Trees have emotions and at times they forgive humans for their misdeeds

Indian scientist Jagdishchandra Bose has revealed that trees too have life. Bharatiya culture considers trees as Deities and therefore they are worshipped. Trees have emotions and at times forgive humans for their misdeeds. This has been experienced through various experiments performed. These experiences are given below.

‘Our garden at Nasik was blossoming with a variety of hibiscus flowers. Just in front of our door there was a hibiscus tree blooming with flowers having yellow petals and dark pink canopy on their inner side. Every day the tree would bear more than sixty flowers. It was my favourite hibiscus tree, but its branches were growing into the garden of our neighbour Mr. Sonar uncle. The next day the flowers would wither and fall on the ground creating a litter. Many gnats would infest the withered flowers and fly into the house too. Withered flowers become sticky and may cause people stepping upon them to slip and fall. Due to this reason Sonar uncle repeatedly asked me to trim the branches, however I used to request him to wait a little longer till the buds bloom into flowers. I used to assure him that I would trim the branches once blossom reduces.

Cutting off the branches of hibiscus flower in rage
and later realizing one’s own demeaning behaviour

Despite repeated requests for several days when I did not comply, Sonar uncle lost his temper and ordered me to chop branches of the tree immediately. Consequently, I too lost my temper and impulsively chopped off the branches of the trees with a shears and sickle reducing its height from 10 to 12 feet to about 2.5 – 3 feet. This action of mine was a perfect example of how humans act in an insensible manner with a surge of uncontrolled anger. Though I regretted it later it was of no use as the damage was already done.

The tree grew again in the monsoon but did not bear a single flower

In the rainy season the tree grew once again. Surprisingly, not a single branch grew into the neighbour’s garden. The leaves were fresh and green, however there was not a single flower. Innumerable flowers had blossomed on the neighbouring trees. We tried using fertilizers and spraying pesticides on this hibiscus tree. We gave the tree manure and sprayed insecticides but to no avail. Six months elapsed and my restlessness grew. When I told this to Sonar uncle, he too felt very repentant.

Within a few days of seeking forgiveness
buds appeared on the hibiscus tree

“One day I had a telephonic conversation with Saraswati didi, a senior volunteer from the Vivekanand Kendra in Kanyakumari. She had deep knowledge on plants. I narrated her the incidence regarding my hibiscus tree. She then advised me to seek forgiveness from the tree, to caress it and to chat with it every day at a specific time. I complied with the advice. Though initially it was a little artificial, as the days went by a kind of longing to talk to it and caress it developed. Instead of wondering when it would blossom with flowers, a unique relationship which was of greater significance to me, developed between us. About twelve days elapsed. One day I found a bud emerging from behind a leaf. My joy knew no bounds. Within four days the tree was full of buds and they began blooming into flowers. It was only then I was convinced that the tree had forgiven me. Thereafter when chatting with that tree I promised it that I would never repeat the errant behaviour.

– Bharati Thakur, Narmadalay, Lepa Punarvas (Bauragadh), Khargon District, Madhya Pradesh