Are Trees Conscious? - by Talia

Are Trees Conscious?

What is the difference from Consciousness in humans, animals, plants...?

What is Mind? What is Life? 

Let's begin with Consciousness.

Consciousness is the state of being aware. In Yoga asana class, we say 'watch the feelings in your pelvis', 'come back to your breath', 'press your whole foot down' etc. The Teacher directs our focus to these parts of our bodies (or breath). In fact, this is usually more of a redirecting: often without realizing (unconsciously), we start to think about something. This is mind. This is not consciousness. We are not awake.

Then are trees conscious?

Trees and plants use acoustic vibrations to detect objects (i.e. stones blocking its path) from a chemical reaction system located in the root hairs of plants - meaning they can feel sound. The plants respond from pure awareness - at the present moment. This is Consciousness. 

Human consciousness is clouded by mind.

When mind is in the way, our level of Consciousness is low. We are not aware, even if we "think" we are - just this thought is thinking. We can think about the future, which has not yet occurred (imagination), or about the past (memory) which, likewise does not exist in this moment. We can think things that are true (right knowledge) or wrong knowledge; all just impressions/thoughts however useful. These, together with sleep, are the 5 functions of the Mind according to the Yoga Sutras.

With regards to plant life and the mind, we cannot be sure if plants can think or feel. Yet, we have learned that plants can sense light, gravity and water. Many species have also been shown to have memory. This has been shown through learning acquisition, such as added defense mechanisms after exposure to stressors like excess light or salinity.

If plants have memory, is there something that makes humans different?

When a thought comes up from the past, we often get swept away in it. We use it to to compare on moment from another, which means we lose the moment. If we cling onto memories, we create suffering ~ because we cannot enjoy where we are right now. We keep going somewhere else. Even if we refuse the past and keep trying to move away from it, we are trying to escape into the future, which is the same thing. A tree is aware of the stimuli and responds. Pure awareness. We practice Yoga only for this reason - to experience this pure awareness. 

How?

We watch a moment without thought - without even awareness that there is no thought. There is a gap of "no-mind". At first, we can only do this for 2-3 seconds and even that is an achievement! But these gaps keep widening. These gaps are the experience of pure Consciousness, of the True Self. 

This is the achievement of Yoga. 

This is a state of Samadhi (Nirvana, Enlightenment).

In this way, humans and other forms of life are all the same pure Consciousness - just for humans, Mind prevents us from seeing this. 

"When you eat, just eat. 
When you sleep, just sleep.
Without thinking.
When you drop mind, just drop."
It's easy."  - Wongjanim

It's easy.

Just like the silent forest, we can find our silence. 

The forest is not lost somewhere. It is simply here. 

When you are here, you can be one with the whole world ~ already you are. You are Buddha. We have just forgotten this. We are all moving in this direction - just as each trees follows the wind.

I am lucky to have discovered a space where my Teachers are on this path, and can guide me. We are all moving together, in the same direction.