The story of the Tree of Life in Genesis is rich with symbolic meaning, reflecting the spiritual structure of each individual and our inherent connection to God. The tree is not simply an object in the garden; it represents the spiritual body and the pathway to God-consciousness within each of us.

Genesis Passages and Symbolism:

In Genesis, we read:

“Out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

This passage reveals the two trees as two essential components of human experience. The Tree of Life, central to the garden, is symbolic of our spiritual potential and the divine presence within. It stands as an inner connection to our highest consciousness, where the mind and heart align with God’s will. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, however, represents duality and the experience of separation from God through material desires.

Another passage from Revelation echoes this imagery:

“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve manners of fruits and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2)

The twelve fruits are symbolic of the qualities that one can cultivate on the path to God-consciousness. These attributes—God-power, God-love, God-mastery, God-control, God-obedience, God-wisdom, God-harmony, God-gratitude, God-justice, God-reality, God-vision, and God-victory—are the divine virtues, intended for each soul to realize. As we grow in these qualities, we experience a transformation, symbolized by the Tree of Life, into Christ-consciousness, the awareness of ourselves in unity with God.

The Spiritual Awakening through Christ-Consciousness

When the spiritual body is activated through divine teachings—as many experienced through John the Baptist and Jesus Christ—a shift occurs in the mind and soul. This shift awakens the Christ consciousness, aligning us with the divine mind as described by Paul: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). This awakening allows the fruits of goodness, stored in the spiritual body, to manifest outwardly in our lives.

However, as Christ’s teachings ignite the divine spark within, they also illuminate the shadows of the lower self, forcing a confrontation with unredeemed parts of our subconscious. Jesus himself warns of this inner battle in Matthew 16:24: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This path is not one of avoiding the material world but of transforming it by casting the lower self into the sacred fire of divine love.

The Dual Nature of the Tree of Life

The Tree of Life also symbolizes two distinct “storehouses” of life’s experiences: one rooted in higher spiritual awareness and the other in karmic attachments. The tree thus becomes a reflection of both our divine potential and our human weaknesses. Paramahansa Yogananda explains that Genesis is deeply symbolic, with the Tree of Life corresponding to the human body itself, particularly the nervous system, where we experience various sensory “fruits” of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The “apple,” traditionally representing forbidden knowledge, is a symbol of sensual experience that, when overindulged, pulls consciousness downward.

Yogananda’s interpretation suggests that the human body was created not solely through evolution but as a divine act, an instrument uniquely capable of divine realization. This concept is echoed in Gnostic teachings, which often emphasize that humanity carries within it a divine spark. In the words of the Gospel of Thomas, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you” (Gospel of Thomas, Saying 70). This inner potential is likened to a “tree of selfhood,” symbolizing both the lower personality and the higher God-consciousness, with each yielding “fruit after its kind.”

The Role of the Serpent and the Fall from Unity

The serpent in the story of Adam and Eve represents the force of illusion or Maya, which draws consciousness outward and downward. Genesis describes the serpent’s temptation, leading to the first humans’ choice to experience duality, moving from a state of divine unity to one of separation:

“And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die…’ And the woman took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened…. Therefore, God sent them forth from the Garden of Eden.” (Genesis 3:4–7, 23)

The “knowledge of good and evil” represents the experience of duality and the loss of divine innocence. Instead of pure, undivided consciousness, humanity falls into the fragmented awareness of opposites—pleasure and pain, right and wrong. According to Yogananda, this shift was a descent into lower vibrational energies. The forbidden fruit represents the misuse of spiritual energy in the “animal” way of reproduction, which led to the fall from a purely spiritual existence into one bound by physical limitations.

The Purpose of Spiritual Practice: Returning to Eden

The story of Genesis also serves as a reminder of the path back to divine unity. Through conscious effort, meditation, and the cultivation of divine attributes, we gradually shed the layers of karma and duality accumulated over lifetimes. Jesus speaks of this journey, saying, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), emphasizing that Eden is not a physical location but a state of consciousness accessible through inner purification.

To re-enter the “garden” is to align the soul with the Tree of Life, returning to a harmonious state where duality dissolves and we recognize our oneness with God. The Tree of Life, then, represents our potential to return to this Edenic consciousness, where the soul’s purpose aligns perfectly with God’s will, free from the pulls of the lower self. This journey is what the Christ represents—a return to divine awareness, where every thought, emotion, and action flows from the divine source.

In this way, the Tree of Life serves as an enduring symbol of spiritual growth, a map guiding each of us toward the divine presence within. By embracing our dual nature, transmuting lower impulses into higher consciousness, and realizing the Christ mind within, we reclaim our place in the garden, fulfilling the purpose for which we were created.