Swami Sunirmalananda is presently an Assistant Minister at our Geneva Centre in Europe. Recently I had an opportunity to read through his blog and found a Post indeed very interesting. With his permission, I re-post that article here in this blog for our reader-devotees. It actually explores a concept of ‘Gift receiving’ from Santa Claus and down the line to Sri Ramakrishna. The tree in both cases viz., be it Christmas Tree or Kalpa Tree, according to the author, refers to ‘the physical representation of our desire’. The Gift from Incarnations is nothing but a method helping the devotees to go ‘inward’ and ‘find the kingdom within’.
This article was originally published by “Vedanta” – a bi-monthly magazine brought out by our London centre.
I hope you will also find it enlightening.
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Vedanta in Practice 
Revered Maharaj,
Please accept my sastanga pranam.
It is a blessing for me that you have taken time to read this article.
You are so busy, yet you read it. And it is a still greater blessing that you have kindly published it in this blog.
My humble pranam.
Swami Sunirmalananda
Geneva, Switzerland
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||Sri Ramakrishna sharanam||
Dear brother
Happy Kalpataru Day!
Your article came to my attention at the right time, (its Mother’s grace!) and hence I decided instead of writing afresh on the subject, to place your post on the Kalpataru day from your blog. Thanks for your permission. Your blog contains some nice articles for the thinkers.
Its always a pleasure to go through our monastic brothers’ articles wherever they are published. If interest is there, time can be found. So my being busy does not stop me reading good articles. I have not access to all the printed materials but whatever available on the internet is easy to obtain, courtesy – the munificence of our devotees.
By the by in which issue of Vedanta this article was originally brought out?
How is the winter there? Take care. When are you starting some classes?
Swami Vimokshananda
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Om Namo Narayanaya!
My prostrations at the Feet of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother and Swamiji! Pranam to Revered Maharaj.
I trust that Maharaj is well.
I am certain that devotees benefited much from the abundant grace that must have inevitably been flowing from Maharaj during this period of cheer.
Thanks to Maharaj for posting this most informative and enlightening article! It’s the best Christmas gift that Maharaj has bestowed on His readers! The dreamy, magic-like qualities associated with Christmas and its wish fulfilling tree progressively degenerates to a time of commercialism and every type of excess conceivable as we grow into adults. How comforting it is to know that our wishes need not be limited to this period, but we may wish throughout the year, in fact, throughout one’s life! (I must confess, my wish-list is endless!)
Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!
Nirmala Balkaran
Ladysmith, SA
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