Holy Herbs - By Sudhir Ahluwalia

Sudhir Ahluwalia�s Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient Plants is a book that fulfills the�scope of the title. Published by FingerPrint Life, this book has five chapters that deal with one of�the most intriguing elements of nature: medicinal plants. Medicinal plants assert the�intermingling of humans with nature. They affirm a saga of coexistence between nature and�culture.\n\nThe first chapter exposes the historical relevance of tracing the history of the use of medicinal�plants by world cultures. The author cites historical sources to underscore the presence of herbs�and spices in various cultures across many civilizations.\n\nAhluwalia begins with Indian civilization and concludes the chapter with the Americas and the�use of medicinal plants by the native tribes of America. �Records from the Maurya�s (322-185�BC) show that spices used at that time included salts� and spices�� (26). The various�examples provided in the text are sure to enthrall any enthusiast of vegetarianism or Ayurveda or\nany laymen with some interest in nature.\n\nThe difference that, I think, exists in the present-day treatment of medicinal plants is definitive.�Today, medicinal plants are treated as a part of the plant kingdom. However, in ancient times, as�is evident from Ahluwalia�s seminal work, these medicinal plants were the only doorway to the�possibility of physical, mental, as well as spiritual wellbeing.\n\nI remember Aldus Huxley�s The Doors of Perception, in which he refers to Peyote plants in the�Americas that have the capacity heighten the sensory experience of humans. The experiential�realms that appear as the aftermath of the intake of Peyote are altered, hallucinatory realities.�These realities may exist in a parallel universe that may open only to those with heighted sensory\nawareness.\n\nThe second chapter of Holy Herbs serves the purpose of connecting the scope of the book to the�literature of the Bible. �As one of the most researched of ancient literatures, the Bible is a�window into the life and practices of the people who lived in Israel and bordering nations of�Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, and Judea� (45). Myrrh, calamus, cinnamon, and cassia are�the four herbs described in the second chapter. The chapter gives a detailed description of the�four herbs and the varied nuances these herbs had been used in the ancient times. Chapter 2 is�aptly titled �The Bible and the Herbs of the Holy Anointing Oil.�\n\nChapter 3, titled �Herbs in Ancient Incenses and Perfumes� state that �The Bible, the Quran, and�the Hadiths also contain numerous references to the use of incense� (85). Various religious sects�that could be seen in India, from Christianity to Hinduism, all use incenses during important�spiritual practices. This adds to the appeal of the third chapter. From agarwood to Henna, many�spices of important plants are elaborated that are used as spices. This chapter also refers to one�animal component. Because it is a researched book, I prefer many of the facts to be revealed to�the prospective reader for the first time while perusing the text itself. Many of these plants still�find significant space in present-day culture.\n\nHoly Herbs moves the researched narrative forward through offering a journey of wisdom and�information by mentioning the various �sacred trees�. This is in Chapter Four. �References to the�bounty of God in the form of trees and plants are also made in the Koran. Koran Sura references�fruit, and other plants as gifts from God� (147). �Sacred Trees� discuss trees like Cedar, Date�Palm, Sycamore, etc.\n\nIn �Culinary Herbs in the Bible�, the fifth chapter of Holy Herbs, Ahluwalia traverses the realm�of those herbs that are used as food. This chapter begins by placing the historicity of cuisine and�ancient food cultures. Gradually, it takes flight through a line of spices �that were popular in�Biblical times� (196). The language used, as in the earlier chapters, is lucid and clear. Pictures,�diagrams, and photographs help engrave the vision of the sacred plants discussed in the mind of�the readers.\n\nAhluwalia concludes the final chapter by promising the reader that in his next book he will�reveal plants, herbs, and spices from Asia. In the concluding part of the book, titled �Wrapping�Up�, as in the �Introduction�, the author has prioritized the showcasing of the contemporary�measures taken to study and develop the natural medicine.\n\nHoly Herbs is the second book by Sudhir Ahluwalia. A very exhaustive Bibliography at the end�of the book makes Holy Herbs a volume for academic reference as well.\n\nAuthor(s): Sudhir Ahluwalia\nPublisher: FingerPrint\nRelease: April 2017\nGenre: Non Fiction/Health\nBuy from�Amazon � Please use the affiliate link below & share the love!\n\n