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In November 2007, Sri Swamiji held the first All India Bonsai Conference and exhibition, which featured programs with bonsai masters from all over the world. During this time, Sri Swamiji spoke with Kaliji, giving information of how bonsai came to be in the world. This is a portion of His talk.
At the beginning of the story, in the Puranas scriptures, there is a Brahmanda Purana and Bhavishya Purana. Before the calamity, the water calamity, was pralaya. (Note: “pralaya” is a period of time with no planetary, cosmic or universal activity.)
Then came jalapraya (great flood); after jalapraya, there was nothing. It was dark. Our Vishnu, Maha Vishnu, was nirakara - in no form. Our Lord Krishna took form of 2 inches. He meditated… Brahma came invisibly, and there only one tree came from the ocean.
On that very small tiny tree that had only one leaf, Krishna slept on the leaf. They called it arala, arali. So Krishna took form and slept through this pralaya, on the very small tree. Then it grew, the small tree that Krishna built only 2 inches tall. Two inches, and then so many branches, so many leaves - they say 21 branches and 130 leaves.
Maha Bhagavatam, Mahabharata, Bhavishya Purana and Brahmanda purana all say the bonsai was created in that time. I am very happy about this evidence and also today I am very happy that all scientists and saints say, because we are not only so many people who say it is only a decoration tree. You can call it anything, but we are protecting this environment. The environment is very important. People are asking botanic students about that collection, where is the huge collection. We want to see all kinds of trees, all kinds of medicinal trees. Very difficult too, because society is removing all trees - they are putting in 6 lanes, 7 lanes, and big buildings. Where are the trees? And all the time plastic trees, plastic flowers, synthetic, synthetic, synthetic, no originality. The human being is also synthetic. So today in our houses in America there are robots, synthetic robots. One day our children are also synthetic children. I don’t know where this science is going, I don’t know.
So the environment ~ you must protect the trees. I am very happy there are so many examples about protecting nature. Calamities are always so different, different problems coming daily. So please, it is not only a hobby, it is not only fashion, it is not only decoration. If you make one tree, then you put it on exhibit, then you get the prize it is ok, but you must double the favor to protect our country for our family, protect it for our body, protect it for our culture.
So many thousands of questions about this bonsai, this Kishkinda. I have given the answer completely. I have visited 80 countries and visited 150 gardens around the whole world. Japan, China, South Africa, small gardens, big gardens, I want to visit. That is my program after that concert program and my music. My hobby is always my music you know. After this music program, then I want to visit my gardens for inspiration.
There is a big story about bonsai garden. Twenty four gurus in Dattatreya, but I have hundreds of gurus. This Kiskinda Moolika, is like my children, friends and my forefathers.
Jaya Guru Datta
For more information about Sri Swamiji’s bonsai garden, please go here.
