The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature Paperback – Illustrated, October 27, 2004

Great Read!!

This book opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing the world. I do not agree with his views but it did progress my knowledge and understanding of how everything is connected and communicates. In my opinion…Do not skip to the back or you may not want to read the book. The author acknowledges The Creator but he doesn’t like to acknowledge The Savior. To each their own, that’s only a heads up. The information is a paradigm shift. 👍👍

Stephen Buhner's writing style is captivating, humble and poetic, and mirrors the non-linear beauty of Nature. He invites you to skip around the book and read whatever interests you, and if you love all things in Nature like I do, you will surely end up reading everything twice, just like I did. This is honestly, one of the most incredible books I have read in quite some time. I am a currently enrolled in a Master's program in the Health Arts and I think this book should be required reading.Though there are so many people in society today that take credit for something that has, in fact, been around for years, this is not the case with Stephen Buhner. His intentions are genuine as he writes for and about Nature. He never claims ownership of any of the ideas presented in his book, rather, he takes the words of the wise people who came long before him, and weaves them eloquently through-out his own, demonstrating how the idea of the heart as an organ of perception is not new. That we all have the capability, it has simply been unintentionally taught out us out.I am also the Director of a medical research foundation, and often times I am appalled by how close minded so many in the realm of medicine/science can be. Though their intentions may once have been sincere, the unfortunate truth is, somewhere along the way, their motivations changed and they lost the ability to see the big picture.I highly recommend this book. Society is ready for this book. The environment needs for society to read this book. I found the following quote by G. Leonard, in Mu Soeng's commentary on the Heart Sutra, and I think it is appropriate to insert it here:At the heart of each of us, whatever our imperfections, there exists a silent pulse of perfect rhythm, a complex of waveforms and resonances, which is absolutely individual and unique, and yet which connects us to everything in the universe. The act of getting in touch with this pulse can transform our personal experience and in some way alter the world around us.By reading this book, perhaps we can learn to come out of our heads, and back into our hearts. By doing so, I am hopeful we, like Stephen Buhner, will be able to feel once again, hear what Nature has to teach us...and listen.

This book fundamentally changed my world perspective. I manage a university farm and am well versed in biophysical science. While the ideas in this book may be hard to verify through the traditional scientific method, it provides insight into the mystical realm science cannot measure (yet).Buhner brings in some amazing examples, including Luther Burbank. As far as I'm concerned Burbank was a wizard plant breeder. The man developed more varieties of plants than anyone ever and he claimed to talk and communicate with his plants. His notes were indecipherable and he never had scientific "controls" but his results speak for themselves. We can communicate in ways many people have forgotten or become numb to. Regardless of the driving mechanism, simple tips like being observant, open minded, and setting clear intentions have benefits that transcend beyond plant breeding.I've read a lot of books on a range of subjects but this is the one I've gifted the most. If you've come this far, you should read the book.

This book represents an exciting synchronicity for me. However, I can understand that some of those drawn by the title would find it challenging to digest, and others might balk at the paradigm shift it requires of anyone who dares to pursue it's suggestions. The author would not be surprised since he knows that he is treading tricky ground in reviewing the suppressed significance of bioelectromagnetism and claiming that the extensive knowledge of ancient indigenous cultures was gained not by trial and error but by far more subtle and sophisticated means. Yet Buhner is tracking the footsteps of some very admirable, independent thinkers and he quotes them at length.These people have sometimes been called 'mystic scientists', and all of them were true naturalists since their insights came directly from their own experience of immersion in the natural world. At the end of the book, Buhner provides short and inspiring biographies as well as topic summaries and good further reading lists. I have degrees in botany/genetics and plant-breeding, so I was shocked for example to realize that my studies did not include Luther Burbank who last century created by non-scientific selection food plants we now take for granted, or Masanobu Fukuoka who has grown rice crops that yield consistently more than any produced by scientific method.And I certainly did not learn that Barbara McClintock, who won the Nobel prize for her work with transposons and corn genetics used, like Einstein and many genius 'scientists', unconventional methods to make her most important discoveries. Many 'scientific breakthoughs' have in fact been made by people who schooled themselves; devoted students of nature, their methods were far from sloppy. With current concerns about genetic engineering of crop plants and the diminishing diversity of potential medicinal plant species on the planet, the nature-based approach Buhner describes reminds us that there may be an alternative to the harmful effects of so-called human advancement.Buhner's purpose is to show why the verbal/intellectual/analytic methods of gaining knowledge and understanding that prevail in our culture are limited, and limiting, without the holistic/intuitive/depth mode of cognition in which our ancestors and indigenous peoples were well versed. Also called direct perception or biognosis (knowledge from life), this method of gaining accurate and sustainable information about the world is, he says, more than anything a way of being and our birthright. Unfortunately, it is a way of being that is hard to sustain in an world where human's seek dominion over, and separation from, the natural order of life.Almost half the book is devoted to the topic of 'heart intelligence' with which I am familiar through it's relevance and application in my practice of aquatic bodywork. Recent research indicates that the heart is an organ of perception that is superior to the brain in terms of the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of it's responsiveness to the environment. Buhner's account of this work is very good, if lengthy, and what I appreciate is that he emphasizes the importance of these findings for our ability to interconnect with the natural world, and specifically plant medicines.

The Secret Teachings of plants gathers up thoughts, truths and brings them to a pathway we can all travel with reverence for all creation. I feel grateful to have had the privilege of spending these words with Stephen Buhner and friends