Sacred Plants

Extraordinary qualities – Revere, adapt and express.

Now that India has lost much of her natural bounty to colonial plunder, overpopulation, shortsighted development projects and industrial alienation, I ask myself that how honest and truthful are we for the future, considering and learning from our ecology-conscious past in the golden eras of the Vedas and epics? If we do not consider trees and plants sacred, is it due to our alienation from nature and uncontrolled exploitive nature to use each and every bit and bytes of nature?
Trees are generous providers of food, shade, beauty and medicine. Hence, in India, we are taught to give respect to trees and plants. Scriptures tell us to plant ten trees if, for any reason, we have to cut one, we are advised to use parts of trees and plants only as much as is needed for food, fuel, shelter etc. we are also urged to apologize to a plant or a tree before cutting it, to avoid incurring a specific sin named soona. Certain trees and plants like tulasi, peepal etc., have tremendous beneficial qualities, are worshipped till today. It is believed that divine beings manifest as trees and plants, and many people worship them to fulfill their desires or to please the Lord. Now, this aspect of our belief system is created based on centuries of experience and examples of society�s dependency on trees. In present time, we have already started seeing many Green-Peace organizations promoting concept of protecting green belts on earth. To consider someone sacred because life is dependent on them looks like a selfish act to me and I feel that there should be some higher purpose above this clever bargain of reciprocation of thanks for all help received in terms of food, shelter and medicines.
I believe that, in past, as per scriptural evidences, to consider trees sacred must be an expression of reverence, beauty, bounty, veneration, abundance, generosity and vigor and not mere praise in return for help. Not much in past, Jagadish Chandra Bose in 1927 started research on belief system that �there is relation between Tree in my backyard and I� and he In his research in plant stimuli, showed with the help of his newly invented crescograph that plants responded to various stimuli as if they had nervous systems like that of animals. He therefore found a parallelism between animal and plant tissues. His experiments showed that plants grow faster in pleasant music and its growth retards in noise or harsh sound. This was experimentally verified later on.
BBC documentary, The Private Life of Plants by David Attenborough unveils plants and their activities in 6 parts showing similarity between humans and plants. Plants are able to travel (Example : Brambe), they search for their ways of sustenance and grow in unique fashion(the cheese plant as an example whose young shoots head for the nearest tree trunk and then climb to the top of the forest canopy, developing its leaves en route.), they reproduce (Pollen and a stigma are the two components needed for fertilization.) , there is social struggle between them, plants compete for dominance within them(the strangler fig ‘throttles’ its host by growing around it and cutting off essential water and light.). They live together harmoniously (The rafflesia has no stem or leaves and only emerges from its host in order to bloom � and it produces the largest single flower: one meter across.) and they also have to play survival of the fittest game (those that dominate the surface will proliferate is a rule in lakes, and the Amazon water lily provides an apt illustration.)
Exemplification by above instances (Travel, Growth, Flowering, Social struggle, living together and survival) is brought here to demonstrate concept of having similarities between life of humans and of a counterpart of inhabitants on earth. When we find extraordinary qualities in person, place or object, reverence comes automatically and trees with their qualities are having no difference than humans.

He who, dwelling in all things,
Yet is other than all things,
Whom all things do not know,
Whose body all things are,
Who controls all things from within-
He is your Soul, the Inner Controller,
The Immortal.

The SACRED is that which the object of veneration and awe is. The term comes from the Latin sacer meaning restricted or set off. A person may be designated as sacred, and so can be an object or a place, which is regarded as extraordinary or unique. Don�t you feel that the life in us, pervades all living beings, be it plants or animals? All living things have the same nature as far as basic instincts and activities are concerned and are uniquely extraordinary. When we see no difference between you and me, I certainly cannot see the difference between plants and us and that leads to utmost respect, admiration and gratitude not only for you but also for equally unique and extraordinary plants.

May be if this admiration and reverence for trees and plants becomes our life style at global level, we can solve our environmental issues by restricting exploitive use of abundant natural resources.

PS: Special Thanks to Rahul and Vedic Learning team for helping in editing.

We as Indians, prostrate before our parents, elders, teachers and noble souls by touching their feet. Our elders bless us back by placing his or her hand on or over our heads. It is done daily, especially when we meet elders and particularly on important occasions like the beginning of a new task, birthdays, festivals etc. Abhivandana is served to introduce one-self and to announce one�s family and social culture along with prostration in certain traditional circles.

To touch the feet in prostration is a sign of respect for maturity, nobility, age and divinity that our elders personify. It is a symbol of the sacrifices they have done for our welfare and our recognition of their selfless love for us. It�s a way of acknowledging the greatness of another humbly. It reflects the strong family ties, which has been one of India�s enduring strengths as well as our social security.

The aashirvada (blessings) and sankalpa (good wishes) of elders are highly valued in India and which we seek during prostration. Positive vibrations are created by good thoughts. There is tremendous strength in good wishes springing from a heart full of love, divinity and nobility. We invoke the good wishes and blessings of elders which flow in the form of positive energy to envelop us, when we prostrate with humility and respect. That�s why the posture assumed whether it is in the standing or prone position, enables the entire body to receive the energy thus received.

There are different forms of showing respect:

Pratuthana : Rising to welcome person���

Namaskaara: Paying homes in form of namaste

Upasangrahan: Touching the feet of elders or teachers�����������������������

Pratyabivaadana: Returning a greeting�����������������������������������

Shaashtaanga: Prostrating fully with the feet, knees, stomach, chest, forehead and arms touching the ground in front of the elder.���

Well, i think there are even more than that but nobody does the easiest namaste. What do you think?

��������� We, Indians greet each other with namaste. While saying the word namaste, our two palms are placed together infront of the chest and head bows towards the other person. We do namaste to all, means those older than use, of the same age, younger than us and also to strangers and even us.

��������� Actually, there are five forms of traditional formal greeting in the shaastras from which namaskar is one of them. Namaste can be casualised or formalised as a cultural convention or an act of worship. In Sanskrit namah+te = namaste. It means � I bow to you � my greetings, prostration or salutes to you. Namah is having spiritual significance of decreasing one�s ego in the presence of another as namah can be interpreted as �na� (not) �mah� (mine)

��������� When we meet each other physically, it is actually a real meeting of our minds. In this meeting when we say namaste with folded palms over the chest, it means as �may our minds meet.� The forward bowing of the head is to show a form of extending friendship inlove and humility.
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��������� There is even much deeper meaning of doing namaste spiritually.� The self, the lord, the divinity or the force is the same in all. Understanding this oneness with the meeting of the palms, we respect the Divinity in the person we meet. We close our eyes sometimes as we do namaste to a, it me revered person or the Lord � as if to look within. The gesture is often accompanied by words like “Jai Shri Krishna“, “Namo Narayana“, “Jai Siya Ram“, “Om Shanti” etc – indicating the recognition of this divinity.

��������� When you know such significance of this graceful namaste, it does not remain as a superficial gesture or word but makes the way for a much deeper communication with other in an environment of love and respect.

In almost every Indian home a lamp is lit daily before the altar of the Lord. In some houses it is lit at dawn, in some, twice a day � at dawn and dusk � and in a few it is maintained continuously – Akhanda Deepa. All auspicious functions commence with the lighting of the lamp, which is often maintained right through the occasion.

Light symbolizes knowledge, and darkness – ignorance. The Lord is the “Knowledge Principle” (Chaitanya) who is the source, the enlivener and the illuminator of all knowledge. Hence light is worshiped as the Lord himself. Knowledge removes ignorance just as light removes darkness. Also knowledge is a lasting inner wealth by which all outer achievement can be accomplished. Hence we light the lamp to bow down to knowledge as the greatest of all forms of wealth.

Why not light a bulb or tube light? That too would remove darkness. But the traditional oil lamp has a further spiritual significance. The oil or ghee in the lamp symbolizes our vaasanas or negative tendencies and the wick, the ego. When lit by spiritual knowledge, the vaasanas get slowly exhausted and the ego too finally perishes. The flame of a lamp always burns upwards. Similarly we should acquire such knowledge as to take us towards higher ideals.

Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:

Deepajyothi parabrahma
Deepa sarva tamopahaha
Deepena saadhyate saram
Sandhyaa deepo namostute

I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved in life.

We as a Hindu are blessed with a cultural heritage of thousands of rituals and customs known as Aacharaas. This customs and rituals are for us to improve the productivity and life. There are no strict rules or regulations to follow. That is the reason that present survey shows we had forgotten almost every customs and rituals except couple of flexible rituals. And,now we had started getting curse of it in manner of new psychological and physical health problems. This clearly signifies that our culture and dharma is founded on scientific spiritually.

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If you go back to search in our ancient literature, it is clearly posted in Eesaavaasya Upanishad, the 40^th chapter of Yajurveda that use spiritual wisdom to attain immortality through philosophical outlook and use scientific knowledge for solving problems in our life. Spiritual is closely intermingled in each and every Hindu custom and so in every life of Hindu.

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Following Shlok defines importance of Aachaaraas:

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Aachaaraath labhathe hi ayu:

aachaaraath dhanamakshayam

aachaaraath labhathe suprajaa:

������������������������� aachaaro ahanthya lakshanam

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Aachaaraas should be followed for prosperity and wealth, strong family and social bondage. According to our dharmasaastra, it gives fine personality, dharmic outlook and vision. We need to follow it for our benefit and it is our right as well as duty to understand scientifically, rationally and logically the meaning of each and every Aachaaraas and follow them in our life systematically.

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Achaaryaath paadam aadatthe

paadam sishya swamedhayaa

paadam sa brahmachaaribhya

��������������� sesham kaala kramena cha

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Above is an important advice given in Smruthies, it means that a person gets only one quarter of knowledge from Aacharya � the teacher, another quarter from analyzing himself, one quarter from discussing with others and the last quarter by method of addition, deletion, correction and modification of already known Aachaaraas or new Aachaaraas.

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We will explain in upcoming MONDAY LEARNINGS about common Aachaaraas at our Vedic Learnings so as to help someone understand the wisdom of our ancient heritage. By doing such noble work, we are expecting to get the quarter of knowledge from discussing with others.

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Now, it is your turn, your right and your duty!!

It’s been more than a week now we have started learning process and many of my well wishers asked me one Question.Why Gita? why now ? It reminded me to go back and search past for the reasons and I did find at least one reason.

INHERITANCE – Grandfather’s wish

In India (and also in rest of the world), GenNext (next generation) gets precious and earned assets in inheritance from their parents and/or grand parents. Inheritance in the form of assets and balanced wealth, comes with a will, where generally it is advised to use wealth for noble cause in society.

I received nothing but a book from my granddad as an inheritance few years back and was told that this is the only thing I required in life, rest can be earned effortlessly if I learn from this book. I was also advised to read it as early as possible and as many times possible throughout the life and convey the message to world.

A book with no more than 200 pocket size pages. What do you think, how much time it takes to complete such book? 10 days..? oh..If you are avid reader..2 days and 2 nights are max! Imagine how much time I took to just start first chapter of this book? Only 15 years. 10 years old in me could not understand importance of the book and the book went into secured permanent place in temple. Despite visiting temple everyday, I did not even look at that book for last 15 years of my life. I will call these 15 years as fatal miss for not understanding value of precious inheritance I possessed and responsibility attached with it. Book is not only family heritage to me but is cultural heritage passed on by many generations with sole purpose – understand and celebrate synergy between matter and spirit. It is not only for my personal transformation but for the entire mankind’s enhancement. Finally, having this understanding developed in 2008, I felt selfish this summer for not understanding simple but profound message given as a book by my grandpa and started taking care of my most precious asset on planet earth since last three months by enchanting and learning one shlok a day from the book and a work undone so far has been started and will go on forever.

Vedic Learnings (http://vediclearnings.wordpress.com/) is all about crossing the mind limits and reach new horizons by learning truths about everything in precise yet poetic manner with the help of greatest guide “The Bhagwad Gita”.

If you love to live life based on thoughts integrated with highest bliss & love, you will fall in love with this book. I do.

PS: Tell you one thing, don’t consider this book as religious book or this web place (http://vediclearnings.wordpress.com/) a religious platform. Religion has limitations and this book is not about limitations, it is about exploring unlimited human will.

���� Is this the time to go back? Most of us will answer it as �not really� if they don�t know the content. But, we would suggest that this is the right time to go back. Yes, after leaving a rote and contingent life for more than two decades i thought of going back. It is known that such reverberating adventures are not always favorable but at the same time meaningless enliven life will lead us to academic Alzheimer�s disease. I don�t say that nobody knows every answer of the questions that they come across in their life. But it takes time to find them ranging from seconds to centuries.� At the same time, we�want a key that opens almost every locks and that search ends in our ancient literature. And, while mentioning mentoring ancient literature we mostly end up around universal mentor � “Srimad Bhagwad Gita”.

���� Besides me, I found two young imprudently wise pundits who shares the same idea and will keep creatively stubborn like me alive.�This blog is collaboration of our work and also an enduring commitment to our culture. Filtration of our souls until it gets immortal would be the highest compensation we can expect with it.� This is probably the homework which is undone since birth and we hope to finish before getting involved in its revolving interest rate.��