A beautiful teaching in this tradition and many others is that of the seed and how it holds the potential for a tree to sprout, grow, blossom, fruit, and create more seeds. The Chāndogya Upaniṣad has a story of a father who asks his son to bring him a fruit from a giant banyan tree. The father asks the son to break open the fruit and then to cut into one of the tiny seeds. He then asks his son what he sees inside the seed, and the boy, looking at the viscous material, says that he sees nothing. Then his father explains that this apparent nothingness holds the potential of a giant tree.

Think of a fig, whose seeds are very tiny. Yet somehow within each seed, there is potential for a giant tree. The seed can barely be seen—it is almost invisible—and looking inside, it looks like nothing. Yet when nurtured, the seed will ultimately sprout and yield fruit. The seed contains the potential for the tree.

This teaching applies to many aspects of the journey of yoga. For example, a yoga class I took in college planted a seed that laid dormant for several years. Then when my life was blown apart, somehow I intuited that yoga could be of use, and I began to nurture that seed.

We are constantly planting seeds, and reaping the harvest of seeds we previously planted. As we study the teachings of yoga, we are planting seeds into our awareness. Those seeds are nourished with the nutrients of sādhanā/assemblage of practices, including the study of the teachings, as they reverberate and grow in awareness, and as well by the input from teachers and conversations with fellow students.

REFLECT AND EXPLORE

Contemplate the teaching of the seed and the tree.

How have you experienced it manifesting in your life?

Can you discern how “seeds” you planted later sprouted and bore fruit?

What are other interpretations of this teaching?