By MADHU RAMNATH
The subject of terminating solitary meditative sessions in the forest has received scant notice, both from ethnobotanists dealing specifically with plant use as well as from the lay traveler. Somehow, the matter has been considered unimportant or mundane for serious discussion; however, to the discerning few, it has always been an issue worthy enough to transform a simple daily chore into a kind of sacred ritual, connecting the person to mother earth.
The present piece suggests ways in which morning meditations in the dry deciduous forests of central India may come to a close, with a few words about the different possibilities. It is hoped that the field researcher and the forest traveler will put some of these dozen suggestions in this paper to use in their search for their personal brand of comfort!
I have wrought my simple plan
If I give one hour of joy
To the boy who’s half a man
Or the man who’s half a boy.
(Owen Dudley Edwards in The Quest for Sherlock Holmes)
A preliminary list
Shorea robusta Gaertn. / Dipterocarpaceae
Local names: Sal/Sala/Sargi/Sarangi
In the forested regions of central India this would be most common and, due to the coppicing habit of this plant, within reach from ground-level. The mature leaves are suitable in size and quite glabrous, which is a welcome quality for the purpose. However, the tender leaves of late summer, which are of a lighter hue, are thinner in texture and may prove disappointing.
Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall. /Apocynaceae
Local names: Pela/Kurchi/Kudai
These are large shrubs or small trees, often with a pale streaked bark, common in secondary forest patches. The leaves are useful when alternatives are scant, but the white latex that oozes from most parts of the plant can be a sticky bother. If cornered with only this specie it is recommended that the user not fold the leaf. For the choosy this is definitely not the first choice but may prove unavoidable during some of the summer spells.
Terminalia tomentosa Wt. & Arn. / Combretaceae
Local names: Merdengi/Saaj/Saja
This is a large tree easy to identify from the distinctively cracked bark. The larger leaves of shrubs are villous which some experts in this field claim to be better than most commercial equivalents. However, the mature leaves prove a little crumbly after a certain age, but usually bear the responsibility well.
Terminalia chebula Retz. /Combretaceae
Local names: Karka/Irla/Harra
This is a common enough tree usually found in the vicinity of villages and surrounding forests. The leaves, especially the young ones, are silky in texture and as good as those of T. tomentosa (some say better!). The author suspects that this specie is favoured over T. tomentosa essentially because the mature leaves do not crumble with age. The leaves have proven very suitable also for children and people with tender bottoms.
Bauhinia vahlii Wt. & Arn. / Caesalpiniaceae
Local names: Admuki/Siyadi/Mahuli/Adda
The plant is a giant climber of primary forests, which when young bears rather large 2-lobed leaves. The size and shape of the leaves are very convenient for our purpose; though the texture is not as luxurious as that of the Terminalias the leaves are suitable in most other respects, especially in case of repeated sessions through the day, and for babies.
Sterculia urens Roxb. / Sterculiaceae
Local names: Bitangi/Kullu/Karaya
This is a tree of rocky open areas and degraded soils where the traveler may have few choices. The young leaves are extremely soft and temptingly large but caution has to be the guiding principle in its use: experience and reports have confirmed that the thinness of the leaves prove to be a let down. It is wise to go for the older and mature leaves a little higher up on the tree: though a little rough these are able to serve the required purpose better.
Buchanania lanzan Spreng. /Anacardiaceae
Local names: Chiri/Char/Chironji
A common enough tree found in open secondary or primary forest landscapes. The leaf of this plant is deceptively plain and requires a discerning eye to realize the hidden luxury, a wonderful blend of suppleness, crispness and softness: the use of this leaf leaves one with a feeling of achievement. An added factor with the char leaf is the possibility of using both sides, each side with its own distinctive charm.
Madhuca indica J.F.Gmel. /Sapotaceae
Local names: Irupa/mahua/mohu
A tree never wantonly felled and is found in the entire central India region. The leaves are readily available under most circumstances and are leathery and more or less glabrous. Though reliable in emergencies, the sticky milk sap could be a nuisance, as with H. antidysenterica; one way to overcome this minor hurdle is to avoid folding the leaf before use.
Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb./ Ebenacea
Local names: Tumri/Tumed/Tendu/Kendu
Despite the million dollar industry and central Indian politics that this leaf influences, the native eye views it with an entirely different motive. In fact, the sight of this leaf supposedly excites the desire to retire in solitude for a meditative session, quite akin to the effect of water in most of Hindu India. The leaves are firm and blotched black when mature but most practical, with the double-sided possibility. However, very young children may show an indifference to the texture.
Careya arborea Roxb. / Lecythidaceae
Local names: Tupoki/Kumbi
A moderate sized tree of mixed forests. The leaf is spoon-shaped and demands a certain tact to pluck; the texture is neither very glabrous nor tomentose and usually adequate for a normal morning session. However, some discussions with experts, seconded by personal trials, have led to the conclusion that employing two leaves at a time enhances the quality of performance. It is definitely not useful in the case of children or for those suffering from hemorrhoids.
Butea monosperma (Lamk.) Taub. /Papilionaceae
Local names: Boddel/Palas/Palash
This is usually a tree of degraded or secondary forest with large tri-foliate leaves. A great advantage of this specie is that a few leaflets suffice for a solitary session; the leaf is thick and adequately soft and serves well during emergencies resulting from bad eating. Some are of the opinion – conveyed orally to the author – that the texture of the leaf prohibits more than three sessions a day; this view is debatable and is perhaps attributed to the variation in vegetative quality between regions. [Note: B. superba, the climber, may be similarly described and used].
Ficus hispida Linn.f./ Moraceae
Local names: thothaithoi/karsali
A fairly common shrub or tree, found commonly around villages as well as in secondary forests. The leaves are attractively sized and stiffly hairy, but the seeker of solitude would do well to avoid them. Using these leaves may cause the initiate to move his or her body awkwardly through the rest of the day, which could lead to some apprehension in village society. The plant is easily recognized by the opposite leaves (all other Ficus have alternate leaves); in case of darkness, the stiff hairs should be taken as a warning.
Concluding notes
As in most other fields, a deeper understanding of the subject is dependent on a long and suitable combination of practical experience with serious study. Unfortunately, literature on the present subject has been scarce for a variety of reasons, the most notable being the persecution of founder of this peculiar science, in the 7th C; likewise, empirical recordings of observations have been seldom undertaken and one has had to lean heavily on oral accounts.
Areas of vegetation around a village, where most of the meditative moments occur, will gradually reveal their specific potential that concerns the “termination” of the session. It is soon realized that one does not walk into the forest at random and seek solitude but consciously chooses a spot that provides the kind of terminal comfort most preferred. For the initiated few the suggestions made below may prove useful.
a. during the summer months the dry deciduous forests are usually bare; it is prudent to choose and pluck the available leaves before settling down to meditate.
b. many species of Araceae have attractive soft and large leaves but it is wise to leave them alone: most of them contain sap with irritant crystals. In case of an emergency they may be used, taking care that the leaves are not crushed.
c. during the monsoon months several plants from the families Dioscoreaceae, Convolvulaceae, Asclepiadaceae and Apocynaceae are easily available. Care should be taken to check whether the plant chosen is armed, produces latex, etc. As most of these species have small leaves it may help to use them in conjunction with a larger leaf of other species.
d. during the monsoon, and occasionally in winter, some species of insects inhabit the underside of leaves. It is prudent to examine the leaves before putting them to use.
It would be fruitful to make a special note of a regions’ flora from this unexplored branch of ethnobotany. Though at present only a budding science, as quantum physics was less than a century ago, this field too has immense potential and will continue to grow as long as mankind chooses to retreat to the forest for solitary (or communal) meditation.
Madhu Ramnath
104 Ganga Compound
Kodaikanal 624101
Butea monosperma: a tree of degraded or secondary forest with large tri-foliate leaves (Madhu Ramnath)
