26TH PADMAPANI LECTURE

An Insight into Plant Life : Perception, Feelings and Self Regulation

Speaker: Professor Sudhir K. Sopory, Vice-Chancellor, JNU

 

Buddhism considers plants to be one-facultied (ekdrivya) life forms and has classified plants into different groups.  Buddha encouraged his disciples to have respect for all life including plants and not unnecessarily damage or destroy plants, the foliage or their seeds. The lecture based on this Tenet, will reflect on the inner life of plants. All plants have ‘learnt’ to survive the vagaries of weather and attacks from pathogens. Many studies have revealed that plants have photoreceptors, respond to animal or human touch and communicate through volatile compounds and/or through sounds. This lecture will briefly dwell on these emerging concepts.