Are you a proud plant parent wondering about the spiritual destiny of your leafy companions? If you call yourself a "plant parent," we're guessing you just may. The concept of plants having souls with the potential to go to heaven is not just a whimsical idea; it's a belief shared by religions around the world.
Most Christians flat out reject the idea that plants have souls while others offer a more neutral "maybe". Even so, there is one outlier among Christian sects: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their scriptures and leaders affirm that God created the spirits of everything on earth before the earth was created. They proclaim that every plant and animal will be perfected in heaven to enjoy "eternal felicity".
The Navajo tell a story of the plant people who walked alongside the holy people, spirit people, four-legged people, the people who flew, people in the water, and the two-legged people. They lived harmoniously but over time fought and sought to dominate each other. The plant people are revered as the highest form of life as they chose not to follow in the steps of the other people. They decided to be a medicine and sustenance to their peers. The Dine Nation refers to plants as "family" because they are considered people just like humans.
Similarly, the Shinto believe all things on earth, including humans, have kami and are members of the same family. In overly-simplified terms, kami means spirits or qualities of excellence that spirits possess. Just as humans can become kami at death, so can all things on earth.
"Everything is Brahman" to Hindus, meaning deities, people, animals, and plants are all part of the Supreme Divine Reality and share equally in it. People can reincarnate as plants or other entities in a cycle until they reach moksha and are finally reunited with Brahman.
Like other Asian traditions, Sikhs believe in reincarnation and that depending on one's karma, they can reincarnate as a plant. The plant itself cannot reach enlightenment at death but can reincarnate to be human. Only humans can qualify for enlightenment pending freedom from all karma.
Perhaps the most animistic of these religions is Jainism, one of the oldest religions in India. Jain practice a strict code of nonviolence including a refusal to eat not only animals but also avoiding eating plants in a way that would harm the plant. In following this practice, Jains have the greatest chance at reaching enlightenment.
Final Thoughts
Seemingly worlds apart, major religions have again found commonality: plants just might have souls after all. So, the next time you gaze lovingly at your botanical buddies, remember that they may be more than just decorative elements in your home; they could literally be family. Now the "plant parent" moniker seems more fitting, doesn't it?
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