Flowery Worship!

Just because somebody agrees to what we say, it does not mean at all that it is correct.
I was ‘bogged down’ by an ancient saying “Pratyaksham kim pramanam” (or something to that effect in Sanskrit language, meaning ‘seeing is believing/proof’ or equivalent to that). But later, deeper levels of spiritual practices convinced me that perception levels can take us that far, where we can ‘see’ anything we like, at will! No point in trying to sell this idea any further.

But, this time, please see, the asker seems to adhere to a well-founded reasoning, tenable logic, and above all, an open mind, while asking a very practical question. Nature lovers, botanists, soldiers of ‘greenery movement’ etc would support him staunchly. At well maintained botanical gardens (like Ooty-hill station), money is spent to ensure that nobody plucks flowers recklessly. I admire the choice of words of the asker, and would like to encourage such equanimous mind, irrespective of whether we take a side in favour or opposition.

Any way, it so happens that much to my surprise, my answer did appeal, which gives me a ray of hope, that maybe a few others might be tempted to look at it as well.

Psn(2nd July, 2010)

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100701004325AARof9h

Is it right to pluck flowers from trees, in order to dedicate to the god?
In case of food, I believe that it is somehow the necessity as world cannot live without sufficient food however here, I am talking about flowers. Dead flower IS not the necessity. We can live happy with alive breathing flowers.The flowers are plucked from trees, in order to dedicate to the God in temples, mosques, gurudwaras, church etc. Flowers were alive and breathing, when they were on the trees. When they were plucked, they become dead and become deadbodies. Then those deadbodies of flowers were dedicated to God. After an hour I have seen those dead flowers flowing in the drains.. I believe that God is in each & every part of air. Therefore I feel that, When flowers were enjoying on the trees then also they were 100% dedicated to god, but were alive. After being plucked also they were dedicated to god, but dead. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

My reply:
The question is very valid.
If our 'experience' is limited to a 'feeling' that we are dedicating it to God, it may not be right.But, if we can experience the flower the same way that you have very correctly observed about food, then it is right. The problem is the difficulty in 'appreciating' the food-contents in the flowers too. The food part is quite tangible, and gross, compared to flower. The life in the flower, its energy, has to be imbibed, allowed to permeate into us. For that we have to evolve to first 'feel' the life, and energy in it.

(Even today, in that high-altitude place Tibet, very little vegetation happens, due to extreme cold. Native people depend on native doctors, who follow traditional methods of medicines. They train themselves quite intensely so as to be able to put their 'life-energy' which is quite subtle, into the very same few flowers, and give it to patients for most type of ailments. The skill lies in combining the type of their own energies, with the limited varieties of flowers that grow there, and managing to cure many varieties of ailments).

There have been instances where flowers placed at certain 'energy' places retain their life and freshness for abnormal duration of time.

What most people do is just to follow blindly an age old tradition. That is why even faded flowers are sometimes used for worship/dedication! There are a few experts who do certain 'processes' using flowers, holding them with designated finger-tips (postures, etc), and invoke energies through chantings (sound energy), and place them on copper-metalled-designs (form energy). The efficacy of such ancient practices are difficult to approve, accept or believe simply because we are yet to evolve beyond sensory levels of perception. We may attempt to look at such 'possibility' only due to one strong reason, that is, such practices have been there since hundreds of centuries! Maybe, there is something worth looking at, worth re-discovering, experientially at least!

(It would not be 'out-of-context' to also mention that medical world knows only "clinical-death", otherwise, the definite occurence of death(the correct definition of human death) remains still a mystery to science!)