According
to Indian ancient science every material system, living
or nonliving, is at some level of consciousness (chetana).
Inanimate matters have lowest level, a very small, zero
point consciousness and it clearly starts from freedom
of movement and reaches its peak in the freedom of one’s
own destiny.
Application
of this concept, of consciousness, is seen in recognizing
plants as living organism in ancient India and reflects
in literature like Samhitas, Upanishadas and later literature
related to plant science. For example,
1
Brhadraranyaka Upanishad compares human body with
tree.
2.
Manu states that plant has latent consciousness which
is capable of perceiving both pleasure and pain.
3.
Vyasa’s Mahabharata’s Shantiparva explains
that plant has life, touch, feel, smell, vision and hearing
sence.
4.
Udayana in Prthviniraparyan states that like living body
plants have life, sleep, waking, diseases, drugging, movement
towards favorable and repulsion from unfavorable.
