Are plants sentient?

[JeffC]

Is there is simple answer to this?

Jellyfish do not have 'brains' but are sentient beings. They have basic reactions for survival, but that is true of plants as well.

Thank you,
Jeff

[Astus]

Plants are non-sentient from a Buddhist point of view as they have no mind-stream, unlike animals, humans, spirits, etc.

[JeffC]

Plants are non-sentient from a Buddhist point of view as they have no mind-stream, unlike animals, humans, spirits, etc.

How do you know?

What is the difference between a Jellyfish and a Venus Fly Trap? Neither have brains. Both have survival instinct.

[Individual]

Is there is simple answer to this?

Jellyfish do not have 'brains' but are sentient beings. They have basic reactions for survival, but that is true of plants as well.

Thank you,
Jeff

No, but spirits may enter them. A nature spirit is a sentient being in some sense, so harming them uselessly is bad karma.

[Astus]

How do you know?

What is the difference between a Jellyfish and a Venus Fly Trap? Neither have brains. Both have survival instinct.

I've referred simply to the Buddhist point of view. Others may have different concepts.

[daniel p]

And also to what extent are shellfish sentient? Is there any scripture to explain these areas of definition. Particularly this relates to diet, compassion, and abstention from killing. Is there a heirachy of sentience? I don't eat meat but my gardening sometimes results in the death of insects, mostly because of my unskillful methods.

[Hanzze]

Plants are non-sentient from a Buddhist point of view as they have no mind-stream, unlike animals, humans, spirits, etc.

Who told that? Many?

Dear JeffC, there is indeed a lot of accept and reject you might look also on the brother site Plant life on Dhammawheel. A safe way is always to look by one self.

[LastLegend]

Sentient beings and non-sentient beings are conditioned beings.

[Astus]

Who told that? Many?

Is it possible to be born as a plant? Not in Buddhism. Is it killing to uproot plants? Not in Buddhism.

[gregkavarnos]

Is there is simple answer to this?

Jellyfish do not have 'brains' but are sentient beings. They have basic reactions for survival, but that is true of plants as well.

Thank you,
Jeff

Sentience is not linked to brain but to mind, non-physical beings have mind (Gods for example) but do not have physical brains. Sentience is not just basic survival reactions, it is a "little" more than that.

[Seishin]

Hmm, this is an interesting subject. Plants have been found to have a very basic nervous system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_neurobiology

Is sentience linked to consciousness?? If so, do scientists consider conciousness to be a product of the brain? If so, do they consider animals without brains (like jellyfish) to have no conciousness??

Personally, I do not worry about such things. If it is found that plants are sentient, are we all going to go hungry?

Gassho,
Seishin.

[Madeliaette]

I wonder how far into nature you can step before the borderline of sentience is crossed myself - how far down the chain before its just 'alive' but not sentient. A few months ago I found myself wondering about this, as my father wanted me to rip out some living plants in his yard and I wondered about the consequences - I tried to open out into it and see but instead I was weak and shut myself off.

[gregkavarnos]

I wonder how far into nature you can step before the borderline of sentience is crossed myself - how far down the chain before its just 'alive' but not sentient. A few months ago I found myself wondering about this, as my father wanted me to rip out some living plants in his yard and I wondered about the consequences - I tried to open out into it and see but instead I was weak and shut myself off.

I reckon you were just lookin' for a good excuse to not weed the garden!
There are teachings though which "forbid" monks from needlessly destroying vegetation or digging around in the dirt.

[Malcolm]

Is there is simple answer to this?

Jellyfish do not have 'brains' but are sentient beings. They have basic reactions for survival, but that is true of plants as well.

Thank you,
Jeff

For the sake of Vegans, I hope not.

[Malcolm]

There are teachings though which "forbid" monks from needlessly destroying vegetation or digging around in the dirt.

This is because they might harm creatures who live in the soil or are who have made homes in foliage, etc. In other words, plants, from an Indo-Tibetan Buddhist point of view, while alive, are not sentient. They are part of the container. But the container must be respected, as well as the contents.

[Kyosan]

Is there is simple answer to this?

Jellyfish do not have 'brains' but are sentient beings. They have basic reactions for survival, but that is true of plants as well.

Thank you,
Jeff

Simple reactions for survival do not imply sentience. One could construct a house with shutters that automatically close to protect the windows when there are is a strong wind. Such a house would automatically protect it's windows from hurricanes. That doesn't mean that the house is sentient.

Sentience in plants may not even be possible to prove or disprove. But I think that from a scientific point of view, the fact that plants don't have nervous systems or brains would make consciousness and sentience much less likely.

[gregkavarnos]

There are teachings though which "forbid" monks from needlessly destroying vegetation or digging around in the dirt.

This is because they might harm creatures who live in the soil or are who have made homes in foliage, etc. In other words, plants, from an Indo-Tibetan Buddhist point of view, while alive, are not sentient. They are part of the container. But the container must be respected, as well as the contents.

I am aware of this interpretation but I believe that it might also have something to do with stopping monks from engaging in needless destruction in general.

[Heruka]

Is there is simple answer to this?

Jeff

in one shape or another they have "tricks" for survival. a flower is by its nature, a lure and deception, a thorn is for protection, it can give a bad taste to insects, deer etc, it can also have a scent to attract animals, and also a foul odor to repel. i beleive the oldest flower in the world is the magnolia, around before the dinosuars.

[Heruka]

i beleive the oldest flower in the world is the magnolia, around before the dinosuars.

from wiki.

Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. As a result, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. Fossilised specimens of M. acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae dating to 95 million years ago[citation needed]. Another primitive aspect of Magnolias is their lack of distinct sepals or petals.


its funny that i remember stuff like this and not peoples birthdays and phone numbers and teachings...lol

jellyfish indeed.

[arisaema81]

FYI dudes,

While magnoilas are indeed very old, the earliest angiospems (flowering plants) are believed to have been the ancestors to a plant known as Amborella trichopoda which occurs in New Caledonia. It is generally thought that the first flowering plants would have looked someting like this species. The wonders of DNA , eh?