Mother Trees In A Wood Wide Web
माता स्वरुप वृक्ष , एक “wood wide web” में, द्वारा सुज्ज़ेन सिमर्दबुज़ुर्ग , हर किसी समुदाय में , एक विशेष भूमिका निभाते हैं, और उन्हें अपने कुटुंब में भी इज्ज़त अपने जीवन भर के ज्ञान, विवेक एवं पढाई के फलस्वरूप मिलती है| वे व्यक्तियों . को एक वृहद् समुदाय से जुड़ने में मदद करते हैं, और भूतकाल को भविष्य से जोड़ने में मदद करते हैं| ऐसा नहीं है कि सभी वृद्ध व्यक्ति बुज़ुर्ग हैं , या सभी बुज़ुर्ग वृद्ध हैं| हमारे परिवार में मुख्यतः दादा एवं दादी ने ही बुजुर्गों की भूमिका अदा की है यद्यपि कुछ व्यक्ति, जैसे की मेरी बेटियां , जिनका जन्म , अपनी उम्र से अधिक विवेक के साथ हुआ,और उन्होंने ने भी परिवार को वर्षों से जोड़ने का कान किया है| यह विवेक , कई पीढ़ियों के जीवन काल के ज्ञान से उभरा है|
जंगल में बिताये मेरे जीवन काल से, मैंने ये सिखा है कि कई प्रजातियों के बुज़ुर्ग , जिनमे मनुष्य भी शामिल हैं, जंगल को जोड़ते हैं, उसे एक अनुकूलक, उत्पत्ति सम्बन्धी , मचान प्रदान करते हैं ताकि बदलाव एवं लचीलापन, पूरे समुदाय में फ़ैल जाए| जंगलों में , बुनियादी प्रजाति , वृक्ष हैं, और इस प्रजाति के वरिष्ट, बड़े और पुराने वृक्ष हैं| वरिष्ट वृक्ष , अपने आस पास के अन्य मध्यम पेड़ों के लिए , एक विस्तृत शरण स्थान प्रदान करते हैं|ये वरिष्ट वृक्ष ना सिर्फ जंगल में रहने वाले ,अन्य पौधें, जानवर, फफुन्दीय एवं अणुजीव प्राणी , के लिए महत्वपूर्ण होते हैं, ये साथ में मनुष्यों के लिए भी महत्वपूर्ण होते हैं ,जो जिन वृक्षों की लकड़ी को जीवन यापन एवं संस्कृति के लिए इस्तेमाल करते हैं|
उदाहरण स्वरुप, एक अकेला Douglas Fir वृक्ष , एक ही प्रजाति या अन्य प्रजातियों के, सैंकड़ो अन्य वृक्षों के साथ जुड़ा होता है औए वह यह अपनी जड़ों के गहरे फैलाव के गूढ़ परिणाम एवं विभिन्न फफुन्दीय समुदाय के कारण कर पाता है| यह गुप्त भूमिगत सम्बन्ध एक ऐसे सम्बन्ध में जुड़ते हैं, जहाँ फफूंद जड़ में शामिल होकर शक्ति प्राप्त करते हैं और जिसे आजके युग में, साधारण बोलचाल में “ wood wide web “ कहते हैं, और ये कार्य में आज के ज़माने के इन्टरनेट के सम्बन्ध (network) की तरह होता है या जल विभाजक छेत्र में झीलों के समूह की तरह| इस “ wood wide web” में वृक्ष आपसी संबंधों को , जैसे गूंथने का काम कर रहे होते हैं, जबकि फफूंद उसके कोनों ( vertices )का काम कर रहे होते हैं|
“wood wide web “ एक अत्यंत ही व्यस्त सम्बन्ध (network) है जहाँ वरिष्ट पेड़ अपने आस पास के वृक्ष, जिनसे उनका उत्पत्ति सम्बन्धी नाता है अथवा रिश्ते हैं, कि पहचान करते हैं, और वो उन्हें साधन ज्यादा या कम भेजते हैं, उनका फायदा या नुकसान करने की मंशा से, अपने आस पास के वातावरण की सुरक्षा को ध्यान में में रखते हुए|मैंने इन वरिष्ट वृक्षों को “ माता स्वरुप वृक्ष “ बोलना शुरू कर दिया है, क्योंकि ऐसा प्रतीत होता है जैसे ये वरिष्ट वृक्ष छोटे वृक्षों का ख्याल रख रहे होते हैं| “माता स्वरुप वृक्ष” पूरे जंगलों को, समय औरे जगह के माध्यम से , जोड़ के रखते हैं, जैसा कि हमारे बुज़ुर्ग , इंसानी परिवारों को पीढ़ी दर पीढ़ी जोड़ के रखते हैं|
मनन के लिए बीज प्रश्न : आप बुजुर्गों के, मनुष्यों या वृक्षों को , जोड़ने एवं पालन पोषण करने वाले किरदार से, क्या नाता रखते हैं ? क्या आप एक ऐसे समय का अनुभव साझा कर सकते हैं, जब आपको नज़र आती गांठों ( nodes) के नीचे एक सम्पूर्ण पर्यावरण का एहसास हुआ हो? एक पोषक बुज़ुर्ग , जो अन्य को सहारा देता हो, बनने में आपको किस चीज़ से मदद मिलती है?
Suzanne Simard is a Canadian scientist, professor and author various books. Excerpted from this article.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the connecting and nurturing role of elders, be they humans or trees? Can you share an experience of a time you became aware of an entire ecology beneath the visible nodes? What helps you be a nourishing elder that sustains others?
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8 Past Reflections
On Oct 16, 2021 Debbie wrote :
Totally Agree! Our Sustainability Book Club read your book for our Sep meeting. We all loved it!
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On Oct 8, 2021 Gururaj wrote :
Elders or elderly qualities , I see now, tap into the life force in a wise way which makes them flourish. They inspire that in others and a supportive eco system forms.
One such system that has influenced me is Yoga. A great master worked sincerely on himself, built institutions, which created expert instructors and one such instructor is coaching me well over more than a year. Health and peace spreads over all practitioners and , I trust, in some way it redounds to the glory of that original master.
Of course, weeds and noxious plants ( and inner impurities) also flourish, especially when the "elderly" forces are weak.These negative forces support each other and often become big forces - both externally in the world and in our psyches.
But maybe ( I trust) it's the innate love , wisdom, cleansing force of nature that eventually tips the evolution towards itself and the noxious things are kept in check.
One such system that has influenced me is Yoga. A great master worked sincerely on himself, built institutions, which created expert instructors and one such instructor is coaching me well over more than a year. Health and peace spreads over all practitioners and , I trust, in some way it redounds to the glory of that original master.
Of course, weeds and noxious plants ( and inner impurities) also flourish, especially when the "elderly" forces are weak.These negative forces support each other and often become big forces - both externally in the world and in our psyches.
But maybe ( I trust) it's the innate love , wisdom, cleansing force of nature that eventually tips the evolution towards itself and the noxious things are kept in check.
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On Oct 5, 2021 Megan McKenzie wrote :
I learned so much of what you speak from old growth Coastal Redwoods on the Northern Californian coast.
There is one area you do not mention that I particularly treasure. The tall old elder trees showed me that they are receptors of cosmic energy and channel it into the earth.
The redwoods are a true elder community. Their roots are connected underground and above ground they frequently support each other with massive ingrown limbs.
They alsosupport a network of rare and endangered small species that are born on the tree and spend their entire life on that one tree.
The trees depend on fog for 90% of their water needs. It cannot possibly be pumped 200 ft.in the trunk. They truly are amazing miracles and gifts.
There is one area you do not mention that I particularly treasure. The tall old elder trees showed me that they are receptors of cosmic energy and channel it into the earth.
The redwoods are a true elder community. Their roots are connected underground and above ground they frequently support each other with massive ingrown limbs.
They alsosupport a network of rare and endangered small species that are born on the tree and spend their entire life on that one tree.
The trees depend on fog for 90% of their water needs. It cannot possibly be pumped 200 ft.in the trunk. They truly are amazing miracles and gifts.
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On Oct 5, 2021 Patrick wrote :
Trees of course have no sense of human gender, some even carry the "male" and "female" together both physically and spiritually. We have given our trees names for the purpose of conversing with them, but again, gender looses its meaning when conversing with trees. Why even giant Aidan, the 300+\- year old Oak is certainly a "mother tree" having nurtured both humans and animal neighbors for three centuries.
}:- a.m.
anonemoose monk
}:- a.m.
anonemoose monk
1 reply: J | Post Your Reply
On Oct 2, 2021 David Doane wrote :
If elders is defined as those having "lifelong wisdom, knowledge, and teaching," then elders are very likely to provide a valuable connecting and nurturing role,being of great benefit to everyone. I very much listen to and respect such elders. It's too bad our society doesn't produce more of them. It's fairly recently that I became aware of an ecology beneath the visible nodes, and now I see that there is one ecology that is beneath all life and includes all life. What helps me be a nourishing elder is life experience and learning from it, years of learning from elders past and present, being open, getting old, caring, healthy detachment, and wanting to make a positive contribution to the ecology network of which I am a part.
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On Oct 1, 2021 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
I like the difference between oldindividualsand elders as shown by the author Suzzane Simard. As the author says not all individual are elders nor all elders are old. The marking sign of an elder is wisdom, not just knowledge. People may have knowledge but not wisdom. Wisdom grows like a Mother Tree connecting, nurturingand protecting the young plants. As an elderly and old member of the family and my community I help the young members of my family and the community at large when they need guidance from me. My heart gets richer when I help, guide and nurture those who need help and support.
As I was growing up I needed help, support, empathyand emotional nurturingin my life. I was blessed to have some elderly folks in my life to provide guidance, empathy, love, and nurturing. The elderly people provided shade and support I needed to survive and flourish. They taught me by theirliving example how I can go through the thick and thin in my life. They were my great teachersand they have l... [View Full Comment]