Why are My Animals More Sikh Than Me?

harry haller · #1 (**permalink**) 01-Nov-2011, 18:49 PM

As human beings we have been blessed with reason, hooray! This enables us to cheat, lie, surrender to our ego, dominate other members of our species, dominate other species, and make changes to our environment that are not consistent with the order of things, consonance.

This comes back in my view, to being true. Animals, plants, on the whole are true to themselves, they are true to the essence of Creator that resides within them, they follow and do what they were meant to do, and in doing so confirm themselves as fully fledged members of creation.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/37407-why-my-animals-more-sikh-than.html

What do we do? We lie, we are not true to ourselves, how ironic that the meaning of life is to give up lying, cheating, ego, pride, attachment, until we are pure enough to behave like the very animals we wish to dominate, I have a few theories as to why hair is so important, but this again confirms the need to return to the whole, to innocence, to be complete, to behave as creator intended, like animals, we can learn a lot from our animal neighbours, we can learn to be ourselves.

So we learn, we study, we pray, we do sewa, in the hope that one day We can tune into the essence of Creator that animals are already in tune with, so that we can find the enlightenment that is already there, maybe we look too hard for enlightenment, instead of gaining enlightenment, we should just concentrate on losing all the obstructions that are weakening our connection, how animals are lucky, they can just get on with living and being part of creation

jasbirkaleka · #2 (**permalink**) 01-Nov-2011, 21:31 PM

How very true Harry ji, I have always preferred the company of animals as compared to human-beings, (supposedly created in God"s own image). In fact I have my own mini-zoo at my house, in which I keep all kinds of birds and animals, like budgerigars,cockatiels, love-birds etc. I also have ducks. geese. guinea fowl, a pair of emu,rabbits and six dogs. They all are kept in a large inclosure and I make it a point to spend atleast a few hours amongst them,morning and evening, every day. Peace and solace that I experience at that moment, at-least for me, no amount of prayers and meditation can achieve. This is my belief, but I know some guys who feel ill at ease just being near animals.

Ambarsaria · #3 (**permalink**) 01-Nov-2011, 22:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasbirkaleka

How very true Harry ji, I have always preferred the company of animals as compared to human-beings, (supposedly created in God"s own image). In fact I have my own mini-zoo at my house, in which I keep all kinds of birds and animals, like budgerigars,cockatiels, love-birds etc. I also have ducks. geese. guinea fowl, a pair of emu,rabbits and six dogs. They all are kept in a large inclosure and I make it a point to spend atleast a few hours amongst them,morning and evening, every day. Peace and solace that I experience at that moment, at-least for me, no amount of prayers and meditation can achieve. This is my belief, but I know some guys who feel ill at ease just being near animals.

Jasbirkeleka ji so wonderfully stated. People who cannot relate to animals, in my thinking have no chance of living in consonance with creation or the ability to find so called "naam", waheguru, etc.

Isn't there also a saying for dogs at least that,

Quote:

Selecting a dog is the only choice you have in your life to pick a relative.

Believe it or not at one time I was in the way of our family getting a dog. Now he trusts me more than anyone else in the house.

By the way the breed is "Tibetan Spaniel" raised originally by the monks in Tibet as watch dogs (acute sense of presence, hearing, smell, vibrations, etc.) and bed warmers (very fast metabolism). They don't have hair but fur and shed the undercoat they grow for winter in early spring. They are also known as mini-Lions because of their composure and I believe ours does not think he is mini at all

.

Sat Sri Akal.

Ishna · #4 (**permalink**) 02-Nov-2011, 04:17 AM

What about wayward animals? The crazy lion who gets a taste for humans (you hear of it sometimes, it's not a case of starvation, but crazy lion, apparently). Are they still as pure as we imagine them to be?

Also, what about when a human interferes with an animal's development? For instance, animals who are starved, beaten, or made to fight other animals, and it alters their psychology, so you get a dog who is terrified of men, a dog who can't be let near other dogs because all it's ever know is being put with them to fight to the death?

It is easy to see our loving pets who have known nothing but love give pretty much nothing but love in return, and extent that sentiment to all domestic pets, when they're actually very different from each other depending on how they've been raised.

There was a female fighter dog at the local animal shelter, she was in a run yard, and some puppies were in the run yard next to her, and the attendant wasn't supervising at the time, and one puppy got a bit too curious and somehow the fighter dog managed to get hold of the puppy's leg under the yard fence... so she ripped it off. The puppy died. Is that consonance?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=37407
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=37407

Are domestic pets really living in consonance with creation or are they living in consonance with the Will of Humans? Is that consonance?

Scarlet Pimpernel · #5 (**permalink**) 02-Nov-2011, 04:31 AM

Quote:

People who cannot relate to animals, in my thinking have no chance of living in consonance with creation or the ability to find so called "naam", waheguru, etc

Veer ji we relate to our animals because we consider them ours,but to find Waheguru you have to relate and consider other people as ours ,that ofcourse is considerably harder to do than loving ones dog,although I love mine do I love the next door neighbours one as much?

Ambarsaria · #6 (**permalink**) 02-Nov-2011, 06:31 AM

Ishna Bhain ji and sp veer ji thanks for your posts. Some comments for consideration.

Ishna Bhain ji's observations first.

Quote:

What about wayward animals? The crazy lion who gets a taste for humans (you hear of it sometimes, it's not a case of starvation, but crazy lion, apparently). Are they still as pure as we imagine them to be?

What makes Lions not to go for delicacies if these happen to be humans for some of them? Taste is also what they are born with. If i happen to be the one they want to eat and attack me then we have three choices. Defend myself, allow them to eat, or kill and save the pelt as a trophy so it does not go to waste. All are in consonance.

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Also, what about when a human interferes with an animal's development? For instance, animals who are starved, beaten, or made to fight other animals, and it alters their psychology, so you get a dog who is terrified of men, a dog who can't be let near other dogs because all it's ever know is being put with them to fight to the death?

Evil (ਪਾਪ/Paap) is not transferable. Evil is the trainer/custodian and not the dog.

Quote:

There was a female fighter dog at the local animal shelter, she was in a run yard, and some puppies were in the run yard next to her, and the attendant wasn't supervising at the time, and one puppy got a bit too curious and somehow the fighter dog managed to get hold of the puppy's leg under the yard fence... so she ripped it off. The puppy died. Is that consonance?

The wolf behavior in a dog is consonance. Who ever brought them near to each other is the wrong doer.

Quote:

Are domestic pets really living in consonance with creation or are they living in consonance with the Will of Humans? Is that consonance?

If dogs have the ability and flexibility and capability to live with others and be happy and loving, that is the higher state of consonance where species share a loving relationship. Just like we encourage inter-faith dialog here at spn.

Sp ji comments on your post below,

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Veer ji we relate to our animals because we consider them ours,but to find Waheguru you have to relate and consider other people as ours ,that of course is considerably harder to do than loving ones dog,

Failure to live with our own species is not the basis of excluding living in consonance with others.

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although I love mine do I love the next door neighbours one as much?

That is the attachment/moh thief in you. If you did love the next door dog more than his/her family that will be perhaps very agonizing to the next door dog because he will miss the attachment with you a lot while spending most of his time next door. This is one reason that I find it futile to eradicate so called thieves. Even the dogs innately are more attached to their own family compared to strangers. That is in the creation we all are and is nothing foreign.

Sat Sri Akal and one mundahug for Ishna ji and one mundahug for sp ji.

jasbirkaleka · #7 (**permalink**) 02-Nov-2011, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ishna

What about wayward animals? The crazy lion who gets a taste for humans (you hear of it sometimes, it's not a case of starvation, but crazy lion, apparently). Are they still as pure as we imagine them to be?

Also, what about when a human interferes with an animal's development? For instance, animals who are starved, beaten, or made to fight other animals, and it alters their psychology, so you get a dog who is terrified of men, a dog who can't be let near other dogs because all it's ever know is being put with them to fight to the death?

It is easy to see our loving pets who have known nothing but love give pretty much nothing but love in return, and extent that sentiment to all domestic pets, when they're actually very different from each other depending on how they've been raised.

There was a female fighter dog at the local animal shelter, she was in a run yard, and some puppies were in the run yard next to her, and the attendant wasn't supervising at the time, and one puppy got a bit too curious and somehow the fighter dog managed to get hold of the puppy's leg under the yard fence... so she ripped it off. The puppy died. Is that consonance?

Are domestic pets really living in consonance with creation or are they living in consonance with the Will of Humans? Is that consonance?

Ishna ji,
Man is the most dangerous living-being on earth. Animals hunt only when they are hungry, or attack only when they feel that there is a threat,real or imagined to their life.
But in the case of Man it is just the opposite.More the powerful he gets, hungrier he gets for more power. As history proves, to attain that, he has been much,much more cruel, vicious and revengeful than any other animal can ever be.

kds1980 · #8 (**permalink**) 02-Nov-2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasbirkaleka

Ishna ji,
Man is the most dangerous living-being on earth. Animals hunt only when they are hungry, or attack only when they feel that there is a threat,real or imagined to their life.
But in the case of Man it is just the opposite.More the powerful he gets, hungrier he gets for more power. As history proves, to attain that, he has been much,much more cruel, vicious and revengeful than any other animal can ever be.

Animals do attack and kill each other when they want to mate and grab power from other males
.Carnivores hate each other and whenever there is oppurtunity they kill other carnivores to eliminate competetion .Male chimpanzee sometimes steal baby chimpanzees from their mothers and eat them

sorry animals are not so innocent as they are portrayed

Ambarsaria · #9 (**permalink**) 02-Nov-2011, 07:59 AM

kds1980 ji thanks for your post and one comment,

Quote:

Originally Posted by kds1980

sorry animals are not so innocent as they are portrayed

kds1980 ji hopefully you did not read my portrayal to be innocence of the animals. For example if someone brings goodies from outside and makes a call to come eat, our mini-Lion makes it very clear that he comes first and comes to attack/stop others from joining the feast. Mind you his protestation never succeeds but nevertheless his instincts are sharp as ever. He is born with this and it is not taught so. We live with him as such an understanding.

There are whole bunch of animal practices in the wild like killing the old males, eating the young, deserting the weaklings, pushing babies out of nest, fighting to death for territory, etc., that in a human context would be abhorrent. Animals don't pretend, they do and as much as we could understand, then we will see. For me that is their consonance and not something wrong. It feels so because we don't or can not live or think like them.

Sat Sri Akal.