Harit Ratna

02/05/2026

Today was one of those moments of deep gratitude to the Universe, to walk into a bookstore and find my book 'Oneness Sutras' resting on the shelf, not as an idea but as a solitude of thoughts and presence among other voices... It felt almost surreal.

If you find yourself drawn to questions of spiritual meaning, connection and the unexplained truths that often go unnoticed, you might find something of value in these pages.

You can take a closer look here:
https://amzn.in/d/06FQ0n6z

If this work speaks to you, I would genuinely like to know what you find within it.

Thanks 🙏 to Wordphonics Publication for believing in my vision.

23/03/2026

I am deeply grateful to T2 Online and Wordphonics Publication Roshni Bandopadhya for thoughtfully holding space for Oneness Sutras. To see a conversation on spirituality and the philosophy of being received with such openness and love is quietly affirming.

Thank you for listening, for reflecting, and for carrying the essence of that evening forward.

My book is available on Amazon https://amzn.in/d/04oQ6NjX

https://t2online.in/goodlife/books/the-launch-of-harit-ratna-s-new-book-oneness-sutras-saw-a-discussion-on-spirituality-and-the-philosophy-of-being/2004224

The launch of Harit Ratna’s new book Oneness Sutras saw a discussion on spirituality and the philosophy of being

14/03/2026

A new chapter begins with "Oneness Sutras". Thank you Wordphonics Publication Roshni Bandopadhya & Sanmarg Hindi for this exclusive coverage of my book launch in ICanFlyy Tea Kafi

13/03/2026

06/03/2026

With deep gratitude and quiet excitement, I invite you to the launch of my second book on spirituality, the "Oneness Sutras".

While my first book, "The Purpose of Life", explored the deeper questions of why having a spiritual purpose is crucial, this new work moves a step further. The "Oneness Sutras", published by Roshni Bandopadhya from Wordphonics Publication, is designed as a practical guide for everyday living. It brings together simple insights, daily practices, and reflective exercises that can be followed in the middle of ordinary life, whether you are at home, at work, or navigating the many responsibilities of the modern world.

Spirituality is often seen as something distant or abstract. My intention with this book was different. I wanted to create a companion that helps people cultivate clarity, calmness and awareness through small, practical steps that fit naturally into daily routines.

The ideas in this book are meant for everyone, not only spiritual seekers, but anyone looking for balance, resilience and a deeper sense of connection in life.

I am honoured to be joined by Sr. A. Nirmala, CJ, former Principal of Loreto House and Teacher-in-Charge of Loreto College, whose life in education and service brings a deeply reflective perspective on values and human growth.

Aritra Sarkar, author of Stress to Zest & Soulful Call, will bring his spiritual insights on personal transformation and the inner journey from struggle to resilience.

Ruchika Gupta, President of Sanmarg Group and founder of Guardian – Aparajita, adds a strong voice on leadership, empowerment, and purpose-driven living.

Nehal Ahmed, a thoughtful observer of society and a retired corporate professional, will contribute his reflections shaped by years of experience in the corporate world and beyond.

The discussion will be gracefully moderated by none other than Oindrilla Dutt, well-known moderator and events curator, who will guide the conversation through the many dimensions of spirituality in everyday life.

📍 Venue: I Can Fly Tea Kafi, Ballygunge, Kolkata
🗓 Date: 12 March
🕕 Time: 6:15 PM onwards

Your presence will make the evening truly special. I am excited to meet you there.

06/10/2025

Grateful to share my piece — “The Significance of Navaratri: A Journey into Oneness” — published in the Tripura Times Durga Puja & Navaratri Special Edition.

Navaratri, to me, is not merely a festival of nine nights. It is a spiritual rhythm — a sacred alignment between our inner Shakti and the vast cycles of nature. Each night invites us to let go, to renew, and to awaken the Divine within.

In this article, I explore Navaratri as a journey — from leaving anger behind to embracing detachment, from fasting in the body to fasting in ego — until silence itself becomes worship.

May this Navaratri guide us back to Oneness. ✨

10/09/2025

Why does your mind often brim with anxious thoughts, even before the day has truly begun?

Because the mind wakes before the body does...In the fragile space between sleep and wakefulness, your nervous system is already scanning for danger, replaying unfinished tasks, and anticipating what is to come. Spiritually, this is the residue of past experiences and unprocessed emotions—surfacing like ripples in a calm pond. Mentally, it is the brain’s default mode network, a mechanism wired to wander, analyse, and prepare for threats, even when none are present.

As a wellness guide, I would tell you this: your anxious mornings are not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of a system trying too hard to protect you. The mind rehearses worries the way the heart rehearses beats. It is attempting survival, not sabotage.

As a navigator of the soul, I would whisper this: anxiety at dawn is often the soul nudging you, reminding you of misalignments—where you live too much in “tomorrow” and too little in the stillness of “now.” Those racing thoughts are invitations to pause, to breathe, to anchor your spirit before the tide of the day rises.

When you meet that anxious flood, don’t fight it. Witness it. Breathe into it. Place your hand on your heart and say, “I am safe. The day has not yet claimed me.”

In that small ritual, the churning mind begins to soften, and the soul finds room to speak again.

Harit Ratna

26/07/2025

“You are not the body, nor the mind, nor even the doer. You are that eternal witness who watches all.”

Most of us live and die identifying with only one version of ourselves: the body. Some awaken to the mind. Few recognize the presence of a deeper energy, subtler than breath, older than memory — a force that stores karma and births lifetimes.

But the sages of Sanātana Dharma knew. In the Mandūkya Upanishad, one of the shortest yet most powerful texts of Hindu philosophy, they laid bare a truth: you are not one, but three.

These three “bodies” — Sthūla (gross), Sukshma (subtle), and Kāraṇa (causal) — together form the Sharīra Traya, the architecture of human experience.

Understanding this trinity is not philosophical luxury; it is spiritual necessity — the golden bridge from samsāra to moksha, from bo***ge to bliss.

🪔 Part 1: Sthūla Sharīra — The Body You See

This is the body you clothe, nourish, pierce, tattoo, flaunt or shame.
The Sthūla Sharīra, or gross body, is your most immediate shell — composed of five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and sustained by food (annamaya kośa).

It includes:
-Skin, bones, blood, nerves
-Eyes, ears, tongue — your tools of perception
-Hands, legs — your instruments of karma
-Your gender, appearance, race, and age

The Bhagavad Gita calls it the field of action. It is where karmas are played out, but not necessarily where they are stored. But don’t be misled — this body is a rented vessel. When its lease ends, it returns to dust.

“As one casts off worn-out garments and puts on new ones, the Self casts off worn-out bodies and enters new ones.” — Gita 2.22

It exists in the waking state (jāgrat avasthā), where we think we are fully awake. Ironically, this is the most illusion-bound state.

Common delusion: “I am this body.”
Spiritual antidote: “I have a body, but I am not the body.”

💨 Part 2: Sūkṣhma Sharīra — The Body You Feel But Cannot Touch

-Close your eyes.
-Feel your breath.
-Sense your thoughts.
-Notice the energy behind emotions.
-You are now in touch with the Sūkṣhma Sharīra — the subtle body.

This is your:
Mind – flickering thought, emotion
Intellect – discrimination, logic
Ego – the “I” sense
Memory – subconscious pattern storehouse
Vital life force – breath, energy, pulse
Plus 5 sense organs + 5 action organs

This body travels in dreams, reincarnates after death, and holds your karmic tendencies, often called saṃskāras. It is like software running on the hardware of the physical body. The mind may reside in the heart, but its range is cosmic.

In the Mandūkya Upanishad, the dream state (swapna avasthā) is governed by this subtle body. Here, you are the dreamer, constructing realities from memory and emotion — real only to the inner eye. This body cannot be cut, burned, or drowned — yet it can be purified through prāṇāyāma, mantra japa, dhyāna, and self-inquiry.

If you’ve ever meditated, you’ve stepped into this realm.

🌑 Part 3: Kāraṇa Sharīra — The Body That Sleeps Without Knowing

Beneath the gross and subtle is the Kāraṇa Sharīra — the causal body, the seed of individual existence. This is avidyā, or ignorance — not stupidity, but the primal unconsciousness that gives rise to the dream of “me and mine”.

In deep sleep, the gross and subtle dissolve. No dreams, no thoughts, no “I” — only darkness, blankness, peace.

Yet you wake up and say, “I slept well.”

Who knew that?

The Self, untouched, was watching.

Kāraṇa Sharīra contains the blueprint of your soul, the condensed karmic residue that shapes the next birth. It’s like a seed that contains the entire tree of your future lives.

“The causal body is like the sleep of the soul — peaceful, unknowing, timeless. But it is not liberation.”

It can’t be controlled through will — but it can be dissolved through realization.

🧘 Part 4: The Fourth: Turīya — The Witness Beyond All Three

The Upanishads whisper of a fourth state: Turīya. Not a body. Not a state. Not even a “you”.

It is pure awareness — silent, witnessing, changeless.
It sees the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states come and go, yet remains untouched. Turīya is not something to be attained. It is your true nature, forgotten due to identification with the three bodies.

“You are Turīya — the one that watches your thoughts, your breath, your ego, and your sleep.” — Mandūkya Upanishad.

Realizing Turīya is moksha.
Not after death — here and now.

🌿 Part 5: How This Changes Everything (Sleep, Karma, Death)

🌙 Sleep as Spiritual Metaphor

Waking → Gross Body

Dream → Subtle Body

Deep Sleep → Causal Body

Beyond Sleep → Turīya

Each night, we touch the causal body. Yet we return unaware.
The enlightened one watches even while sleeping.

Karma and Rebirth: Karmas from past lives are stored in the causal body, activated by the subtle body, and expressed in the gross body. Liberation happens when you stop identifying with all three.

What Dies at Death?

-Gross body dissolves into elements
-Subtle body (with karmic imprints) continues
-Causal body carries the seed of rebirth
-The Self remains, eternally untouched.

🔱 Part 6: Daily Practice — Dissolving the Three Bodies

🔸 For the Gross Body:

-Eat sattvic food

-Practice yoga āsana

-Bathe in gratitude for the body, but don’t worship it

🔹 For the Subtle Body:

-Meditate daily

-Observe thoughts without reacting

-Chant mantras, regulate prāṇa

🔻 For the Causal Body:

-Study scriptures

-Do self-inquiry: “Who am I?”

-Drop all labels, identifications

Final Practice: Silence Sitting.
Let every thought rise and fall — and remain as the watcher.

💬 Final Realization: "I Am Not This, Not That"

> Neti, Neti — “Not this, Not that”
This is the heart of Vedanta. Strip away the gross. Peel back the subtle. Dissolve the causal.

What remains?

A silence. A presence. A light before time.

You are not the body,
You are not the mind,
You are not the sleeper —
You are the one who watches all three.

And that is Brahman.
That is freedom.
That is you.

🙏 If this post stirred your soul, share it.

💬 Tell us in comments: Which body do you feel most trapped in — the gross, the subtle, or the causal?

Follow 👉 Harit Ratna

22/07/2025

What Is Niyati?
In the vast ocean of Sanatan Dharma, Niyati (नियतिः) is one of the most intriguing and often misunderstood concepts. Translated loosely as “fate,” “necessity,” or “divine order,” Niyati refers to the cosmic framework within which all beings operate—a divine design governed by dharma (righteousness), karma (action), and ṛta (cosmic rhythm). But Niyati is more than just fate. It is the subtle law that ensures cosmic balance, ethical consequences, and the timely fruition of karma. Unlike blind destiny, Niyati is intelligent, precise, and moral.

Niyati in Sanatan Scriptures.
Mahabharata: Duryodhana's downfall was destined, not because of lack of power or strategy, but because his karma and dharma were out of sync with Niyati. Despite Krishna’s repeated warnings, he invited his fate.

Ramayana: Rama accepting exile was not a misfortune—it was Niyati unfolding a divine mission. His sorrow, sacrifice, and separation from Sita were not personal tragedies but cosmic necessities for the restoration of dharma.

Upanishads & Vedanta: Texts like the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad and Isha Upanishad hint that behind all apparent randomness lies a precise intelligence. What appears as luck or loss is often the recalibration of your karmic ledger through the hands of Niyati.

Why Understanding Niyati is Liberating: Modern life makes us believe: "I am the doer. I am in control." But this creates suffering when outcomes don't match efforts. Niyati teaches surrender, not helplessness.
It invites us to: Act with full dharma and sincerity, let go of attachment to outcomes, and trust the divine intelligence that knows far more than the human ego ever can

The Role of Suffering in Niyati: Pain is often the midwife of transformation. Niyati may allow suffering, not to punish you, but to: Burn past karma, Awaken deeper wisdom, Realign you to your dharma, Humble the ego for inner expansion etc. A fire doesn’t destroy gold—it purifies it. So too, does Niyati purify the soul.

Niyati and Free Will: Can We Change Our Destiny?
Yes—and no. Sanatan Dharma doesn’t see destiny as fixed but as fluid, governed by both. You can plant new karmic seeds. But the fruits of previous karma must still be experienced—and that’s Niyati’s role.

When to Act, When to Surrender
The wise ask: “Is this the moment to fight, or to flow?”
“Is this a karmic test, or a Niyati calling?”

Act when you must—but know some storms are sent to wash you, not to destroy you. Resisting Niyati often creates more pain. Accepting it opens the door to inner peace.

Practical Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life.
When plans fail: Trust Niyati. There's a divine rerouting happening.
When delay frustrates you: Perhaps your inner readiness needs time. When people leave, they are karmic chapters. Niyati has closed them for your next unfolding. When you succeed easily: You're in alignment. Flow with humility and gratitude. You may have power, will, knowledge—yet the threads of your life are woven through Niyati.

Karma vs. Niyati: Knowing the Difference.
Karma is what you sow. It is your free will—your actions, intentions, choices. Niyati is what manifests from it. It is the cosmic administration that aligns your karma with the timing, situation, and results appropriate to your soul's journey. You can choose your actions, but not always the consequences or their timing—because that rests with Niyati.

"As is a man's desire, so is his will; as is his will, so is his deed; as is his deed, so is his destiny." (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad 4.4.5) This progression from desire (kāma) to destiny (niyati) shows that our inner world (intentions) births our outer fate. According to Sanatan Dharma, Niyati is not fatalistic. Niyati does not override karma or effort. In fact, in the four goals of human life (Purusharthas)—Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Moksha—human effort is not only recognised but exalted.

“One must uplift oneself by one’s own Self.” (Bhagavad Gita 6.5)

This empowers the devotee, reminding them that while Niyati governs timing, we create our karmic blueprint through thoughts, intentions, and deeds.

In an age of anxiety, where people feel powerless, the understanding of Niyati gives perspective. It teaches:
-That every soul has its timeline
-That no suffering is random—all is governed by cause and dharma
-That while fate exists, it is born from our actions and can be reshaped by awareness.

Surrender and Effort Go Hand in Hand. True understanding of Niyati leads not to helplessness, but to humble surrender and wise effort. As Sri Krishna taught in the Gita: “Do your duty, do not worry about results.” Because the results are niyatam—destined, bound by divine order—but your duty is your free will.

Let us walk the path of Sanatan Dharma with effort in our hands and faith in Niyati in our hearts.

Harit Ratna

18/07/2025

Rishika Women Seers in the Vedas: Pioneering Voices Women in Ancient India.

In the vast expanse of the Rig Veda—India’s oldest sacred text—there emerges a remarkable and often overlooked phenomenon: powerful, intellectually formidable women. These Rishika women seers—or Rishikas—were not passive participants but active composers, philosophers, teachers, and leaders. Notably, Lopamudra, Gargi, Maitreyi, Ghosha, and Vak Ambhrini contributed hymns, engaged in profound philosophical dialogue, and shaped ancient spiritual discourse.

Rishikas & Brahmavadinis of Vedic India: The term Rishika means “female sage” or seer of Vedic hymns. Women who delved deeply into spiritual knowledge were also referred to as Brahmavadinis—those who speak of, or know, Brahman (Ultimate Reality).

In early Vedic society, such women were afforded equal spiritual standing to men. Co-education, public rituals, and philosophical debates were not the exclusive domain of men .

Lopamudra: Philosopher and Hymnist, wife of the sage Agastya, Lopamudra appears in Rig Veda 1.179 and other texts . She was not mere consort—she was scholar, philosopher, and hymn composer. Her dialogues with Agastya reflect her intellect and emotional nuance, urging him to balance asceticism with human love .

Ghosha: Hymnist and Seer Healed by the Ashvins, Ghosha, granddaughter of Dirghatamas, composed fourteen-verse hymns in Rig Veda Book 10 (Suktas 39 and 40). Her devotional hymns to the Ashvins—Vedic healers—led to her recovery from leprosy, marking a personal and spiritual triumph .

Vak Ambhrini: Voice of the Divine Feminine, this Rishika composed the profound Devi Sukta (Rig Veda 10.125), identifying herself with Vak Devi—the Goddess of Speech. Her hymn is a radical declaration: “I pervade all creatures… I am the eternal consciousness that dwells in all.” Thus, female spiritual voice is directly equated with cosmic consciousness .

Maitreyi: Philosopher and Mystic. Maitreyi, daughter of sage Mitra and niece of Gargi, is immortalized in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. She questions her husband Yajnavalkya on immortality, prioritizing spiritual knowledge over material wealth . She also contributed ten hymns to the Rig Veda .

Gargi Vachaknavi: The Philosopher Who Challenged Yajnavalkya. From the court of King Janaka in Mithila, Gargi emerges as a formidable philosopher. She boldly challenged Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, probing the nature of ultimate reality (Brahman) through piercing metaphysical questions .

Other Rishikas: The Rig Veda names approximately 30 female Rishikas, including Vishwavara, Shashwati, Yami, Surya, and others . These women composed hymns to Agni, Indra, cosmic principles—verifying that knowledge and devotion were not gender-limited.

Education, Ritual, and Rights of Women: Vedic women participated in education, rituals, and public life. They learned Vedic chants, and acted as officiants in fire sacrifices (Agnihotra, Soma) alongside men . Widow remarriage, swayamvara, and spiritual independence were accepted practices. There were female scholars and Rishis (sages) like Apala, and Ghosa, who participated in philosophical debates.

Attended the upanayana: While the Upanayana ceremony became more restricted to men in later periods, there is evidence in Vedic and early Smriti texts (like Harita Dharmasutras, Ashvalayana Grihya Sutra, and Yama Smriti) that girls, particularly those who intended to pursue Vedic studies (Brahmavadinis), did undergo the Upanayana rite. For others (Sadyovadhus, those who married directly), some aspects of Upanayana might have been incorporated into their wedding rituals.

The wife was considered an essential partner in sacrifices (Yajnas), and they offered oblations alongside their husbands.

Decline and Later Shifts: Post-Vedic periods saw a decline in women’s roles—triggered by social conservatism, codification, and foreign influences. The later Manusmriti, Smritis, and medieval norms increasingly marginalized women. This sharp socio-cultural shift contrasts sharply with early Vedic openness.

It's crucial to understand that the "Vedic period" spans a long time, and the status of women was highest in the early Rig Vedic period. In the later Vedic period and subsequent eras (like the Post-Vedic and Smriti periods), the status and rights of women gradually declined, with practices like child marriage becoming more common, restrictions on education, and prohibition of widow remarriage.

Modern Relevance & Lessons: These Rishikas mirror modern aspirations for gender equality in spiritual and intellectual domains.
Their voices underscore that wisdom, not gender, is the true qualification for spiritual pursuit.
Reclaiming their legacy empowers today's discussions on women's leadership, education, and spiritual roles.

The Rishika women seers of the Vedas are not footnotes—they are cornerstones of ancient Indian thought. Their hymns, dialogues, and presence in rituals testify to a Vedic society that embraced spiritual wisdom irrespective of gender.

Harit Ratna

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17/07/2025

Aśvattha: The Inverted Cosmic Tree, A Metaphysical Journey Rooted in Heaven and Branching into Illusion.

In Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna delivers a stunning philosophical image—so unusual and breathtaking that it can make even a seasoned seeker pause:

“ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvattham prāhur avyayam”
“There is a tree, eternal, with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree truly knows the Vedas.”

This is the Aśvattha Tree, the tree of sansāra (worldly existence)—but unlike ordinary trees, it grows upside down. Its roots are fixed in heavenly, eternal realms (ūrdhva-mūla)—in Brahman, the formless source of all. Its branches, however, grow downward into the material world, nourishing themselves through the three guṇas (modes of nature: sattva, rajas, and tamas). The literal meaning is "That which does not remain the same tomorrow."

This impermanence captures the essence of Maya (illusion). The Aśvattha is not just a tree—it is a living metaphor for the transient, ever-changing, illusory world. Long before the Bhagavad Gita, the Kaṭha Upanishad introduced this image:
“There is an eternal tree with its roots above and branches below. That is the pure, that is Brahman, that alone is called the immortal.”
(Kaṭha Upanishad 2.3.1)

The Upanishads often speak in paradoxes, urging the seeker to move beyond duality and to awaken to the truth that the seen world is the reflection, not the source.

Why Inverted? This tree defies physical logic. Why would a tree grow with its roots in the sky and branches dangling downward?

Philosophical Reason: The roots above represent Brahman, the eternal source. Everything material flows from the subtle to the gross, from causal to manifest. The branches (our senses, emotions, thoughts) descend from this invisible Source. But the jīva (individual soul), caught in ignorance, mistakes the branches for the root. We cling to what we can touch and see, and forget our origin.

This metaphor is not merely mystical—it’s psychological.
Every desire, emotion, and attachment is like a branch.
As we descend further into the tree, we get lost in the forest of illusion (moh-jāl). The more you identify with the branches, the farther you move from the root.

The Leaves Are the Vedas (Gītā 15.1)
“The Vedic hymns are its leaves.” Just as leaves sustain a tree, so too the knowledge of the Vedas sustains human existence by reminding the soul of its connection to the Source. The leaves filter light, like scriptures filter Divine truth for human understanding. But even scriptures can become detached from the root, if not internalised through spiritual experience.

The Tree is Nourished by Guṇas (Gītā 15.2)
“The branches are nourished by the three guṇas; the sense-objects are their buds.”

The tree of samsāra is fed by:
Sattva – Mode of purity, light, and knowledge
Rajas – Activity, passion, desire
Tamas – Ignorance, darkness, inertia

These modes bind the jīva to its experiences. The buds on the tree are sense objects—pleasure, fame, power—always blossoming to distract and enslave us.

Karma: The Aerial Roots That Bind
While the main root is above, the aerial roots from the branches descend down and tie us to lower realms.

These roots are actions, or karma, born of attachment. In particular, they entangle the soul most deeply in the human plane, where free will operates but is misused. This means that even as you grow outward, you grow further entangled unless you turn inward.

Why No One Can Perceive the Tree’s True Form? (Gītā 15.3)
“Its real form is not perceived in this world. Neither its beginning, nor end, nor foundation is seen.” This tree is invisible to the deluded eye. It’s not a literal fig tree in the forest—it is existence itself. No telescope or microscope can show you the beginning of this tree. Its foundation is spiritual and eternal—thus beyond empirical tools.

The Axe of Detachment (Gītā 15.3–4)
The only way to truly “see” it is through jnāna (knowledge) and vairāgya (detachment). “With the strong weapon of detachment, cut down this deeply rooted tree.”

Asanga (non-attachment) is the spiritual axe. You must sever the karma-rooted branches, cut your ties to the sensory world, and reverse your direction. Only then can the jīva ascend back toward the root of all being.

This isn’t escapism—it’s a call to awaken.

Beyond the Tree “There exists that supreme abode of mine, where having gone, one never returns.” (Gītā 15.6)

Once the tree of illusion is cut, the soul returns to its source—Vaikuntha, Kailasa, or Brahman, depending on the spiritual path.

This is the liberated state where karma ceases.
No more birth. No more death.
Just existence, consciousness, and bliss (sat-chit-ananda).

Aśvattha and the Bodhi Tree Connection: It’s no coincidence that Buddha attained enlightenment under an Aśvattha tree (Ficus religiosa) sacred fig or peepal tree. The symbolism is deep. Buddha did not climb up the tree of samsāra—he sat beneath it, became still, and saw through the illusion. This is not just a physical tree, but a spiritual mirror of the cosmos.

What we see is not the root, but a projection. In this way, Sanatan Dharma was miles ahead of materialist science in explaining consciousness as fundamental.

Visualizing the Tree for Meditative Practice:

1. Close your eyes and visualise a giant tree hanging down from the heavens.
2. See its branches tangled in human affairs, technology, relationships, wars, and pleasure.
3. See the aerial roots dropping down into attachment, craving, and addiction.
4. Now, take the sword of discrimination and begin to sever those roots.
5. With every cut, feel lighter. Feel yourself rising toward the light.
6. Arrive at the root—formless, still, infinite.

Real-World Implications: How to Apply This Today?

Stop chasing branches (money, fame, validation).
Seek the root—what is eternal, unchanging, infinite.
Practice non discrimination and detachment.
Question: Am I a branch… or am I the root?

Final Reflection: Are You Climbing Down or Rising Up?

Every moment, you are either Growing deeper into the branches, entangled by desire and distraction or climbing upward through awareness, toward the source, toward freedom. This metaphor isn't mythology—it is a map. A map from the chaos of form to the calm of the formless.

The Aśvattha tree is your life itself, not a religious dogma. Once you realise it, the scriptures aren’t on paper—they are alive in your being. To know this tree is to know your origin, your entanglement, and your liberation.

Harit Ratna