Vajrasambhava wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:35 pm
If plants are sentient, does this not mean that is possible to give rise to sentient without Gandharva? That sentient can spring out from matter?
How can plants experience karma?
In the Samvarodaya Tantra, chapter four, verse 4 it says:
"Grasses, creepers and trees have only the consciousness of inanimate beings (
jada);
[whereas] living beings in the six conditions of existence (
gati) live with consciousness (4)".
The translator notes:
"Skt: 'jada vijnanamatraka'; thus, 'are unintelligent (or motionless) (
jada) and have only consciousness' is also possible".
http://abhidharma.ru/A/Tantra/Content/V ... tantra.pdf page 247
Monier-Williams' definition of
jada:
1 jaDa mf({A})n. (cf. {ja4lhu})
cold , frigid Pan5cat. i , 12 , 4 Ka1vya7d. ii , 34 Ra1jat. iv , 41 ;
stiff , torpid , motionless , apathetic , senseless , stunned , paralysed Ragh. iii , 68 S3ak. &c. ;
stupid , dull Mn. viii , 394 (also %{a-} neg. , 148) Ya1jn5. ii MBh. (ifc. `" too stupid for "' , iii , 437) &c. ;
void of life , inanimate , unintelligent KapS. i , 146 ; vi , 5o Nr2isUp. Veda7ntas. Sarvad. ; dumb "' Mn. ii , 110 Susr. ; ifc.
stunning , stupefying S3ak. iv , 6 ; m. (g. {azvA7di}) N. of Sumati (who simulated stupidity) cf. Ma1rkP. x , 9 ;
cold , frost W. ;
idiocy W. ;
dulness , apathy W. ;
inanimate "' , lifeless , matter (opposed to {cetana}) ; n. water (= %{jala}) S3a1rn3gP. (Subh.) ; lead L. ; (%{A}) f.
N. of a plant ( = %{jaTA} , Mucuna pruritus , Flacourtia cataphracta L.) Car. vi , 2 (ifc. f. %{A}).
It is perhaps most notable that there is the distinction between "inanimate, lifeless matter" and that (presumably indicating sentient beings of the six
gati and four modes of birth) possessing or characterized by "
cetana", viz.
1 cetana mf({I4})n.
visible , conspicuous , distinguished , excellent RV. AV. ix , 4 , 21 ;
percipient , conscious , sentient , intelligent Kat2hUp. v , 13 S3vetUp. vi , 13 Hariv. 3587 KapS. Tattvas. &c. ; m.
an intelligent being , man Sarvad. ii , 221 ;
soul , mind L. ; n.
conspicuousness RV. i , 13 , 11 and 170 , 4 ; iii , 3 , 8 ; iv , 7 , 2 ;
soul , mind R. vii , 55 , 17 and 20 ; (%{A}) f.
consciousness , understanding , sense , intelligence Ya1jn5. iii , 175 MBh. &c. (often ifc. [f. %{A}] Mn. ix , 67 MBh. &c.) (cf. %{a-} , %{niz-} , %{puru-ce4t-} , %{vi-} , %{sa-} , %{su4-}).
This is of course only one viewpoint.