Cosmic principles in Ayurvedic gardening

[Guest guest]

In the message posted yesterday, we considered how plants essentially

gather nutrients from soil and soil must be treated using ayurvijnan

principles to obtain food and plants having better quality. In order

to understand these methods, it is also necessary to understand some

cosmic principles on which they are based. Some of these were already

touched upon by author in Message# 3441 while discussing that Prana

shakti can be enriched by drinking vegetable and fruit juices. The

solar energy is the one supporting the manifestations of all plant

and animal life on this planet. The discussion in this post may be

felt a little abstract, but can be easily understood by those having

some spiritual background.

 

Polarities

There is a polarity between yields and quality, between substance and

lack of it, between big quantity of products and very small

quantities of subtle ethereal oils. Regarding the definition of

quality, a polarity can be observed between something very physical,

such as the weight, substance - and something very subtle, such as

ethereal oils.

In natural farming we are trying to rediscover what is important in

agriculture.

 

EARTH AND SUN

The entire plant life is a product of the earth and the sun - as some

people say, the Mother Earth, and the Father Sun. In many cultures,

the sun is masculine and the earth is feminine.

Sun is associated with warmth, heat, seasonal rhythm, space and light

(Tejas). On the other hand earth is associated with coolness,

minerals, gravity, water, soil and darkness.

 

Light (Tejas) Principle

 

The colours of the beautiful high altitude flowers are a powerful

manifestation of light. Colour is the response of substances to

light, the potential between the light and the earth. The high

altitude regions are full of light, due to higher reach of higher

frequency spectrum received from sun, with less filtration from cloud

cover or carbon dioxide filter.

 

This leads to very special structures of medicinal plants: the

flowers are very colourful and bright, the leaves are very delicate -

and with a lot of medicinal value. With hardly any substance, high

altitude medicinal plants tend to be small but very powerful. The

light (Teja) that they accumulate is all transformed into essential

oils. The more light, the more essential oils are produced. These

medicinal plants pass through the whole winter with very little

water. They are processing all this light, and they have to

concentrate everything into essential oils. Hence maximum number of

medicinal herbs in India come from Himalayan mountains. In Ramayana,

Laxmana brought a herb from Himalaya and carried it to Sri Lanka to

revive Laxmana who was unconscious.

 

The tannin in the tea leaf, for example, is nothing but concentrated

sunlight. It is this sunlight which activates our senses, working on

very subtle principles.

 

Use of Polarity Principles

An example: Curcure (Equisetum arvense L.) is a plant without leaf.

It consists only of stem. It grows in shady places, and is very rich

in silica. The amount of silica, almost 90%, is one of the highest in

the plant world. Silica is a mineral, belonging to the earth, but it

lets the light go through.

 

Where do we find silica? In sand. Sixty or seventy per cent of the

earth's crust is silica. And if you want to know how silica is

connected to life, just look at a window: the glass is pure silica.

There is silica in spectacles, silica in the eyes and skin, in the

hair - and in leaves. Silica has an affinity to light. In fact, it

draws light.

 

With silica as a carrier of light, we can make use of the polarity of

light and darkness in agriculture. Equisetum arvense contains a lot

of silica, and therefore belongs to the realm of light. On the

contrary, fungus belongs to the realm of cold, moisture and darkness.

We can use a product from one realm to control an imbalance in

another. Equisetum arvense is an excellent fungicide. In India,

people hang a twig of this plant in houses to ward off insects and

even mosquitoes.

 

Out of his own insight, Rudolf Steiner introduced several

preparations to treat the soil to health. Similar principles are also

used by Indian farmers in using natural materials, ashes, animal

bones, horns etc. Naturally occurring plant and animal materials are

combined in specific recipes in certain seasons of the year and then

placed in compost piles. These preparations bear concentrated forces

within them and are used to organise the chaotic elements within the

compost piles. When the process is complete, the resulting

preparations are medicines for the Earth which draw new life forces

from the cosmos. Effects of the preparations have been verified

scientifically.

 

One of the preparations is made from silica powder, processed in a

special way. It is applied to the plants at the time when they are

producing the part that shall be harvested. In case of medicinal

plants, if, for example, the root is harvested for medicinal

purposes, silica is applied when the root is forming. The same

applies for the flower, leaf, etc.

 

This silica powder preparation helps to increase the concentration of

silica in the plant. With silica, the plant increases its rate of

photosynthesis, draws more light(Tejas), and produces more of those

finer aspects. The medicinal value of plants cultivated under such

conditions will be naturally higher and their pests lesser.

 

Silica is an excellent remedy for the foggy Darjeeling/Utakmand

climate. The monsoon mists hold back the plant, whereas silica will

activate the plant growth. Too much shade also creates a situation

for fungus, which silica counteracts. In this way one can balance an

unfavourable climatic situation with biodynamic preparations.

 

One of the soil medicine is made from quartz crystals: the crystal

form of silica. These crystals have geometric forms, perfect

hexagonal shapes. The geometry shows another polarity of form and

formlessness: in silica we have these beautiful shapes, and in fungus

we have amorphous shapes, without form.

 

Geometric Principles and Medicinal Values

 

High altitude flowers are of the most perfect shapes, like stars:

they have the most beautiful, artistic quality. The same applies for

this quartz. These perfect shapes are based on the same geometric

principle. It belongs to the heights, near the light, close to the

stars. In pentagonal and hexagonal flowers we find the same

geometrical principles as in crystals.

 

The differences between the root and the flower of such high altitude

medicinal plants reveal the polarity that is being discussed. The

flower is very nicely shaped, though every species is different. But

why do we not study the roots to differentiate those plants?

 

Because they are all more-or-less the same. There is no

differentiation at the root level, and yet there is this high

differentiation at the flower level.

 

How do these plants know that they have to grow like this? Why are

they shaped and coloured like this? For example, this plant has five

petals, five sepals, five stamens, so it is shaped by the principle

of five, but where does it come from? It is these principles that

form the plant, and along with it its medicinal values.

 

We can release this formative principle in our plants and understand

how it starts shaping them and bringing forth these fine aspects of

scent, aroma, taste, colour and medical properties.

 

In comparison, in tropical plants the principle of flower has been

pushed into the leaf. Tropical climate produces fleshy plants that

would never grow in the high altitude regions. These plants need

moisture. It is warmth, which, combined with light, manifests in

these plants in the leaves instead of in the flower.

 

Many plants, where this principle of warmth pushing into the leaf

operates, develop a lot of poison. When this principle, that belongs

to the flower, has been pushed as far as into the root, it colours

even the roots. Colour at the root level means that what belongs to

the flower has been pushed deep inside the plant.

 

Cosmic Integration: The Zodiac Principles

 

The ultimate fine-tuning of natural principles lies in harnessing

cosmic influences for cultivation. Only at particular times of the

month or year are the cosmic influences are most supportive to the

growth of a particular part of the plant.

 

The cosmic factor that determines a month is the moon. The movement

of the moon in relation to the Zodiac is most interesting. The Zodiac

symbols are Greek in origin. The Chinese developed a different

system, and the Tibetans created their own amalgamation of the Indian

and Chinese systems. Most Indian farmers have their agricultural

schedule tied to movement of sun in different stars (Nakshatras).

 

All the different systems have twelve constellations, though

represented by different figures and animals. Within these twelve

signs there are four groups of three constellations each which have

the same qualities. They are related to the four elements, earth,

water, fire, air. These four elements can be placed in relation to

the four parts of the plant: the root, the leaf, the flower and the

fruit.

 

- The roots are associated with the earth: there is no base and

ground without earth.

- The leaves relate to the water element: the more water, more

foliage.

- The flower corresponds to air and light: there is no light without

air.

(There is no light on the moon because there is no atmosphere.)

- Fruits are associated with fire: there is no ripening without

warmth.

 

Cultivating the soil on specific days means harnessing the cosmic

influences for the particular plant. Recent research has shown that

in one month there are three periods which are variously beneficial

for the root, the leaf, the flower and the fruit. These period are

governed by the moon cycle. The different parts of the plant are

stimulated, one at a time, three times in a month. Researchers

discovered this by planting radishes every day and then observing

their growth. Radishes from one day would be of very of good quality

while those from another day would be smaller and less healthier. In

between would be radishes with shrivelled roots or too much leaf.

Anybody can try this experiment. The researchers found that the

yields can be increased 20 to 30% just by cultivating at the right

time. In case the seeds are sown during a period unfavourable to

their nature they can later be transplanted during the appropriate

sign.

 

The zodiac signs that belong to fire element are Aries, Leo and

Sagittarius. Plant parts associated are fruits, grain and cereals.

The signs belonging to earth elements are Taurus, Virgo and

Capricorn, the associated plant parts being roots. Water element

associates with signs Cancer, Scorpio and pisces and plant parts are

leaves. Hence plants having more leaves require more water too. Airy

signs are Libra, Gemini and aquarius, the associated plant parts

being flowers.

 

To understand zodiac principles, let us take few examples. The Kapha

is treated as earth and water. The growth of new cells can take place

in the presence of Kapha. Thus if you wish to gain weight, one must

eat roots. Underground foods such as radish, potato, carrot, beet etc

help building tissues and gain weight. Hence cancer patients are

given these juices. Leaves restore water element. Cancer, scorpion

and pisces are very sensitive and affectionate signs. The root of

cancer according to Hamer theory lies in psychic conflicts. To

correct the conflicts, thirteen different juices which include leafy

vegetable juices are prescribed in Gerson therapy. So the theory fits

well. Fire has energy, and fruits/grains have to be used when gaining

quick energy. Association of airy signs with flowers can be

understood by thinking that most flowers contain the basic

reproductive mechanism including attraction factors such as color,

smell, honey etc. And in astrology, 3rd, 7th and 11th sign as well as

houses are considered as those belonging to reproductive forces (Kama-

trikona). The saffron is found in a flower and its use in fertility

medicines is well known. Honey is also well known by the word

honeymoon.

 

The post will be continued tomorrow.

 

Dr Bhate