Translated from Russian
by Mikhail Nikolenko
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Plants As we have discussed already, all living organisms which inhabit our planet are subdivided into 5 kingdoms. Plants comprise one of them. We see plants all the time. They cover the entire surface of the globe. They live on land and in water. By transforming inorganic matter (carbon dioxide and water with salts dissolved in it) into organic compounds (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and by producing oxygen, plants create life conditions on the Earth for all other beings. In particular, thanks to the activity of plants the atmosphere of our planet contains enough oxygen for our life. Let me stress that plants themselves create of simple inorganic matter — complex organic compounds necessary for formation of their bodies. All animals, including humans, as well as fungi and many microorganisms can live only thanks to organic compounds produced by plants. It is thanks to plants that we can breathe and eat. Forming the landscape diversity on the Earth, plants provide numerous ecological niches for life of other organisms. Many plants have medicinal properties. Since time immemorial, people accumulated knowledge about the medicinal properties of plants and imparted this experience to next generations. And now, we can use this knowledge for preventing and curing various diseases. From cotton and flax we make clothes, linen, etc. Wood is widely used in the industry: in building, in production of furniture, musical instruments, in shipbuilding… From coniferous trees we produce rosin and turpentine. Coal deposits on the Earth were formed also thanks to plants. And one should not forget about the esthetical role of plants! One can gain so many wonderful impressions from contacts with living nature, the dominant part of which is represented by plants! Blooming fields, meadows, steppes fill us with emotions of joy and delight in their beauty! Insects collecting nectar in the flowers, grasshoppers chirping in the grass… Elusive corncrakes, hiding in the thicket of grass, as if sing: “Here, here! I am here!”… Fragrance of flowers fills the air… This beauty inspires, charms!
Or a birch forest… It is filled with special purity, transparency. It creates the feeling of easiness, lightness, weightlessness… Pine forest allures one upward, to the light which caresses the tops of the trees… Fir forest submerges its guests into its deep calm…
In the forest, one can — probably for the first time — feel the state of peace and calm, inner quietness… Then there remains only all-consuming quietness, which dissolves in itself everything personal, individual… In the depth of this quietness, communication with God may begin…
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Looking at flowers, let us not just see their outer beauty, but also feel their emotional states. Some of them — smile, others — shyly “cast down the eyes”, others yet — as if open their embraces inviting us, some others — intensely shine with love.
(from the poem "Morning: birth, dawn")
In this way, the soul becomes filled with subtle tenderness of plants. And we receive the possibility to imprint and maintain the higher states of consciousness. The ability to attune with the beauty helps us to go the path of spiritual self-development. The beauty around helps us to awake, to kindle the inner beauty in ourselves! And this allows one to approach gradually the cognition of the Creator of all this beauty! And let us remember: plants are living beings. And we should treat them accordingly!
To enlarge any photo on the screen — click on it with mouse. Authors of photographs: Olga Stepanets, Ekaterina Smirnova, Anton Teplyy, Maria Shtill, Alla Rohlman. |
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