‘The Celestial Wishing Tree’ Teaching Theme

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Anahata, The Fourth Cakra

Anahata, the fourth cakra or Heart Lotus, is your personal temple, the cave of the heart. It is where some of the Divine gifts are received when humility is expressed naturally and devotion is given in complete surrender.

This cakra is also known as the Abode of Mercy….Mercy not only in feelings but expressed in words or actions. Mercy is forgiveness, understanding coming from the heart.

The Wishing Tree (the Celestial Wishing Tree), the Kalpataru, is located in the Anandakanda lotus, which lies below the Heart Lotus.

We can pick the fruit from the Wishing Tree, words of sweetness and truth. This miniature Lotus is regarded as being the inner courtyard to the Anahata Cakra. It is the way of approach to the Most Holy, in an attitude of gratitude, awe and wonder. It is symbolic of the process of discovering the Divine within, and the mysteries and awesome powers of the mind. The inner courtyard then represents the experience of the manifestation of psychic energy, while the Anahata Cakra houses the tabernacle of the Most Holy from which the spiritual energies manifest.

(excerpts from Kundalini Yoga for the West, Swami Radha, pp 170-174)

 

  1. What is your heart’s desire?

A)  Repeat the Divine Mother prayer 10 times (or more if you desire).

– Sit quietly.

– Ask yourself: What is my heart’s desire?

– Write

B)  Sit quietly and bring your breath to an even rhythm. Practice 4/4 breath.

Imagine your spiritual heart as a big valentine’s heart with 2 doors in the centre of your chest. At first they are closed. In your mind, open the doors as far as they can go; see your heart centre wide open. It fills your whole chest, particularly after the doors have been opened. It gives you a feeling of generosity, doesn’t it? You are giving of yourself. You are giving of the best you have. You give from the heart.

(Divine Light Invocation, Swami Radha, p 38)

– Write any insights from this visualization

C) Do the Divine Light Invocation placing your heart’s desire in the Light.

– Take time to write.

 

  1. Words of Sweetness and Truth

A)  Mantra is speech profound, sound at its purest, and when that supreme sound of OM becomes sovereign, it takes you past the little selfish ego, so that you are clothed in new cloth of thought and sound. You will be lifted beyond all other existence and when you speak, you will hear the sound of the Self, your innermost Being.

(Mantra: Words of Power, Swami Radha, p 65)

  • Chant Om for a period of time that feels right for you.
  • Write about your experience.

B) We can pick the fruit from the Wishing Tree, words of sweetness and truth.

(Kundalini Yoga for the West, Swami Radha, p 173)

  • Ask yourself: What would it mean for me to speak words of sweetness and truth throughout my day?
  • Write

C)  Hidden Language Hatha Yoga – Kurmasana: The Tortoise

  • Warm up your body to prepare for the Tortoise.
  • As you go into the Tortoise pose visualize yourself in the cave of your heart. In this place of resonance, hum a mantra (Om) becoming aware of the softer vibrations of your voice.
  • Observe the effect of the sound on your body and mind as you retreat in meditation.
  • Coming out of Tortoise gently, find a comfortable position to sit for 10 minutes doing a mind watch.
  • Write

D)   Review your notes at this point and notice what is emerging.

–   Take the insight(s) into the Divine Light Invocation.

–   Write any additional understanding or learning that comes forward.

 

  1. Visualizing the Divine

A) Sit quietly, breathe in Light and then breathe out Light to all parts of your body.

   Choose an image that is most pleasing to your mind. Let it be a symbol of all that is for you most Perfect, most High, most Beautiful. Remember what this image stands for: the masculine aspect, Cosmic Energy unmanifest.

     At the spot of the Heart Lotus, see the female counterpart representing Cosmic Energy manifest in as much beauty and splendor as you can imagine..

  • If you choose Buddha, see the Mother of Mercy sitting in His Heart.
  • If you choose Krishna, see Radha sitting in His Heart.
  • If you choose Siva, see Parvati sitting in His Heart.
  • If you choose Jesus, see Mother Mary sitting in His Heart. 

     Now invoke a prayerful attitude and let the emotions express themselves in gratitude. To come in contact with the sacred teachings should make anyone grateful. In this way the emotions should be included in all spiritual practice, as they thereby become cultivated.

(Kundalini Yoga for the West, Swami Radha, pp 115-6)

–   Write about your experience.

B) Chant Om Krishna Guru. Bring to mind a time you have experienced the Divine in your life.

  • Ask for an image and draw it. Put your image in the Light.
  • Make note of any insights or learning.
  • Practice the 4/4 breath. How can you apply these insights, learning and understanding in your life right now? Ask for guidance from the Divine. Take time to listen and then write.

 

  1. Devotion

A) Chant Hari Om

–   Make a list of all that you are grateful for.   How can you express this gratitude in your daily life?

B) Hidden Language Hatha Yoga – Vrikshasana: The Tree

I longed for such a purposeful place, wondering why this way of life could not exist here and now. Not many years later, I found the forested ashram I live in now, my wish granted by the celestial wishing tree that lives in the heart and hears our deepest longings.  

(Inner Life of Asanas, Swami Lalitananda, p 102)

  • As you stand in the Tree pose, be aware of the gesture namaste – the Divine in me greets the Divine in you. Bring in a sense of gratitude. Can you feel the Divine in yourself? Can you genuinely extend that feeling out to others?

 

5.  Review

  • Review your notes from your reflections.
  • What is your deepest longing now? Write.
  • Repeat the Divine Light mantra 5 times. Bring an application to mind. How can you apply this to your life? Write.

Feel gratitude in your open heart for the gift of The Celestial Wishing Tree, which is always with you, awaiting your wishes, the deepest yearnings of your soul.

This enchanting tree represents your ability to manifest your deepest soul’s desires…when humility is expressed naturally and devotion is given in complete surrender.

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