Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar teaches us in his book, Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours, to regard other species as “neighbours on earth”, due the same dignity and respect we give our fellow human beings. This book beautifully reflects the author’s philosophy of Neohumanism, which holds that all-encompassing, perfect love is the essence of spiritual realization, and the highest stage to which humans can aspire. In this book the author shows his passionate love and compassion for all forms of life, and inspires us to likewise protect birds and animals while honouring their rights and their presence on earth.

Environmental preservation or ecological balance is a widely-discussed topic in these times. Focus on this vital issue has now, though belatedly, stirred up an increasing awareness about the grave danger that ecological imbalance poses to the civilization on this planet. However, the development of awareness brings with it the pertinent question – why do human beings neglect nature, and undermine as well as destroy non-human creatures? The answer is, the vested interests inherent in the human psyche.

According to Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, two “destructive tendencies” are predominant in the human mind: one is “intra-humanistic”, that is, the exploitation or oppression of fellow human beings; and the other is “inter-creature”, that is, the torture of animals, plants and other living beings. The inevitable result is the “catastrophic ruin of human life as well”. In both tendencies, the disease is one and the same, and it must be eradicated from the very root, the mind. Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar prescribes the only way to achieve this: bring about a radical change in the human mind on the basis of Neohumanism – by awakening genuine love for the entire living and inanimate universe. Only then will the human, plant and animal worlds be saved from extinction; and “humanity will attain the consummation of its existence.”

Starting with a series of discourses delivered in Kolkata in the early 1980’s, Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar began to reveal his exquisite vision for saving our imperilled world through a Neohumanistic transformation. Then in 1985 in Kolkata he began giving a remarkable series of discourses which were later compiled into more than thirty volumes in two series, Varńa Vicitrá and Shabda Cayaniká. In nearly all the volumes of those two series, he brought to the fore the issue of preserving non-human creatures, discussing the lives, natures, habitats, status and plights of various animals, birds, insects and plants. In addition he taught us how to behave with and protect these innocent creatures, and urged us all to give them the same care and attention that we give to human beings. Because according to him, all non-human creatures have the same “existential value” as do human beings.

In 1987, he instructed that those of the aforementioned discussions from those two series that were related to animals, be published in the form of a separate Bengali book, to be titled Ámáder Prativeshii Pashu o Pakśii. Thus the first edition of that book comprised of excerpts from whatever parts of the two series had been published by that time; those parts amounted to somewhat more than half of what finally came to be published. Since then there has been a long-standing demand from our esteemed readers for the publication of an English translation. The publication of the present book is a humble response to that request, and moreover includes additional information now gleaned from the volumes unpublished as of 1987 and from the early- 1980’s discourses mentioned above. Where the same information has come in two or more different passages from among all the volumes, normally only one passage has been included herein.

Because of the aforementioned expansion of the book, it has not been possible to follow exactly the organization of it originally given by the author; hence the responsibility for such organization, and for some of the chapter titles, now lies with the editors. In order to provide in a systematic manner a complete panorama of the author’s detailed discussions (originally scattered over more than thirty volumes), the present book has been divided into nine parts. Since the subterranean flow of Neohumanism permeates the book, two of the author’s groundbreaking discourses on this topic, both of which touch on Neohumanism’s vast role as the panacea for all world problems, have been included in Part 1. In Parts 2 through 8, we have arranged the author’s descriptions of various animals, birds and insects, their species and subspecies, under different headings synchronized with the evolution of the living world from the unicellular or multi-cellular protozoa to the developed ape family. Part 9 contains the author’s poignant reflections on the relationship between human beings and animals.

In the interests of accuracy, the author’s explanations of certain Sanskrit, Bengali and other terminologies have all been retained in full.

Source references for all material in the book are provided in the footnotes at the end of each sequence of paragraphs.

As Shabda Cayaniká Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 had all been translated into English and published previously, the material taken from those books has been included herein with minimal further editing. Most of the material taken from Varńa Vicitrá Part 1 to Part 8 and from Shabda Cayaniká Part 4 to Part 26 has been newly translated from the original Bengali for this book. For research purposes, we have included an appendix which provides the Latin names that correspond to the Bengali and English names of each bird and animal mentioned herein.

To assist researchers, it is our policy to indicate in the Publisher’s Note – in addition to the original language of each discourse, its date and place, by whom it was translated, and where (if other than in this book) it was originally published – whether or not a recording of the speech is in existence. At the time of this printing, however, not all cataloguing of recordings has been completed. Further information as to recordings will be provided in future printings.

Footnotes by the translators have all been signed “–Trans.” Unsigned footnotes are those of the author.

Many readers are concerned that the author’s discourses, as published, should adhere as closely as possible to the precise wording the author used in speaking. For this reason, in the case of discourses given originally in English, the editors do not alter pronouns and other terms which the author in his lifetime considered “common-gender” words. As the author once said, “You know, ‘man’ is not only masculine gender, ‘man’ is common gender also. ‘Man is mortal’ – here ‘man’ means both male and female.”

The author was a natural advocate of women’s rights and on at least one occasion indicated that “lopsided justice” in language should be eliminated at some future date. In keeping with his guideline and with current trends, it is our policy in the case of translated discourses (where the published wording will necessarily be that of the translators) to use gender-neutral language.

Square brackets [   ] in the text are used to indicate translations by the editors or other editorial insertions. Round brackets (   ) indicate a word or words originally given by the author.

The author used a particular shorthand for explaining the etymologies of words. Under this system, a minus sign (–) follows a prefix, and a plus sign (+) precedes a suffix. Thus ava – tr + ghaiṋ = avatára can be read, “the root tr prefixed by ava and suffixed by ghaiṋ becomes avatára.”

Acknowledgements

This book is a result of the assistance and support provided by many persons in various ways. Their sincere efforts are helping us to develop an ever more professional working system, so that the immense contribution of Shrii P.R. Sarkar can be presented in the best possible manner. Some esteemed lovers of Shrii P.R. Sarkar’s books have come forward to make arrangements for the continuing publication of his books over the coming years; thanks to them, progress is being made in building up a committed and dependable sales network. In this regard, we welcome the participation and support of all.

Every new book translation starts with a draft by the main translator. It is then reviewed by a “first editor” who compares the English translation with the original Hindi or Bengali. Thereafter it is sent for “second editing” to improve the standard of English. On completion of second editing, it is sent for final verification, which includes one more comparison with the original Hindi or Bengali. Other important functions include the coordination of these different steps and the development and management of a global distribution and sales network.

Some of those who have contributed to these efforts are as follows: retired Professor Dr. Subhas Chandra Sarkar translated all the materials for the book from different parts of Varńa Vicitrá and Shabda Cayaniká, except for the materials taken for different chapters from the already-translated Shabda Cayaniká Part 1 to Part 5, and some or all of the materials for four other chapters: The second of the three “Humans Are So Cruel!” excerpts had already been translated for Neohumanism in a Nutshell Part 2. Some of the material for the “Caring for Child-Bearing Animals” chapter had already been translated for “Advice for Pregnant Women” in The Awakening of Women. “The Whimsical Elephant” was translated by Deváshiiśa for this book, and the Shabda Cayaniká Part 9 portion of the scorpion topic in the “Bugs, Scorpions, Lice and Mosquitoes” chapter was translated by Ácárya Priyashivánanda Avadhuta. The latter also did the first editing of the entire book. Gáyattrii Ghista, Táraka Ghista and Pashupati Landau did the second editing of the entire book. Kirit Dave with the help of others prepared the cover design of the book and also took on coordination of the entire project along with distribution and sales management. Dr. Vishvajita Bhoumick and Shriimati Arpitá Bhoumick prepared the appendix of Latin names for birds and animals. Dr. Vishvajita Bhoumick also helped to proofread the entire book. Mádhava Basak did typing and layout of the book along with many other valuable tasks.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Hannes Thirion, South Africa, for kindly allowing us to use the photograph on the front cover of this book. The photograph, protected by copyright laws, is the property of Mr. Thirion, and may not be reproduced without his express permission.

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Roberto Sozzani of Italy for kindly allowing us to use his dugong photograph on page xxvii. We express our sincere gratitude also to Dr. Daniel Stiles, PhD in anthropology, Kenya, for kindly giving permission to use the picture of the white elephant on page xxxiv. In these two cases also the photographs may not be reproduced without the owners’ express permission. The photograph of a forest on page xxv was contributed by Maithili Rajaram for this book. We are also greatly indebted to her and express our sincere gratitude.

Most of the other pictures of birds, animals, etc., used as illustrations in the book were drawn for us by artists Shrii Anjan Basu of Kolkata, Shrii Swapan Das of Delhi, Shrii Devashis Datta of Baroda and Shrii Dinesh Verma of Sydney. Others who contributed to this effort are Shrii Abhinava Ashu of Mumbai, Shrii Anup Sheet of Kolkata, Shrii Gautam Guha of Kolkata, Shrii Swapan Dey of Kolkata, Shriimati Arpitá Bhoumick and Vishvajita Bhoumick of Siliguri, and Shrii Vishal Thakur of Ranchi. We also express our sincere gratitude to each of them.

We are also indebted to many others who gave constant encouragement and valuable input. Final verification and parts of other tasks were done by the staff of Ananda Marga Publications.

If any defects are found, readers may be sure that they do not derive from the illustrious author, nor are they the responsibility of those who contributed to the work; rather they are the responsibility of the Publications staff alone.

Sources

“Pseudo-Humanism”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Meki Mánavatávád” in 1982. First English publication in The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, first edition, 1982, translated from the original Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Fourth English publication in The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, fourth edition, 1999, edited by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta.

“Neohumanism Is the Ultimate Shelter”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as “Navyamánavatávád-i Sheś Áshraya” in Buddhir Mukti o Mánavatávád, 1982. First English publication in The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, first edition, 1982, translated from the original Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Avadhútiká Ánanda Mitrá Ácáryá. Fourth English publication in The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, fourth edition, 1999, edited by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta.

[[“An Ideal Life”. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali as “Ádarsh Jiivan” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7, First Edition, 1980. First English publication in Ánanda Vacanámrtam 7, 1987, tr. from the Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Ácárya Vishvarúpánanda Avadhúta. Second English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, First Edition, 1987, retr. by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta. Third English publication in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 1, Second Edition, 1999, retr. by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and A´AA.]]

All the remaining chapters of [[the book]] are excerpts from different parts of Varńa Vicitrá and Shabda Cayaniká (all of which were originally given as dictations, or discourses followed up by dictation, in Bengali, and none of which were tape-recorded); and most of such excerpts have been newly translated for the present book by Dr. Subhas Chandra Sarkar. Footnotes within the different chapters pinpoint the exact source of each sequence of paragraphs. The publication dates of the different source books referred to in the footnotes will be given below. Though most of the book, as mentioned, consists of excerpts from Varńa Vicitrá and Shabda Cayaniká that have been newly translated by Dr. Subhas Chandra Sarkar, the following excerpts are exceptions:

All the paragraph sequences taken from Shabda Cayaniká 1 (originally published in Bengali in 1985, first English publication in 1996, tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa), Shabda Cayaniká 2 (originally published in Bengali in 1985, first English publication in 1996, tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa), Shabda Cayaniká 3 (originally published in Bengali in 1986, first English publication in 1999, tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa), Shabda Cayaniká 4 (originally published in Bengali in 1986, first English publication in 2007, tr. from the original Bengali by Retd. Prof. Mohit Roy) and Shabda Cayaniká 5 (originally published in Bengali in 1986, first English publication in 2007, tr. from the original Bengali by Retd. Prof. Visvanath Chatterjee and Deváshiiśa).

Part 1. Human Beings and the Non-Human World in the Light of Neohumanism.

Chapter on “Humans Are So Cruel!”, “Vultures are carnivorous birds” excerpt. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as part of section on “Krántu”, Discourse 66 in Shabda Cayaniká 10, 1987. First English publication as part of “How Cruel Human Beings Are!” in Neohumanism in a Nutshell 2, 1987, tr. from the original Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta.

Part 8. The World of Tiny Creatures and the Rodent Family.

Chapter on “Bug, Scorpions, Lice and Mosquitoes”, “The word kurpii” excerpt. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as part of section on “Kaorpya”, Discourse 60 in Shabda Cayaniká 9, 1986. Tr. from the original Bengali by Ácárya Priyashivánanda Avadhúta.

Part 9. Reflections on Animals and Human Beings.

Chapter on “The Whimsical Elephant”. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as part of section on “Kharpuiṋj”, Discourse 94 in Shabda Cayaniká 13, 1987. Tr. from the original Bengali by Deváshiiśa.

Chapter on “Caring for Child-Bearing Animals”, “When the foetus in the mother’s womb” to “death during delivery will become a rare phenomenon” excerpt. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Bengali as part of section on “Garbha”, Discourse 162 in Shabda Cayaniká 20, 1989. First English publication as “Advice for Pregnant Women” in The Awakening of Women, 1995, tr. from the original Bengali by Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta, Avadhútiká Ánanda Rucirá Ácáryá, Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta.

Publication dates of the source books referred to in the footnotes (all of which consist of discourses given in Bengali and all of which were originally published in Bengali):

Varńa Vicitrá 1-3, 1984.

Varńa Vicitrá 4-6, 1985.

Shabda Cayaniká 6, 7, 9, 1986.

Shabda Cayaniká 10-14, 1987.

Shabda Cayaniká 15-20, 1988.

Shabda Cayaniká 21-22, 1989.

Shabda Cayaniká 26, 1990.

Chapter 1	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

[[We were discussing socio-sentiment. When sentiment expands beyond the limit of an individual to embrace others also, it is called “socio-sentiment.” Where does it end?]] Just as zero cannot have any radius, infinity has no radius [[either]]. You can form a circle with a radius greater than zero but less than infinity; only in this circumstance can it exist. Unless the radius of anything is greater than zero and less than infinity, its existence becomes meaningless. Then there may be existence in theory but not in actuality.

Now, family sentiment is also a kind of socio-sentiment, but its radius is very small. Greater than this is the radius of caste sentiment, and still greater is that of community sentiment, national sentiment, international sentiment, and so on. Now, the narrowest of all the socio-sentiments is technically called “socio-sentiment minimitis”, and the greatest is called “socio-sentiment maximitis” or “socio-sentiment excellencio”. What is the difference between these two terms?

The small theoretical gap between excellencio and maximitis makes little difference so far as the collective welfare is concerned. It merely soars high in the realm of theory, just like the argument whether the pot contains the oil or the oil is contained in the pot, or the argument whether the palmyra fruit falls first or the sound of its hitting the ground comes first. This is how the ancient logicians used to endlessly debate.

It is said that once the scholars in Navadwip researched for a long time whether the sound is produced before or after the palmyra fruit hits the ground. The story goes that the scholars carried on this debate for three days and nights, and five maunds [approximately 411 pounds] of snuff was consumed in the process! After three days and nights, it was found at daybreak that almost all the scholars were dead. And what was the cause? The palmyra fruits fell on their heads, and that is how they died!

Now, this socio-sentiment, in its stage of excellencio or in theory maximitis, is called “humanism.” Suppose I was working for a particular nation, but now I am working for all nations. When I admit the existence of nations and say that I am working for all nations, then it is neither humanism nor universalism – it is merely internationalism. When I use the term “internationalism”, I am admitting the existence of separate nations, and along with this I must naturally also think, within the nations, of the people’s five fundamental requirements of life (food, clothes, education, shelter, and medical care). But when I discover that one nation is trying to thrive on the life-blood of another, I oppose it, and this opposition ultimately leads to world war. So internationalism is not the solution either.

Now, if we enlarge the circumference beyond the scope of nationalism or internationalism and embrace all people within one fold, this is called “humanism”, or, still better, “ordinary” or “general” humanism.

What is this humanism? It is socio-sentiment maximitis. Is this the panacea for all problems? Does it provide answers to all questions? No, it does not, for two reasons. The first is that even within humanism there is still intra-humanistic clash; and secondly, in the living world, humans are not the only living beings – there are many other creatures as well. If people completely ignore them, indeed this may not create any great conflict in the external world, because non-human creatures are psychologically undeveloped. (Even if they are physically developed, mentally they are undeveloped.) Thus it is easy for human beings to destroy the animal and plant kingdoms. But this destruction will upset the balance among the plant, animal, and human worlds and result in the catastrophic ruin of human life as well.

Now, what does “intra-humanistic clash” mean? Suppose I find that a particular social group is suffering from starvation, and I provide food for them. This is humanitarian, no doubt, but at the back of my mind I am thinking, “Let me utilize these people as the suppliers of our raw materials and the purchasers of our finished products, because these people are now obligated to us.” This sort of mentality will one day destroy peace in society. So the humanistic approach is not perfect; it is adulterated.

Suppose we discover that a particular group is educationally backward. We feel pity for its people because they are also our fellow human beings. So we think, “Let us introduce them to the printed word at least!” and actually we do something towards that end. But through this so-called “literacy drive”, we inject ideas in their minds that paralyse them mentally, and then we ultimately govern these mentally-paralysed people as colonized people. In this way the peace of the world will be destroyed. This is all “intra-human conflict.” The intention is to develop them socially in the way we like and thus destroy their originality. This is the mentality at work.

What is the reason for this type of mentality? “I pity them” – this vanity, this superiority complex, will eventually create satellite social groups. This adulterated [humanism] is not genuine [humanism], nor is it true humanistic spirit; it is ordinary human sentiment or pseudo-humanistic strategy in another form. It has some affinity with pseudo-reformist strategy.

How does pseudo-reformist strategy work? What is its nature? It arises within socio-sentiment: “Yes, what my opponents [revolutionaries] say is correct; but if this really materializes, it will greatly inconvenience me and disturb my individual sentiment. So what we must do is to try to adjust with the existing situation. We don’t want any great changes; we will just go ahead step by step. Externally we may speak of reform, but in our heart of hearts, we have decided not to allow any change to take place.” This is pseudo-reformist strategy.⁽¹⁾

And what is “pseudo-humanistic strategy”? “Outwardly we preach the gospels of humanistic idealism, but in actuality we stab others in the back.” In the absence of a firm foundation, this sort of ordinary human sentiment remains unstable. This situation is prevalent all over the world today; you must make sincere efforts to see that it no longer continues.

Intra-humanistic clash is a continuing phenomenon, and as a result there are constant conflicts between individual and individual, between group and group. What is the reason? It is because this so-called ordinary humanism or general humanism is nothing more than an enlarged form of nationalism: only its radius is large, or maximitis, as I said in the beginning. That is the only difference.

So you see, socio-sentiment minimitis and socio-sentiment maximitis, although they differ in radius, are both mental diseases which demand our equal attention. Suppose in someone’s body there is a certain disease in one place affecting a limited area, and the same disease in another place affecting a broader area. The disease is the same; the difference lies only in the magnitude of the affected area. The socio-sentiment maximitis or excellencio that is included in socio-sentiment results in clash not only among human beings, but also in mutual clash among humans, animals and plants. If, instead of firmly establishing one’s mind in humanism, one is guided by pseudo-humanistic strategy, one is bound by some means or other to bring the social group to which one has given aid within the scope of one’s own socio-sentiment. Thus today or tomorrow they will become exploited, either directly or indirectly, and the exploitation will be more intense in the economic sphere than in other spheres.

This has one very interesting aspect, which most people overlook. Depending upon the degree of economic affluence, some countries are called “developed”, some “developing”, and some “undeveloped.” Now the interesting thing is that none of these so-called developed countries can stand on their own legs. They are simply compelling the developing and undeveloped countries to buy their industrial goods by creating circumstantial pressure on them. None of these countries becomes developed by developing its own resources.

In those countries which are developing their own resources, the resources are not equally distributed among them, so naturally some countries’ resources will become exhausted sooner than others’. And when this occurs, they will have to use force – either physical or intellectual – against others.

So as long as there are bondages of nationhood – maximitis bondages (not to mention minimitis) – the tendency to exploit individuals or the collectivity will continue to exist. This is bound to have its repercussions on political life as well as religious life. I said yesterday that religion is being used to create satellites; the propagators of religion are performing this unjust action consciously or unconsciously. But behind all this lies the wealth of those who seek to create satellite groups as suppliers of their raw materials or customers for their finished products. Thus there is pervasive corruption in religious life. None of these religions is Bhágavata dharma, the all-embracing human dharma.

There is degeneration in cultural life also. Once one’s cultural life is controlled, one becomes a slave. The rulers and exploiters, who are motivated by socio-sentiment maximitis (otherwise known as general humanism), want to exploit people in all spheres of life – social, economic, political, cultural, and religious. Hence humanism cannot be considered the panacea; it is not a perfect remedy.

Often certain social groups – be they international groups or the largest social groups – seek to preserve their existences by destroying non-human creatures – animals and plants. But all animals and plants also have the urge for self-preservation; no creature dies willingly. This destructive tendency is operating not only in the inter-creature world (the torture of animals and plants), but also in the intra-creature world (within the human world itself). The kind of persecution which is being perpetrated against animals today may be perpetrated by one social group against another tomorrow, because the very tendency to torture others is predominant in the blood of exploiters. They are not free from this disease – they merely mouth high ideals. That is why I said that this is all pseudo-humanistic strategy, not even humanistic strategy.

What do people do to meet their growing needs for agricultural lands, for industries, etc.? They bring about large-scale deforestation; but no one bothers to think about the creatures that live in those forests. Thus the tigers and elephants haunt the villages, kill the people and demolish their houses. Why? Out of their instinct for self-preservation. We have destroyed their natural habitat, the forests, but we never bothered to consider any alternative arrangements for their shelter. We have recklessly destroyed large areas of forests without caring to think that thereby we are destroying the balance among the human, plant, and animal worlds. And we never realized – and still do not – that this wanton destruction of the animal and plant worlds will be of no benefit to human beings. Rather it will be a great loss for human society, because each and every living entity, whether plant or animal, has two types of value: one, its utility value, and the other, its existential value.

Human beings usually preserve those creatures which have an immediate utility value for them; for example, cows. Human beings protect them for their own benefit, because cows have some utility. Nowadays horses have lost their utility value. Thus horses are rarely found in large numbers in the streets these days; you do not see many horses around at all. After some time, people will have to go to the zoo to catch a glimpse of a horse; they will not be found anywhere else. Since horses no longer serve human needs and their utility value is nil, human beings are not eager to preserve them.

Similarly, when people are able to prepare synthetic milk by chemical process, they will also stop breeding cattle. That day people will either kill the cows by starving them, or they will themselves eat the cows. This is the situation.

Who says that those creatures who have lost their immediate utility value have no right to exist? No one has the moral right to say this. No one can dare to say that only human beings have the right to live – and not non-humans. All are the children of Mother Earth; all are the offspring of the Supreme Consciousness. Most creatures have existential value, although they may not be valuable to human beings, or we may not be aware that their existence has some significance. This existential value is sometimes individual and sometimes collective, and sometimes both. Oftentimes, we cannot know the utility value, or the collective existential value, of a creature; we wrongly think that it has no existential value. This is the height of foolishness. As human beings have not advanced very far in the field of knowledge, they are prone to this sort of error.

Even those creatures that have no utility value for human beings or whose utility value has ceased, which have no existential value for human beings or whose existential value has ceased, still have the right to live. Even those animals which have negative utility value instead of positive, and negative entitative [[existential]] value instead of positive, human beings will have to try to preserve even those animals by creating a congenial environment for them instead of destroying them. And they will also have to provide adequate safeguards so that those creatures may not prove injurious. If, in the absence of proper safeguards, those undeveloped creatures do harm to humans, the fault does not lie with those creatures but rather with the human beings. Human beings are endowed with developed intellect. Why do they not make adequate arrangements to protect themselves?

One more thing must be said – that non-human creatures have the same existential value to themselves as human beings have to themselves. Perhaps human beings can understand the value of their existence, while other living beings cannot: this is the only difference. Even so, no one has conferred any authority on human beings to kill those unfortunate creatures.

Now, within the scope of socio-sentiment maximitis, there are economically-developed groups [[and hence also economically-undeveloped groups]]. Within the greater human society, there are different social divisions in some form or the other, direct or indirect. As a result, the virus of intra-human conflict, and along with this, inter-creature conflict, is bound to spread. And in this inter-creature conflict, human beings have completely forgotten the utility value and entitative value of other creatures.

Thus humanism cannot be accepted as an ideal path to perfection. Human beings will have to progress further towards perfection: Hethá nay hethá nay, anya kothá, anya konakháne⁽²⁾ [“Not here, not here, somewhere else, somewhere else.”] We must move ever forward beyond the confines of sentiment. And does not a still more glorious and effulgent dawn await us there? Indeed it does.

Footnotes

(1) Práksama saḿskáravádátmaka rańaniiti [in Sanskrit].

Chapter 2	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 3	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 4	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 5	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 6	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 7	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 8	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 9	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 10	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 11	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 12	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 13	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 14	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 15	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 16	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 17	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 18	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 19	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 20	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 21	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 22	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 23	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 24	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 25	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 26	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 27	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 28	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 29	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 30	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 31	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 32	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 33	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 34	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 35	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 36	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 37	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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Chapter 38	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

Yacchedváuṋmanasiiprájiṋastadyacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchánta átmani.

[Wise persons first merge their indriyas (sense organs) into their citta (mind-stuff), then their citta into aham (doer “I”), then aham into mahat (“I exist” feeling), then mahat into jiivátmá (unit spirit, soul), and finally their jiivátmá into Paramátmá (Supreme Consciousness).]

I have already told you how spiritual aspirants should live their lives. I have said that a real sadhaka [spiritual aspirant] will properly discharge their duties in the relative world, and will at the same time attend properly to their duties in the spiritual world; and between the two worlds, there will be a happy blending. In the external world there should be an objective adjustment, and at the same time there should, in the psychic world, be a subjective approach.

Furthermore, never forgetting that human life is an ideological flow, human beings should always move towards the supreme ideology. They have been moving in this direction since time immemorial and, through this process of movement, have reached the present stage of humanity. Passing through many lives as worms, insects, birds, and animals, they have undergone countless pains, miseries, tortures and humiliations. Take for example the life of a goat. A goat spends its life eating grass, until the day comes when the butcher grabs it, kills it, skins it and sells its flesh piece by piece in the market. That goat at one time had to live such a miserable life. But today it has forgotten all this. Through a process of forward movement, today it may have attained a human life.

Human life is more secure than animal life. Many animals live in the jungle where there is something to fear every minute; where the weak are the prey of the strong. To escape this atmosphere of fear and insecurity, many wild animals have sought refuge with human beings. They have been fed grass, leaves and other types of fodder until the right moment came to kill them for their flesh. Even today, this is generally what happens. Animals fully trust human beings; they trust them even up to one minute before their death. But when they see a person approaching them with a weapon in hand, they realize that those they had trusted as their friends are actually their enemies. Although human beings feed their animals, the love or attachment which they have for them is purely external. There is no genuine love in humans. This is how wretched animal life can be.

Every human being has had to pass through that sort of painful animal life in the past. But that does not mean we should be the cause of misery for those animals who have taken shelter with us today. On the contrary, we should have a merciful attitude towards them. A woman who has been badly treated or humiliated by her mother-in-law should be careful that she does not treat her daughter-in-law in the same way. Human beings should carry out their duties properly in the external world and should always ensure that no being suffers unnecessarily from any undue mistreatment. In the physical sphere, the rights of all should be protected. Each and every human being should be guaranteed the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, medicine, shelter and education. “I won’t exploit anyone, and I won’t allow others to exploit me.” This is the spirit of proper objective adjustment. And while this proper objective adjustment is maintained, work must continue in a progressive way. You will have to move ahead on the path of life while keeping an adjustment with the external world.

You must always remember that your existence is not only a physical one. It is animals who are primarily concerned with the physical world, who struggle merely to survive. Those animals which live in jungles are constantly confronted by the fear of tigers, lions, bears, elephants, snakes, crocodiles and a host of other ferocious creatures; while those which have surrendered to human beings, such as goats, sheep and cows, are confronted in the last moment of their lives with the fear of being slaughtered by a human. So it is quite obvious that animal life is less secure than human life.

In today’s world, human beings face difficulties in maintaining an objective adjustment with the physical world. As we have not yet been able to build an ideal human society, we will have to first concentrate on providing everyone with the basic requirements of life. Once that task is accomplished, we will be able to build an ideal society. To enable society to progress spiritually, people will be given sufficient scope and time for spiritual practices.

The subjective approach is to first withdraw the crude mind gradually from the external world and merge it in the subtle mind, and then to merge the subtle mind in unit consciousness. When unit consciousness is merged in Cosmic Consciousness, a human being is said to have attained the supreme fulfilment in life. In the present world, human beings face such tremendous difficulties in maintaining their objective adjustment that they cannot afford to give any time for their subjective approach. This is the greatest tragedy of the day! That is why I would like to advise you to build a healthy human society as early as possible, so that each and every human being gets enough scope and time for spiritual progress.

	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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	Birds and Animals, Our Neighbours [a compilation]

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