There is a legend that the famous Indian saint, Ramakrishna (1836-1886), on January 1, 1886, became the wish-fulfilling (Kalpataru) tree, one of the mythological trees of the Hindu heaven.

The legend goes that Ramakrishna, who was suffering from throat cancer, was living in a garden house near Calcutta. It was New Year’s Day and because India was under British rule, many of his disciples were off work and came to see him that day. As he walked in the garden with these, he saw Girish, the poet and playwright, who had publicly called Ramakrishna an ‘avatar.’

Ramakrishna said, “Girish; what makes you say this of me?”

Girish knelt and, with folded hands, said, “What will I say of Him whose greatness the authors of the scriptures couldn’t find words to express?”

Ramakrishna saying, “Be thou illumined,” touched Girish, who wept with joy at the blessing of illumination. Then the others came and Ramakrishna touched them all granting to each their innermost wishes.

Some sat to meditate; others began to pray. Some laughed, some wept, some said they saw an inner light; some said they had visions of God or one of His saints. One who was touched said he saw God from head to toe whereas before he had only seen glimpses of God.

Others, when touched, felt the upward rush of spiritual power said to come to a man when God is near.

When one man begged, “Please bestow your grace on me,” Ramakrishna said, “You have been given everything already.”

The man then said, “If you say it, it must be true, but could you make it so I could understand it better.”

Then Ramakrishna touched him and the man's consciousness expanded to where he saw God in the sky, in the houses, the trees, the plants and inside all men. Wherever he looked, he saw the omnipresence of God.

One poor man asked for wealth. Ramakrishna touched him. Later, it may be a coincidence, he was bitten by a snake. It was on the day of Ramakrishna’s cremation. And, after Ramakrishna’s death, the man became one of the great publishers of Calcutta, accumulating vast wealth.

The story illustrates John 14:13, and what Jesus said, “Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

After the days’ events, Ramakrishna went to his room and there he said he felt a burning sensation all over his body.

“I have taken on the sins of these devotees and so my body is burning,” he said to one of his disciples. He died a few months later.

It is a fact that his disciples afterwards celebrated January 1 as Kalpataru day. And, after all of them who were there that day had passed away, the annual celebration continued, as it does to this day. There is a tradition among the Swamis and of Ramakrishna’s now millions of devotees and followers, that a miracle had come amongst pious Hindus. These celebrate the day when one of their great saints became the wish fulfilling tree and removed all fear from His devotees.

Now all religions are full of miracles and fabulous tales. Do not judge harshly of this one though it may seem full of exaggeration. A man may not have been swallowed by a whale; or have walked upon the water; lifted a mountain, leapt across the sea, or raised a man from the dead. But there are those who believe it.

This tale is told in its place only because it relates to January 1 and that it has its believers too and, furthermore, in a sense, it speaks to what the day, January 1 may mean, a day of change, of new resolutions, a day of great giving and receiving.