From seed to shade

Certain trees have stood well beyond their botanical existence as emblems of profound human experience and milestones. Amongst them, an apple tree inspired Isaac Newton to formulate his theory of gravity and a peepal tree under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. These iconic trees continue to stand as a living testimony to pivotal moments in history. Come to think of any tree, it stands as a living testimony at the juncture of both science and spirituality, and ecology and eternity. Who else would have known it better than Peepal Baba, who got a popular identity for his relentless campaign in planting and nurturing millions of trees over past five decades. Ghosts on Peepal Trees is the memoir of Swami Prem Parivartan, alias Peepal Baba, which offers an absorbing tutorial on every aspect of tree, from seed to shade.

Drawn from handwritten notes and scattered observations written over years , the author pools together the stories of his intense engagement with a wide diversity of trees in his journey across country’s 21 states and 226 districts. Under the aegis of Give Me Trees, a movement has been generated as an act of eco-philosophy – ‘we inhale what the trees exhale, and humans live because trees exist’. Not without reason the trees exist long before humans and may do so till all lifeform persists. With a background in literature, the author’s curiosity of living things got rhythmic observation.   

At such times when development juggernaut accounts for chopping trees to erect concrete jungles, planting and nurturing trees can be a humble vocation that can be rightfully pursued by able-bodied individuals. But it is not a simple timepass but a vocation that connects science with spirituality. Ghosts on Peepal Tree is more than a memoir; it is a transformative narrative that connects and inspires. It educates the reader that a tree is a living piece of ecological infrastructure, that offers free climate regulation and biodiverse services.

While the peepal as a tree is revered all across, the awe for the species is based on scientific facts. It is perhaps the only tree species that emits oxygen during night. Unlike other trees, the peepal doesn’t rest. A special adaptation measure called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism helps absorb carbon dioxide during night. As the sun rises the next day, this stored carbon dioxide is used for photosynthesis. This makes peepal scientifically extraordinary, a keystone species in tropical ecosystem. In addition, it absorbs as much as 20 kilograms of carbon dioxide during the year and releases no less than 300 liters of oxygen daily. Not only that, but this tree is also distinct for its ability that combines three types of rooting systems that makes it a living cathedral of wood and wisdom, sustaining under diverse situations. 

Influenced by the teachings of Osho, the author dismantles many myths around trees with logically argued facts. It celebrates trees as natural creativity. The myth about ghosts on peepal were actually lessons in how faith protects forests. It further proves how simple acts of care protects trees, even when there no formal mechanism or structure to do so. These messages reach out to millions through the author’s social media platforms. 

Ghosts on Peepal Trees is a veritable treatise on trees, that cultivates empathy and sensitivity towards trees. Walking under the canopy of trees, little gets realized that one is walking under a cathedral of oxygen. Each story in the book reads like a research paper. It connects with the virtues of trees and inspires reader into the act of raising trees. It is an experiential writing at its best which educates and inspires. It is more than a book of stories.

The stories in the book are symbols of our existence, woven through our culture, scriptures, myths and memories. At this time when greens are restricted on our computer screens, reading stories in Ghosts on Peepal Trees helps us fall in love with greens and biodiversity, to take small steps that generate greenery. In authors own words: ‘It is a memoir of exploration, of ghosts and angels, of trees and teachers, and of the quiet miracle of existence’.  

Ghosts on Peepal Trees
by Peepal Baba
Ebury/Penguin RandomHouse, New Delhi.
Extent: 296, Price: Rs.399.

First published in the Hindu BusinessLine on July 20, 2026

To seek a philosophy of one's own

Are Greeco-Roman philosophies still relevant to our times? Aren’t our modern problems much different from those faced by people in ancient times? Conversely, however, fundamental human desires and aspirations haven’t changed in the last two millennia or even earlier? Don’t we still want love, friendship, money, reputation and tranquility, and still fear sickness, pain, death? If that is what most of us would agree with, then the instruments devised by the Greeco-Romans still constitute a powerful tool kit to help us figure out how we want to live. That is why the theoretical explanations and practical suggestions of 13 ancient philosophies still relate to us and even guide us. 

Live Like a Philosopher can help the reader relate to these philosophers, without being scared off by the big names. Having done a lot of the heavy lifting themselves to develop a life philosophy, the lifetime of distilled ideas by these philosophers can be shared to build a coherent and meaning way of life. From Pythagoras to Socrates, their blueprint for thinking about how to live well are highly relevant. Despite representing different philosophical schools, the three dominant themes that run common in them are - feeling good, being good, and thinking well.      

Pigliucci, Lopez and Kunz invite readers to expand their horizon to the vast richness of ancient philosophies of life. Through each philosopher’s life and works the authors dish out practical exercises that can be applied in our daily lives. These exercises are relevant teachings to be test driven over a course of time. The idea is to help reader with questioning and exploring their own philosophical journey in the process. At the end, what is important is not to stick with one set of ideas but to seek a philosophy that one would like to own. 

The idea of buying a latest shiny smartphone gives us pleasure, but it doesn’t last long and soon dissipates. Like a drug addict we soon resume our quest for another shiny object. Should it be pursued more as a matter of choice or as a philosophical question? Whatever be it, philosophy can help us know what to do in such a situation with a sense of good judgement. Insatiable desire to accumulate more and more things is a form of sickness that not many are aware off. According to the Cyrenaics school of philosophy, we must own our pleasures instead of our pleasures owning us. In other words, it is the immediate physical pleasure that matters, here and now. 

This book is an engaging resource for anyone who would like to test drive the ancient Greek and Roman philosophies to suit present life and circumstances. It creates a much-needed bridge between ancient wisdom and modern interpretation. It helps in better understanding rich philosophical ideas, so that these could be applied in present-day modern life. Live Like a Philosopher gives an illuminating opportunity to navigate the existential waters with valuable insights and reflections. 

Well-known philosophers Pigliucci, Lopez and Kunz have compiled this book that explores a range of Greek and Roman philosophies. These philosophies include the Epicurean doctrines of pleasure and avoidance of pain; the Aristotelian philosophy on virtuous character and radical doubt; and Pyrrhonism, the humbling philosophy of life that admits of not knowing much. Despite distinctions between ancient philosophies, the authors have attempted to draw synergies to address the modern-day challenges. 

Live Like a Philosopher can be helpful in creating meaningful life philosophy to navigate a world filled with uncertainty. How can we build a good life for ourselves? is the loaded question it sought to address, by using ancient philosophies as a compass to find a new way forward with a sense of purpose. On happiness, Aristotle had remarked ‘one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day’. He went further to say that ‘one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy.’ A resurgence of interest in philosophies of life is not without reason. 

Live Like a Philosopher
by Massimo Pigliucci, Gregory Lopez and Meredith Alexander Kunz
Headline Books/ Hachette, New Delhi 
Extent: 298, Price: Rs. 699.

First published in Deccan Herald on April 27, 2025.

Simple answers to complex problems

Life is about growing up amidst situations with multiple shades of grey leading to a foregone conclusion that life’s template is a work in progress.

What will a book be like if it claims to be as much for the happily married as otherwise; if it is directed to those in love as also to those who aren’t into it yet; and if it will interest those without children as well as those who have plans to rear kids? Essentially a memoir of lived experiences, Immortal for a Moment lets the reader realize that life is all about growing up amidst such determinate situations which are invariably filled with multiple shades of grey leading to a rather foregone conclusion that life’s template is still a work in progress. Each fleeting moment holds new reflections on what life could be like. 

Natasha Badhwar extends her search for a deeper meaning in the daily rigmarole of life, beyond the experience of parenting three daughters in her debut book. She lets her thoughts take a deep dive into the obvious, reflecting on events and happenings that are often taken for granted. There are elements of intrigue in her expressions as she recognizes those inhibitions which are better left aside as useless baggage. Deeply personal but honest nonetheless, the stories of everyday living reflect significant life truths which readers can easily relate to. 

The author seems to suggest, and for good reasons, that nothing should remain unsaid that can help explore many different shades of one’s own life. Come to think of it, nothing is sacrosanct but a life lived equitably and responsibly. Simple realization that marriage can be lonesome will help one avoid it from becoming a pile of resentments. The more you take it as a sport, the more you begin to play it to your capacity. Indifference and disagreements are essential aspects of any marriage; it only begins to work when one gives up on it. 

Natasha’s prose is lucid and reflective, comforting those who lack courage to override entrenched notions and internalized beliefs. These are deceptions and by overcoming them can one access hitherto unexplored parts of oneself. ‘Anyone’s life can be a situational comedy provided one is willing to explore joy in unexpected places’, she argues. Immortal for a Moment is an invitation to preserve every fleeting moment because the more one holds onto them, the more meaningful life becomes. The task is to break the world of silences that we have created around us, allowing these silences to break free in words that explore our strengths while deploring vulnerabilities. 

Collection of columns written over several months, each of some fifty short essays in the book help the reader reclaim parts that one is reluctant to include in life’s narrative. Much of what she writes can help expand possibilities, create new frames of references, and protect social boundaries. One can relate to each of the episode or life experience either as an insider or an outsider, on both accounts it can shake the reader out of slumber.

The response to the self-righteous judgement by an unsuspecting woman who, perhaps distressed by the sight of the author’s three little girls, sought a reconfirmation to her preconceived notion that ‘these three because you wanted a boy’ is worth retelling for clarity and a sense of purpose. How do you deal with those who are lurking around with quick-stick labels for everyone?  The best way, and perhaps the only way, is to shut out ignorant voices by speaking louder than them. The query ‘what was in them that she hated so much’ had shut her up for good. 

Immortal for a Moment holds the message that while we may have sorted our external selves, our inner selves are yet not free from biases and prejudices. The external façade is what hides our true self, and that is how our society is indeed structured. Far from addressing the intricate web of oppression and disparity, we often participate in perpetuating different forms of inequalities. Should we let our lives be betrayed or rebel against what we realize is absurd?

Natasha explores complex issues of everyday existence with the maturity of a serious thinker. It is not difficult to align with her line of thinking that seeks simple answers to complex questions. In her raw and honest writing, the author puts her heart out there. In doing so, the book invokes a Natasha in each one of us because each one has the power to change lives. But to be able to do so, we have to travel into the depths of our own consciousness. It is Natasha’s small world that opens windows of possibilities for unlearning and relearning to change the world around us.       

It is not a self-help book but its words are soothing and comforting nonetheless. After all, hanging on monkey bars of material desire is not what life is all about. 

Immortal for the Moment
by Natasha Badhwar
Simon & Schuster, New Delhi
Extent: 233, Price: Rs 350.

First published in the Hindustan Times, issue dated June 1, 2019,