PLANTS, ANIMALS AND HUMAN BEINGS
The philosophers of the past used to say that human beings are rational
animals. They used to believe that the only difference between humans and
animals was that the former were endowed with rationality and that latter
were not. While it is true that humans are rational beings, it is not true
that animals are completely devoid of rationality. You must have noticed
that domesticated dogs certainly have some sort of rationality, and that
they are guided by more than just natural instinct. By coming in close
contact with human beings, a dog learns a lot. It learns what to do, when
to
do and how to do. This is a kind of rationality. Hence, it is not proper
to
say that humans are rational animals. In doing so one does not do justice
to
human beings. Yet, the philosophers of the past argued along these lines.
Here a question crops up -- what is the difference between animals and
plants? Primarily, plants are stationary, whereas animals are mobile. With
the gradual evolution of the minds of plants, a time comes, a stage comes,
when plants reach their highest point of evolution. But for animals, this
is
the lowest point. There are some well-known plants that catch their prey
and
kill it. They extend their branches and sub-branches, grab hold of their
nearby prey, then eat it. To a great extent, these plants behave like
animals. In some other plants, floral nectar is produced in the flowers.
It
attracts hundreds of insects, which hover around the centre of the flower
and suck up the sweet honey. The flowers of some such plants gradually
close
around the unsuspecting insects and devour them. This kind of plant cannot
ordinarily be put into the category of plants, because such behaviour
resembles that of animals. Such plants are not mobile -- this is the only
difference. However, there are some aquatic weeds, gr***** and creepers
which are also able to move. They go drifting from one place to another in
lakes, rivers and the sea, stopping wherever they can to get the maximum
food. Hence, it is more accurate to call these plants mobile rather than
immobile.
There is a water plant called the water hyacinth which is like this. You
probably know that the water hyacinth first sprouts in water, has large
leaves like spinach leaves, and is spread throughout India. It can
certainly
be called mobile. Some eighty years ago the Commissioner of Dhaka, Mr.
Lee,
visited South America. There he noticed some blue flowers in a big pond.
Mrs. Lee liked these flowers very much, so she brought some back and
planted
them around the official residence in Dhaka. From there they spread all
over
India.
As plant life progresses on the path of evolution, it reaches a terminal
point, and there animal life commences. Animal life also reaches a similar
terminal point, and there human life begins. Until now, even with much
research, the culminating point of animal evolution and the starting point
of human evolution has not been discovered. Through more research, one day
human beings will certainly discover this missing link. When this unknown
link is discovered, enormous changes will occur in the field of genetics,
and revolutionary changes will take place in the world of medicine.
There is also a great deal of difference between human beings and animals.
That is, human beings are inquisitive by nature, and they want to learn
and
understand everything. This is a fact. While explaining the difference
between plants and animals, I do not think that we would say that an
animal
is a moving plant. No, we would not say this. Likewise, we should not say
that human beings are rational animals. Human beings are human beings. Why
should we hurt human sentiments by calling human beings rational animals?
One who is born a human being today, even a person who has engaged in
sinful
acts, will become a great person in the future if they follow disciplined
habits, so why should we call human beings rational animals? Hence, the
opinion of the philosophers of the past cannot be accepted because it is
illogical. Moreover, rationality is not the only speciality of human
beings.
There are some special common attributes of plants, animals and human
beings. Inactivity, rest, the need for security, reproduction and death
are
common characteristics of plants, animals and human beings. The physical
bodies of all three are also dependent on food and water. These are
characteristics of all living beings. Wherever there is life, these
characteristics will exist.
Besides this, plants have some additional attributes. For example, only
plants can gather vitality from inside the earth. Neither human beings nor
animals can do this. Plants can even gather food from the atmosphere and
give some food to it. (Human beings can also do this, but not as much.)
Because plants perform this kind of work, we can say that they have their
own speciality called "plant dharma." Dharma means innate characteristic.
This is the speciality of plants. There is also another attribute of the
plants -- they drink with their 'feet'.
Likewise, animals also have some special characteristics. On the basis of
these characteristics, different categories of animals exist and have been
made. For example, some animals are carnivorous and others are
graminivorous. Carnivorous animals eat meat, fish and eggs. According to
the
laws of nature, canine teeth are necessary for chewing meat properly.
Carnivorous animals such as cats, dogs, tigers and lions possess canine
teeth, but cows, monkeys, elephants, wild *****, etc do not possess canine
teeth. Nature does not want them to eat meat.
But what do greedy human beings do? Even though they do not possess canine
teeth, they cook or boil meat so that they can eat it. This is done out of
greed. According to the laws of nature, human beings are not carnivorous
*.
So, if they eat meat they will catch numerous diseases. Vegetarians
generally suffer from fewer diseases than non-vegetarians because they are
more habituated to following natural laws. You must have noticed that
those
who violate the laws of nature and become non-vegetarian, even though they
do not possess canine teeth, have peculiar eating habits. Sometimes it
even
seems as if non-vegetarians eat like dogs. Non-vegetarians have trouble
chewing meat properly because of the absence of canine teeth.
* No human being can eat raw meat. Raw meat can only be eaten with canine
teeth.
There are also other categories of animals. For instance, some animals are
gregarious and others are not. The tiger is not a gregarious animal -- it
prefers to move alone. Goats are not gregarious, but sheep, elephants and
lambs are. Human beings are social beings. They do not like to remain in
isolation.
Besides this, animals are also guided by natural instincts. I once told
you
about an animal called the octopus which lives under the sea. It has eight
legs, therefore it is called an "octopus." In Latin "octo" means eight.
Crabs are one of its favourite foods. In Sanskrit a crab is known as
"karkat'a" and in Latin "cancer." The pain caused by the bite of a crab
and
experienced in the disease known as cancer are very similar, therefore the
disease cancer was named after the Latin word for crab. As the octopus
lives
beneath the sea, it is able to see other creatures near the surface. When
it
catches sight of a crab, it rises up from the depths and devours it. The
octopus does not understand that a creature like the crab, with eight or
ten
legs, may enjoy playing in the sea. It only knows that crabs are delicious
food. If you make some crabs unconscious and take them to the bottom of
the
sea so that an octopus will see them, the octopus will not be able to tell
whether the crabs are edible or not because they are immobile. Hence, the
octopus will not attack or eat them. These are the expressions of natural
instinct.
Human beings remain under the control of natural instincts until their
nature is properly developed. In infancy and childhood, human beings do
everything out of natural instinct. For example, when children get hungry
they start crying so that their mothers will understand that they want
something to eat and drink. They suck the breasts of their mothers to get
milk due to natural instinct. There is no need to teach children this.
The evolution of human beings began with the ape and then the proto-ape.
Next came Australopithecine and its branches and sub-branches, followed by
proto-human. One branch of proto-human was the ancestor of human beings,
and
another branch was the ancestor of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans,
etc. The latter group of animals do not have prominent tails. A foetus in
the early stage of pregnancy from an animal in this group will have a
tail,
but later the tail becomes shorter rather than longer. In the hoary past,
there was some resemblance amongst primitive human beings, chimpanzees and
orangutans. The former group developed intellectually, but the latter
group
did not. Hence, the former group evolved into human beings, while the
latter
group remained at the animal stage.
Natural instincts did not vanish with the advent of human beings. Have you
seen monkeys quarrel? They chatter and show their teeth. Human beings also
behave like this when they quarrel in anger. However, monkeys are entirely
dominated by instinct -- they have not lost any of their natural
instincts.
How did primitive apes behave? They used to live in trees. Apes used to
grasp the branches of a tree, just as monkeys still do. This natural
instinct is also evident in human beings when infants keep their hands
closed. If monkeys are afraid or quarrel with other monkeys, they catch
hold
of a branch very tightly so that they will not fall. When human beings are
gripped with fear or ready to fight against an enemy, they also clench
their
fists very tightly. These are examples of natural instincts.
In the course of time, instincts were less influential in human beings
than
in animals, so human beings evolved into a separate species. Human beings
are not animals but living rational beings. In the Persian language the
suffix 'dar' is used to indicate possession. One is called jandar or
living
in the sense that one possesses life. If 'jan' is used in the same sense
and
'war' is added, it becomes janwar or animal. Janwar and jandar are not the
same. The speciality of human beings is that they are endowed with
rationality, which is part of human dharma (manav dharma in Sanskrit).
Plants follow plant dharma (innate characteristic) and animals follow
animal
dharma (innate characteristic). Thus, plants and animals follow their own
particular dharma, and there is nothing wrong in this. Tigers may attack
and
kill human beings, but this is not their fault. However, if human beings
consume beef, then they are following animal dharma. Human beings have to
follow their own dharma. The speciality of human beings is rationality,
and
because of this rationality there are four aspects of human dharma. Human
being move ahead through these four aspects. And those who progress
through
these four aspects can be described as following the path of human dharma.
Thus, there are three dharmas (innate characteristics) -- plant dharma,
animal dharma and human dharma.
Another name for human dharma is Bhagavat Dharma. Bhagavat Dharma contains
no divisions like the division between Hindus and Muslims. This dharma is
for all human beings. It makes no distinctions based on isms -- it is for
the entire humanity. That is why we raise the slogans, "Manava, manava eka
hai" (All humans are one) and, "Manava dharma eka hai" (The dharma of
humans
is one.) This dharma alone is the Eternal Dharma.
Bhagavat Dharma has four aspects -- vista'ra or expansion, rasa or flow,
seva' or service and tadsthiti or attainment of the supreme stance.
Firstly, the fundamental aim of Bhagavat Dharma is vista'ra -- that is,
psychic expansion. Now in order for human beings to expand their minds,
they have to realise that they are one with the supernatural cosmic flow.
So secondly, they have to move ahead remaining connected with the cosmic
flow -- merging their pleasure and pain, hopes and aspirations with the
cosmic rhythm. So human beings have to move ahead, move forward, keeping
pace with the cosmic flow. This alone is known as ra'sa or the ra'sa liila
or the cosmic dance of the Cosmic Consciousness. Taking part in this
cosmic
flow or dance, human beings have to move ahead towards their goal. An
indivisible cosmic rhythm which started from beginningless time marches
ahead to infinity. No creature can remain away from this internal and
eternal divine flow.
The third aspect is seva' or service. In the life of animals, there is no
scope for service. There is only scope for mutual transaction, or what we
call commodity transaction. "Pay money and take the goods" This is the
policy in such cases.
Perhaps you know the story of the crocodile. The crocodile is a
carnivorous
creature. Although it likes to stay in water, it is not an aquatic animal.
It enters the water to catch its prey, and after devouring its prey it
returns to the bank and lies quietly with its mouth open. Small birds
often
come and eat the pieces of meat stuck between the teeth of the crocodile.
What is the result? The birds get their food and the teeth of the
crocodile
are cleaned. At that time the crocodile does not close its mouth, or else
the birds would be killed. This is a commercial transaction.
Human beings alone have the speciality of service. At the time of doing
service, the motive must be that I shall give but not take. Service is
one-sided. When human beings donate something, they do not expect anything
in return. For example, if you give something to a beggar, you do not
expect
anything in return. Furthermore, once you have donated something, you
forget
about it. This is the speciality of human beings. However, some people
make
donations for other reasons. For instance, suppose a man donates a hundred
thousand rupees to a charity. At night he will not be able to sleep
because
he is continuously thinking that in the morning he will get up and read in
the newspaper that he, Chatumal Dakuram Batpari, donated a large amount of
money for the public welfare. You should not behave like this. Once you
donate something, you should forget about it immediately. A donation is
one-way.
If you offer your mental flowers to the Cosmic Consciousness, and at the
same time you say mentally, "my son has just appeared in his exams, so you
must see that he p***** very well. Also, my daughter must get a good
husband
and a good house. And I should be victorious in the court case against my
cousin, etc." -- this will not do. You have to offer yourself without
expecting anything in return. If you offer yourself completely at that
time,
you will attain the highest benefit. You will become one with the Cosmic
Consciousness, you will become realized. But if you keep one cent out of a
dollar, you cannot get oneness with the Infinite Consciousness because of
that one cent. Hence if you want to offer yourself, offer yourself cent
per
cent. This alone is known as service.
The fourth aspect of human dharma is tadsthiti - attainment of the supreme
stance. In the long run, human beings have to become one with Cosmic
Consciousness. This is not the case with animals. Hence in the Giita it is
said:
"O human beings -- bear in mind that you have attained a human frame, a
human mind. Hence, you have to follow human dharma. Be firmly established
in
it. Even if you meet death while following this dharma, even then it is
well
and good. But never follow para dharma (plant or animal dharma). That is
very dangerous; very, very horrible. This para dharma is the dharma of
plants and animals. Humans must not follow this kind of dharma."
In the Giita, Shrii Krsna said something more. He said that if human
dharma
causes pain and torture, and if para dharma (plant or animal dharma) is
easily performed and results in a bed of roses being spread out before
you,
even then it is preferable to follow human dharma. Human beings should
strictly avoid para dharma under all cir***stances.
From a discourse by:
Shrii Shrii Anandamurti
Given on:
15 October 1979
Nagpur, India
See:
A Few Problems Solved Part 4
PROUT in a Nutshell Part 16, 1st edition
Karma Yoga in a Nutshell
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