Amma on Planting Trees

This article is a free condensed translation of a weekly article written by Matha Amrithanandamayi in Mathrubhumi daily


"My dear children

Amma has reiterated that there should be nothing in our actions that would scuttle the equilibrium of nature. The scientific Community too tells that. Still it is doubtful whether anyone is actually engaging in Nature Conservation activities. In this respect the Westerners are  far ahead of us. In Alappat panchayath where a lot of people are killed in the Dec 2004 Tsunami, there grows now more than a hundred thousand Tulsi plants. This feat is possible only due to two German girls of the Ashram who travel six kilometers by bicycle every morning to tend them. Now the locals too help them. They have very well realised the greatness  of Tulsi.

But what are we doing now? We are planting trees for Industries only, clearing our native ones. Those trees lack immunity to diseases and require fertilisers and pesticide to survive. At the place where our native flowers stood now stands cactus. It shows the change happened to the human mind. Our ancestors used to put various medicinal flowers and leaves in water and used to drink it. They did not have to use any kind of medicines or tonics. This water itself was acted as their medicine. Their medicinal value are now scientifically proven, still we are not giving enough importance to them.

Guests were given tender coconuts in those days. Now it has given way to tea or coffee or colas. Our children has turned into cola drinkers. Lemon juice was readily available in all petty shops till recently, now it is very rare and only coloured juices are available in shops. Rubber an vanilla are cultivated at the place of coconuts and oranges. It is not due to the love of Nature, but the profit margin only.

For some years now Amma's children are celebrating Vrishchikam first(A Malayalam month starting  around mid-November), a by Planting Trees. The devotees intend to go to Sabarimala temple start the 41 day long vrata on that day. During the 41 days' of rituals and vratha the plant is watered everyday. The Plant is revered as holy and worshipped as a symbol of Nature. We are all dependent on Nature. Realisation of this helps us to remove our selfishness. When one sees himself as part of the Nature itself he realises he and Nature are not two but a single entity. People who love Nature are the real treasure of any Nation. "