sper, and spread its material and spiritual blessings.

THE VIGRAHA OF THE KALPA VRIKSHA A good Vigraha for a Kalpa Vriksha should be immediately attractive and very ple asing to see. Leaves should be oval-shaped, of different shades of green, pointi ng upwards. Branches should not be crooked or pointing downwards. No cracks, fis sures, thorns, pointed twigs deprived of leaves. Flowers can be painted or glued to the branches; cloth or paper are better than plastic. Fruits should be painted or hung on the branches (in case of three dimensional V igraha), they should be in shades of red (pink, orange, etc). If possible, the t ree should start from the floor or from a visible line, a little above the floor , symbolizing earth, for grounding . It is also advisable to surround the tree with other pleasing images or objects, like real or painted plants (no thorns or dow nward leaves), birds flying upwards, butterflies, bees and other good animals an d creatures, and sacred symbols (not ones evoking suffering). The Vigraha can be made of gold, silver or copper, stone or clay, or painted eit

her on the wall or on cloth or paper. Other materials like jewel, imitation jewe lry, cloth, paper etc. can be used for decoration (flowers and leaves). The Vigraha should be shaped or painted by a qualified person, because like any tree it is supposed to grow through different stages and this growth requires a careful meditation. This shaping and growth constitutes the real installation an d calling of the Kalpa Vriksha from the spiritual world. First the trunk should be painted small, like a young tree, then gradually enlar ged like in a natural growth process. Branches should appear gradually and their colour should turn from tender to mature. Then on the branches leaves should ap pear, from the bottom, developing gradually towards the top. After the leaves, f lowers should appear, then new leaves (a different colour shade) and then fruits . When fruits become ripe (from yellow to red, orange or pink) the tree is adult a nd ready to bear fruits. A little gardening experience will help you in understa nding the process. Now you should form some kind of fruit which can contain a symbol of your desire (in written form, as a drawing, painted, in symbol form or in a thought form); then hang these fruits on the branches, near the painted fruits. Every time you will look at the tree, express or feel respect, love and affectio n to it, your thoughts will be tuned in towards the fruits hanging on the branch es, strengthened by vibrations of prosperity, life, growth, faith and respect. V ery soon the fruits will become ripe and your desires will be fulfilled. When yo u have received your boon, you can keep the fruit on the tree or remove it, as y ou like. You can add any Desire-Fruit you wish, after careful consideration. You may take a few minutes every day, after your daily puja or meditation, and stay in front of your Kalpa Vriksha while meditating on its blessings. Keep the Kalp a Vriksha visible. The preparation of the Desire-Fruits, the meditation on them and the respect and affection offered to the Kalpa Vriksha will be a good sadhana to better underst and yourself and your aspirations, and to clear away illusions. The resul of thi s sadhana will give you material prosperity as well as spiritual development. Try to be very specific while preparing the Desire-Fruits or meditating on them. Do not keep things general, like I want sufficient money . You should rather ask f or a specific thing, like Receiving the money for such and such payment which was delayed. Then entrust the Desire-Fruits to the unlimited opulence of the univer se, with faith, sincerity, respect and humility, and wait patiently. Every fruit requires some time to ripen; some will ripen quickly, some will take a little longer. While waiting, keep meditating regularly, if possible daily, a nd ask yourself what might be the obstacles which are delaying the ripening. Perhaps your subconscious mind is not sure about it or it feels you do not deser ve that thing. Perhaps you have not behaved properly or worked with sufficient s incerity and determination. Perhaps this desire is incompatible with some other desire or attachment you have. Cultivate your garden, water the tree, remove the weeds and control the pests. The tree will become stronger and will give many w onderful fruits. One day, the creeper of love and devotion for the Supreme might sprout and grow supported by your beloved tree, and this will be the greatest blessing of all. May the blessings of the Supreme Father-Mother descend on you all. May all entit ies become happy, prosperous and progressive. Om shanti shanti shanti. Hari om. Om tat sat.

THE AUTHOR Parama Karuna Devi has been studying in theory and practice the Vedic tradition and specifically the Vaishnava bhakti cult for the last 30 years. Besides that, she has done extensive research work on modern psychology and New Age techniques , spiritual healing, comparative study of religious traditions and folklore, fol k medecine, natural medecine and nature therapies. She has written many books on practical spiritual life and meditation, Indian cu lture, vegetarian culture and awareness, natural medecine and healing, and other subjects. She is president and founder of P.A.V.A.N. (Prabhupada Association for Vegetaria n Awareness and Nonviolence), secretary of the Vishva Vaishnava Rajya Sabha publ ication department and member of the Bhaktivedanta Institute for Science and Rel igion.