Swami Shantamritananda said parents know that it does not occur to their children to pay them back for all that they’re doing to raise them in this world. He said that nature is also patient with us in this way. But once we grow into maturity and become adults, we have the opportunity to realize what we’ve been given by nature and to give back to her what we can, in order to live in harmony with its cycles.

Amma says, "Our thoughts and actions have an effect on Nature. If the balance in nature is lost, the harmony of human life will also be lost. The destruction of nature is the same thing as the destruction of humanity. Our biological mother may carry us on her lap for a few years, but mother earth will tolerate all our abuses and take care of us for our entire lifespan. We have forgotten the truth that nature is a powerful force—just as capable of retribution as redemption. Perhaps Mother Nature has begun to realize that being patient will not improve humankind. Therefore, let us learn to bow our heads in humility to nature. Let us learn to treat nature with love and respect."

Shantamritanandaji also told a story about when he first met Amma. He used to be concerned that human beings could destroy nature. But Amma said, "a man may think he can push a button and destroy the planet (meaning the button to launch a nuclear war), but where does the power to push that button come from? The power to push that button doesn’t belong to him. He can only push that button if he is given the permission to push that button."

Swamiji said these words from Amma shifted his mind. He said every bit of destruction we’ve done so far is only because nature is being patient with us. With a flick of her wrist she can remove us from her lap.

Amma often says that before we eat something, we should take a moment to reflect on how that food arrived on our plate. "Not a grain of the food we eat is made purely by our own effort. What comes to us in the form of food is the work of others, the bounty of nature and God’s compassion. Never eat anything without first praying with humility and gratitude."

A farmer sows seeds, cares for the crops, harvests them and sells them at the market. A processing plant with all its employees, packages the goods and sells them to the retail outlets. Trucks and drivers transport them. We travel to a store to buy them, usually in a car made by other people and made with metals and combined elements from the earth, where someone unloads the truck, and others stock the shelves, and still others stand at the cash register to sell these goods to us. If you are eating off of a plate, who made that plate? Who mined what was needed to create it? Who shaped it? What about the silverware or the table and chairs many of us use? We can be grateful for how intertwined our human community is even when it comes to just one simple meal, by acknowledging all the plants that gave their lives for us.

To deepen our relationship with plants and nature, Amma says, "Carpooling, nurturing honeybees, planting trees, cleaning the environment, waste management and growing vegetables were recommended many years ago, and Amma’s children are doing that. Even if we only have a tiny plot of land, we should try to grow a few vegetables using organic fertilizers. But never grieve. What is the use of feeling sad if a plant that we have grown withers away? Plant another one without brooding over the lost one. This relationship will give us a new vitality. We can create heaven right here by doing such things like growing our plants with love. Looking at nature and observing her selfless way of giving, we can become aware of our own limitations. This will help us develop devotion and surrender to God. Nature can bring us closer to God and teach us how to truly worship the divine. The royal path to a beautiful and inclusive world is the way of equal vision. As this equal vision increases in society, the lost harmony of the world can be regained. Amma offers a prayer to the Paramātmā (Supreme Self) that this vision of unity may shine in all her children!"

In conclusion, now that we’ve had a look at the sentience of plants and taken a view into how we might become more aware of the value of our relationship with nature, including how food gets to our table, we could further our efforts towards honoring and serving nature and all plants, by following Amma’s advice in her words throughout this article. Additionally, we could cultivate our own personal awareness of the sentience of plants by spending time in the woods, feeling what the trees are feeling, talking to the bushes, communing with the flowers and herbs, and meditating in nature, feeling the Oneness, the deep silence.

Divya Nancy Griffiths , Albuquerque, New Mexico