Are Trees More Human Than Humans?

Premasudha uses the example of a forest to explain how we see things very differently from the way they really are.

We tend to think that trees live in a highly competitive environment, fighting for water & root space. The reality is very different. Trees create themselves from the carbon in the air and, when they have enough water, they share it with other trees. Premasudha also speaks about the deeply touching fact that mother trees nourish the young saplings first, giving them the support they need to grow.

Trees are among the most loving beings. The entire universe is so much more loving than we often imagine, and this can be observed throughout nature.

It seems that only humanity has forgotten this. Our egos have different priorities—bigger houses, nicer cars—so we often lose sight of the love within and all around us. We even cut down the mother trees and orphan the little saplings.

As if we are wearing distortion glasses to look at the world while forgetting to look within.

Transcript

I want to talk about. The difference between how you. Think life is, How you've been raised to think of life. And how it really is. And I wanna talk about. For it. Okay, So You know, We go like, Okay, Trees grow and it's kind of a competitive process. The tallest tree gets the most light. You know, There's a competition for resources and light in the forest. But there is a whole other thing going on. And one of the main things is that. The tree. Actually doesn't grow through its root system. As it's created from the air. And I'll tell you how. There was this. 16th century scientists. And he planted a tree. Weighed a willow tree I think and it weighed five pounds. And he had 200 pounds of dry soil. So he watered this willow for. . . Five years. At the end of five years, The tree which had started off as a five pound sapling weighed 169 pounds. So it gained 164 pounds. But when he weighed the soil, You know, He dried out the soil and it was weighed. Two ounces had been lost. So this tree manifested out of the air basically, You guys. The tree draws in. Carbon dioxide into its leaves. And it splits basically the carbon atom. From the oxygen. And it. Uses the carbon to make cellulose fiber. Which end. Whole, I won't go into the whole how it's done, But basically this carbon makes the wood and the trunk and everything, And it breathes out oxygen. For us. Okay, This is very different than we think. The other thing that's different is there is. Across all forests, There are basically two strands of fungi. And through this fungi. The trees communicate with each other and even share resources. This is really, Really strong. So if trees who have are, You know, They've got enough water, They will send water through this fungi system. To other trees that are lacking it. As well as nutrients. Trees in higher nutrient soil will send the excess. Yeah, It's lovely. It's just lovely. It's love, You guys. It is love in the physical. And it's even more. Do you know that the oldest trees are called the mother trees? And they are big communicational hubs. They will be communicating with hundreds of trees. And this is just so touching. They are particularly generous to their offspring. The children? The saplings. That are the children of these mother trees. Get an abundance of nutrients, They get the nutrients first or the water first before anybody else. Remember, I've talked about how the whole universe is actually like the family in a way that some of these principles just keep running through all aspects of our physical body. Yeah, There it is. And of course, You know, With the clear cut logging, Which Which trees are prized and get logged? The mother trees, These really huge ones, And this leaves. The trees in the forest, The remaining ones kind of orphaned. Yeah, And this is the cost of our, I want to say stupidity, Willful stupidity, You know, That we keep saying the meaning of life is to have a monster house and be a billionaire and have a private jet, You know, It's like, Okay. What we think is going on in the world is very different from what is actually happening.