|
|
 |
|
Animal
House Folly
Farm Blog
Would you like to see your advertisement in this space? If so click here.
|
In Theosophy, karma is the law by which our lives, past, present and future is governed. Every good and bad deed or word is revisited upon the giver in order that they develop spiritually, following their soul's path towards ultimate union with its creative source. Likewise the law of nature is a complex web of balance and counterbalance where every action causes a reaction. All life and energy is part of the oneness of life. The animals are our brothers and sisters with their own karma to fulfil, individually and collectively as a species. Not only are they constantly evolving physically but also they are developing spiritually until they too are reunited with the light. As brotherhood is part of the Theosophical aspiration then it's important to realize that our actions towards our feathered, finned and furred companions affects not only them but ourselves, as we are all part of the oneness of life. In "At the Feet of the Master" we are told if we see a case of cruelty towards a child or animal it is our duty to interfere. Three types of cruelty are mentioned: firstly a deliberate intention of causing pain to another living being. Vivisection is cited as an example, scientists inflicting pain in the name of medical research in order to "benefit" mankind. Likewise cosmetics tested on animals to see if they're safe for their human users. In many cases the tests are hopelessly illogical i.e. putting lipstick in rabbits eyes to see if it irritates the tissue. Often the cosmetics are made from animal by-products. Then there is the cruelty of people who kill for pleasure (foxhunting) and also the killing of animals to supply fur for the fashion industry. Even now the Governments of many world nations actively support these practices under the term "culling". Then there is intentional cruelty. Sometimes this is through ignorance or from forgetting how your action will affect another life. There is the fashion of turning animals into "popular" breeds, which are sold at high prices by breeders who turn their stock into breeding machines to supply demand. These popular varieties then become the unwanted animals dumped in shelters, or worse still, put to death unnecessarily. Superstition is also a major cause of cruelty. In the Dark Ages cats were hunted to the point of extinction due to the belief that they were satanic and witches' familiars. Even today we have religions which regard certain animals as evil, encouraging sacrifices for religious ceremonies or acts of barbarity to prove man's bravery. God is love and wisdom, so by serving nature we love God. It is difficult to give unconditional love to an animal that is frightened or vicious but to do so is to respect their uniqueness in the scheme of existence. On a practical level we should seek to understand their needs regarding nutrition, health and environment. If it is important to take care of our bodies by taking pure food and drink, what right have we to feed our domestic animals processed food consisting of the bodies of old diseased livestock? One of nature's laws is that feeding foods unnatural to the species, disease will follow. In her book "The Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable" Juliette de Biarcli Levy links the outbreak of sheep scrapie and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) in the U.K. to the feeding of raw offal to the affected animals. Domestically many pet dogs suffer skin disease, cancer and kidney failure due to the nutritionally incorrect canned meals they're fed. In the past man altered his environment to suit his needs to the detriment of the life about him. Now with an increased awareness of the fragility of nature's ecosystems we have discovered that to save our own species we have to preserve all life in order to survive. Besides our pets and the wild populations, the farming of livestock has also changed. The power of the dollar dictates that the land is poisoned with pesticides to eliminate unsightly weeds (often herbs) or fed with fertilizers, which kill the microbes living in the soil. Animals are drenched with chemicals to rid them of parasites, which would have difficulty gaining a foothold in a naturally raised animal. In many cases they are factory-farmed, away from fresh air, force-fed antibiotics and hormones to make them grow bigger so that they will fetch high prices when they're sold. Livestock is regarded as expendable, to be disposed of when they're no longer "economically viable" for the largest profit possible. The modern farmer is led by the power of advertisement and told to expect disease as inevitable, with the only cure being in artificial preventative and curative treatment, often peddled by veterinarians who are also under the influence of advertisers. Animals are guided by a spiritual force which we call "instinct". We can observe the way they fast during illness, cleansing their bodies of toxins when conventional medicine would seek to suppress the symptoms. We can see how in many cases domesticated animals give their human caregivers unconditional love and companionship, often working in partnership beside them. By acknowledging that spiritual force, in short that they have souls, then perhaps we can begin to make their existences, plus our own, more pleasant and meaningful. ©Jen
Longshaw 2001-2007
Please do not copy in any manner, print or electronic, without permission
from the author.
|
|
|||||||||
