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Question: In
a recent television broadcast, it was asserted and visually demonstrated that
plants and trees possess the capacity to think, understand, and even engage in
communication. What is the perspective of spiritual science on this matter? If
this claim holds true, why are we unable to perceive their discourse?
Answer: Just
as human beings express their emotions and inner states through verbal
articulation, in a similar manner, trees and other non-human beings convey
their emotions and states—albeit without the use of words. This mode of
expression is fully intelligible to the recipient in its complete semantic
form. The reference in the Holy Qur’an to the dialogue between the ant and
Prophet Solomon (P.B.U.H) is particularly worthy of contemplation. Both the ant
and Prophet Solomon (P.B.U.H) communicated and understood each other’s message
in its entirety. It is evident that the ant did not articulate speech through
verbal language; rather, the mental waves or thought currents of the ant were
received by the Prophet’s consciousness and were comprehended accordingly.
The
spiritual law governing this phenomenon affirms that ideas, with their full
semantic content and meanings, are continuously exchanged between the human
species and all other forms of creation. The use of verbal language is, in
fact, a limitation of consciousness—it is only because the conscious mind is
incapable of grasping ideas without linguistic mediation that it resorts to
words.
The
human sensory faculties, in and of themselves, are deaf, mute, and blind. It is
cognitive reflection (tafakkur) that endows the senses with perception. It is
commonly assumed that sensory faculties exist independently of cognitive
reflection, whereas in truth, they have no existence apart from it. Every being
in the universe is, essentially, a manifestation of cognition.
Various
impressions continuously emerge within our cognitive reflection. In reality,
these impressions originate externally. The human cognitive field is constantly
influenced by other cognitive realities in the cosmos in the same manner that
one’s own cognition influences oneself. It is the Divine custom that the
infinite cognition continually bestows influence and sustenance upon finite
cognition. If this continuous spiritual influx were to cease, the
interconnectedness of all constituents within the universe would collapse. The
transmission of thought waves from one cognitive reality to another is an
integral component of this Divine system. In conventional terminology, this
cognitive principle is referred to as the “self” (ana), and this self or
cognition comprises various qualitative states, collectively defined as the
individual. What rarely, if ever, enters our consciousness is the fact that our
cognitive field is in ongoing dialogue with the stars, particles, and all other
created entities in the cosmos.
Many
impressions continue to surface within our cognition; in reality, they
originate from external sources. Apart from the human being, every mode of
cognition within the cosmos exerts an influence upon human cognition, just as
one’s own cognitive activity influences itself. It is the nature of the Divine
Order to perpetually transmit the influx from infinite thought to finite
thought. Were this divine transmission to cease throughout the entire cosmos,
the interconnectedness of its beings would break down. The exchange of thought
waves from one cognition to another is an inherent part of this cosmic process.
In
ordinary language, thought is termed as selfego (nafs), or cognition(tafakur)
represents a collection of states that, as a whole, form the individual (fard).
It is rarely, if ever, contemplated that through thought, we engage in an
exchange of ideas with the stars, particles, and all of creation.
The
cognitive waves of other beings transmit vast amounts of information to us—and
likewise, receive from us. The entirety of creation thus functions as a unified
family engaged in reciprocal cognitive exchange. When an individual, through
meditative discipline (muraqabah), awakens within themselves the latent
capacity to comprehend the meanings of thoughts without relying upon verbal
language, they become capable not only of perceiving the communication of trees
but also of discerning subtle messages and conversations of various kinds. What
is telepathy? It is the name given to a latent human faculty through which one
can convey one’s thoughts to another without the intermediary of spoken
language.
This
phenomenon is not confined to esoteric experience; even in ordinary life, we
encounter it frequently. Many times, due to emotional connectedness, when a
loved one or close relative remembers us from afar in a state of distress,
their thought currents reach us, and we find ourselves involuntarily disturbed.
Later, it is revealed that the person had indeed been in a state of anguish,
and their troubled thoughts had alerted our own minds. However, due to our
ignorance of the laws governing cognitive exchange, we fail to interpret such
experiences with clarity. We remain unaware of the intercommunication among
trees because we lack knowledge of the universal law through which meaning is
transmitted without verbal symbols.
Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi
Nearly three decades ago, the esteemed spiritual scholar and blessed guide, Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi (R.A), inaugurated a mission of public service with the objective of liberating humanity from afflictions, psychological distress, and physical ailments. For ten years, he remained in contemplative retreat, silently advancing this sacred commitment to the service of creation (khidmat-e-khalq). As the hearts of the people began turning toward him, he employed the medium of mass communication. In 1969, this initiative was formally introduced to the public through newspapers and spiritual journals. According to conservative estimates, through written correspondence and face-to-face interaction—particularly via national publications and the Roohani Digest—Hazrat Azeemi has extended spiritual guidance and healing to over 1.4 million men and women, addressing intricate personal crises and intractable medical conditions. Today, it is not uncommon that wherever a few individuals gather, and a seemingly insoluble dilemma or incurable illness is mentioned, someone inevitably suggests: “Establish contact with Azeemi Sahib—the matter will be resolved.”
Through the grace of Allah the Almighty, the spiritual affinity with the Prophet (P.B.U.H), and the continued beneficence of the blessed guide, four volumes of Roohani Daak (Spiritual Correspondence) have now been compiled. The first volume is hereby presented to you for contemplation and benefit.