The tree of the universe is endowed with the unending and manifold miseries of birth, old age, death and grief; it changes its nature every moment. Like magic, a mirage, or a castle in the air, the universe is perceived, only to vanish ultimately. It is non-eternal, like a tree. The ultimate root of the universe is the Supreme Brahman ascertained by Vedanta; its seed is ignorance, desire, action, and the Unmanifest; its sprout is Hiranyagarbha, in which are combined the powers of knowledge and activity of the lower Brahman; its trunk is formed of the various subtle bodies of living beings; its haughty growth is hastened by the sprinkling of the waters of longing for enjoyment.
Its tender shoots are the various objects of the organs of
perception; its leaves are the Vedas, the Smritis, logic, and other forms of
knowledge and instruction; its beautiful blossoms are such deeds as the
multifarious sacrifices, gifts, and penances; its diverse tastes are the
experiences of joy and sorrow; and its endless fruits are heaven and the other
planes enjoyed by living beings as the reward of their actions.
Its numerous subsidiary roots are entwined together,
fastened in the earth, and nourished by the waters of longing for the results
of action. The nests in the tree have been built by birds, that is to say, all
the living beings.
The tree of the universe is constantly reverberating with
the tumultuous noise arising from dancing, singing, instrumental music, sport,
arrogant uproar, laughter, jostling, lamentations, and such exclamations as ‘Alas!
I am done for!’ and ‘Leave me alone!’, induced by hilarity and weeping, which
are the results of the happiness and unhappiness of living beings. Shaken
constantly by the high winds of desires and their fruits, this tree can be
felled only by the irresistible sword of detachment forged in the fire of
knowledge of the identity of Brahman and Atman as taught in Vedanta.