WHAT WE CAN LEARN
Today, I am going to reflect about some of the oldest and
wisest masters humanity has had throughout the ages, the beloved animals. They
have been around us since the beginning and, hopefully, will stay with us up to
our end. Although at times some of them may have hurt us, the majority of them have
helped us throughout history and have dazzled us with their majesty,
intelligence, behavior and/or beauty. What puzzles me the most is that they
have been patiently teaching us so many wonderful things for so long and, most
of us, still today, continue ignoring them and seeing them as inferiors.
To us, animals can be classified into domesticated or wild,
and can be intriguing, beautiful, ugly, scary, annoying, entertaining, crazy, etc., but
we have never given them the importance and respect that they deserve. For
most people, they are one more thing that they can USE for their own benefit,
whether is for their entertainment, companionship, performing work tasks, nourishment, etc. Just
imagine one day without them…without the singing of the birds; the unconditional
love and entertainment of our pets; the assistance of dogs, horses, dolphins,
and elephants; the beauty of butterflies, and the softness and tenderness of a
bunny rabbit among many others. Life would simply not be the same without
them.
There are a lot of similarities and differences between us
and them. So, before we start looking at the differences, let’s look at the similarities.
We are similar in the way that our bodies work and the way we
behave. We all eat, sleep, think, communicate, defecate, etc., and we all are generally sociable
creatures. But we also have a lot of differences. The question that we need to
ask ourselves is: are there any differences that set humans apart, uniquely,
from all other animals?
Some people think that the main differences between humans and
other animal species is our ability of complex reasoning, our use of complex
language, our ability to solve difficult problems, and introspection (our
ability to describe our own thoughts and feelings). Others also feel that the
ability for creativity or the feeling of joy or sorrow is uniquely human.
Humans have a highly developed brain that allows us to do many of these things.
But are these things uniquely human? (Source: The Arizona State University blog
“Ask a Biologist”)
When testing animals correctly, scientists have learned that
certain animals have a fairly complex language, others can solve complex
problems and build and use tools, others can be creative and express their thoughts, and
yet others do appear to feel joy and sorrow. So, the problem is not that
animals are or are not able to do or feel something. The problem is that our
tests and our expectations are based on human behavior, the way we do it or
act, and that is a problem.
Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius. But
if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life
believing that it is stupid.” This applies to animals as well as humans. If the
standard is that animals have to behave, think and act like us, then the
results are going to be misleading, leading us to believe that we are superior
and that they are inferior. Same applies to humans. If we use any specific area
of our mental or physical capacity as standard to grade other humans, then everyone
who does not grade well will feel that they have failed. We should be tested on our strengths
instead of trying to normalize or standardize everyone under one rigid standard,
resulting in more failure than success at the end.
Whether you have lived around animals or not, we humans share
a profound connection with them. In spite of our differences and similarities,
by perceiving the world as they do, by listening to the message that they have
for us, we can greatly enrich our own appreciation of life. These are lessons that we all
can apply to our lives right now to enrich them and to help us live more fully.
We humans are just a strand in an intricate web called life. Breaking
the harmony of that web by using and taking advantage of animals can only bring
disharmony and chaos to us. If we were able to understand this; if we were able
to understand that we cannot live without them, that we are completely and
utterly dependent on them; if we were able to honor and respect them just as other
equal species; if we were able to listen to their constant messages for us; our
lives would be so greatly enriched and our world would be wonderfully better.
We are not separate from everything else. To the contrary, we
are an intricate part of the whole. Breaking that delicate harmony can only
bring disharmony as we are seeing in today’s world. So, get out of living in your
head and take time every day, or whenever you can, to spend it with
nature. Admire, cherish, and celebrate every animal, flower, plant, tree,
person, and thing without judgement as if today were the last day you had
to live. Breathe deep, open your arms to the sky, play in the, or with, water and sand, sit
by a tree, lay down in the grass, look at the sky, enjoy the sunrise and
sunset, observe children or puppies and smile, smile big because you are alive
and are able to taste and appreciate the most beautiful experience of all: life
at its best.
Until we really learn to listen,
the world is mute! We cannot see or hear what it is teaching us. We are
completely blind and deaf to everything that the world and life has to offer.
Until we stop living in our heads, stop creating a mess with our thoughts, and
stop continuously distorting the reality of life, we have no chance as humans.
We are simply living a biological life, and that is a shame! We are so much more,
but until you get out of your head by destroying all your beliefs, calming
your mind, and living without judgement, life beyond physicality is simply impossible.
To be continued...
---------------------
If you like this article, please subscribe (it's free) and/or share it with others through your social media. Your help spreading these messages is greatly appreciated.
Author: Maurice Correa
Website: pathtoone.com
Blog: p2oblog.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment