What is the absolute bare minimum to keep a plant alive?

Now that my grow is under way (sig) I have a reliable source for clones. I want to take a clone and root it and veg it a little in my cabinet into a bonsai tree shaped plant. trim it and prune it essentially just to make it look somewhat like a tree.

Then i want to transplant this to a small square bonsai-like pot and have a little bonsai weed tree. Inevitably the plant will flower in a room that doesnt give 18 hours light (ie. my bedroom), but this is good it will enhance the coolness of the plant.

My question is: what is the minimum amount of light a plant can survive under. Can i take a strand of christmas lights and string up a little fixture? Would that be enough or would the plant die. I'm not a fan of keeping the windows open plus a huge bush blocks all light from my room. I have the worst lit room in the house. Could the 4 100 watt incandescents mounted roughly 6 feet from the plant be enough. I doubt it. But what is enough light to just barly sustain life.

Get three or four CFL lights and hang up as close to the plant as you can without doing heat damage.

I've started under 60 watts and flowered with 200w
I think the best light for you would be a 24" T5 HO with 4 bulbs. Find it on ebay, Its about 100 watts.

just place the plant next to your computer. the LCD light can keep it going forever

sounds like something painful to do to such a wonderful plant...but probably just one 23W cfl halo'd lovingly over it would sustains its life..if thats what u call a life <_<

im just thinking of doing it as a sort of decoration.... clones come easy when you have 4 mother plants and a cloner.... i dont see it as a waste or anything like that... im thinking of just maybe rigging up a soda can reflector with a small cfl and calling it a day... i dont want any t5's or 3 cfls or anything because then it wouldnt be a decoration it would just be a mini grow.... which is essentially what it is anyway i guess but i dont want lights detracting from the fact that im trying to imitate a bonsai tree here..