The Wish Fulfilling Tree

Sri Annamalai Swami

"We know where the moon is, and we know where the Ganges is, but where is this wish-fulfilling tree?"

"If I tell you where it is, will you be able to leave it?" Bhagavan replied.

I was puzzled by this peculiar answer but I didn't pursue the matter. A few minutes later I opened a copy of yoga vasishtha which was lying next to B. On the first page I looked at, I found a verse which said, "The jnani is the wish-fulfilling tree." I immediately understood B's strange answer to my question. Before I had a chance to tell B about this, he looked at me and smiled. He seemed to know that I had found the right answer. I told B about the verse but he made no comment. He just carried on smiling at me.