Harmony with Nature

One of the best illustrations of harmony can be observed in nature; as one walks along a garden with plenty of trees, shrubs, creepers and water bodies, it would become too obvious that there is place in the garden for all sorts of plants, not only what the human beings consider as good and useful, but also the so-called useless grass, creepers and plants. Everything have their own “private” space, and others do not trespass, and even if they do, there is no noise made about this. That is the law of nature; in mother nature’s bosom, every one has got a place; but when it comes to a human family, the world we live in, can we say the same?

The most poisonous snakes live in perfect harmony with the most harmless of reptiles; a snake may not with full consciousness bite another creature, unless it comes in the way of the snake. In nature’s kingdom each one respects the others, and there is perfect understanding between them. That is why there is so much for the human beings to learn from nature. If only we the human persons being to imitate the natural world around us, life could be so very different and beautiful. But it is a matter of great concern as to who would explain to the human persons, how to restrict to one’s private space and respect the space of others.

Look at a pond or a water-body, either river or a sea; there is place for all sorts of creatures there in, and all of them live in perfect harmony. It is natural law which permits sometimes the weaker animals to become prey to the strong one’s, however due to this, there can never be a situation that the weaker species may become extinct over the years. Nature takes care of preserving even the weaker species, and protects them from the strong predators. There is something for us to learn from the world of the water-bodies, and they can enlighten and brighten our lives.

There is also a place for parasites in the natural world, where these creepers and plants depend solely on the stronger plants for their very survival, and that is not considered as something that is exploitative. It is only right and proper for a strong plant to hold the weaker one and support them for meaningful survival. We may think that there are so many anomalies in the natural world, where there is provision for subduing of the weak by the strong, and the survival of the fittest, but at the same time there is enough room for the weak and the fragile to grow stronger and bolder.

Nature has most of the solutions to the problems that the human world confronts, and we shall be able to understand the logic of why nature does something which might look so stupid, only if we are able to see the consequences. There is a different kind of logic operative in the way how nature handles the natural world; however it would be wrong to think that the natural world also follows the human world. It is time therefore for the human beings to cast their own notions of the world outside of them, and learn a meaningful lesson from nature; for the human beings will have no better teachers than nature herself!

Death of a Cockroach

It didn’t occur to me at first, but after killing a creature, suddenly it struck me that I have done something that is bad! The uninvited guest crawled into my room stealthily, and I was not quite prepared to invite him; the insecticide was there at my table, with the nozzle to spray the poison on anyone who would invade my room. It did not even take me one minute to finish off the cockroach which was emerging out of a corner of my room. Probably the innocent creature did not know that I would be so very violent with him/her, and that I had a very strong weapon to kill him/her through a violent death. After killing the creature, I had a guilt feeling for indulging in such cold-blooded murder.

But this is not the first time that I had indulged in such a violent, brutal killing of a creature, which has the same kind of right to live on earth, as myself. It was terrible to see the poor creature wiggle and die, and it took just a few seconds; the poison should have crippled it within seconds, just as cyanide might do to a human person. It was after letting the entire episode to subside that I was asking myself, from where did the human beings get the audacity to wipe out all the other creatures from the face of the earth? The numerous species of animals and plants which have been wiped out of the universe may never ever see the light of day; they are gone forever, and we still have no regret for killing them.

Human life is centered on utilitarianism; everything which is useful to humanity is considered good, and anything which does not benefit humanity is considered bad; but can there be anything bad under God’s divine plan? Are not all creatures, great and small, have a specific role and function in this vast universe? Who are human beings to sit on the seats of judgment and decide which is good and which is bad? What would happen if some other superior creature on the universe were to sit on judgment seat and condemn the human race, and kill them at will, as if we were just perishable insects and pests? It is good for us to realize that we are not the masters of the universe, but merely custodians.

Every time when a creature departs from the face of the earth, the life of the earth is also considerably reduced, even if we say that that is not true. The universe is enriched and ennobled by the countless number of creatures on its face, and whenever any of them bid farewell to the world, then their place is left vacant, and no wonder the world is slowly becoming deserted and it may not be too late before we witness the empty plains and valleys, which are barren and deserted. Even the most poisonous of snakes and animals have their specific role to play in the universe, and it would be wrong for the human persons to decide what that role would be.

I am here at this hour not so much to mourn the death of the cockroach, which it is said, is the only creature which can withstand the worst kind of natural calamity; they may have the physical and mental makeup which may be far superior to the human beings, and we may not be in a position to accept and acknowledge it, but that is a fact. Today as I bring the poor creature before my eyes, I would like to promise that next time when it is my turn to take the life of yet another creature from the earth, I will think twice. Just as I have the right to live on earth peacefully, the others too have the same right, and I would not go outright to endanger their lives.

In Support of Serpents

Snakes! the proverbial enemies of humanity from the time of the first parents, Adam and Eve, there is hardly any who would say something in support of these animals. They are a cursed lot, already from the time of the genesis, and they are still so, except for a few minor religious sects who have taken shelter with snakes as their deity, as is the case with Manasa Devi in Bengal, and Naga Devadai in the southern India. But that does not stop the snakes from harming even the very people who worship them as deities! It has gone deep into human mind that snakes cannot be allowed to live!

We are taught already from our childhood that snakes are evil, and they are all poisonous. They cannot be allowed to prawl around in our gardens and fields, but they should be killed on the spot! We may even allow our enemies to escape our beating, but cannot allow snakes from escaping, leave alone letting them run away peacefully! Much of our understanding about snakes is faulty and erroneous; and quite a bit of it is based on prejudice. We cannot think that the snakes also have the same right to live on earth as any of us is! We often claim that the earth belonged to us, and not to these, and so they can be dispensed with without any hesitation.

It is basically ignorance which make us conclude that all snakes are poisonous; even the harmless grass-snake are killed at the very first sight, and we have great pride in proclaiming to the whole world that we had killed a very poisonous snake! One of the environmentalists had recently announced that out of all the snakes commonly found in India, only two varies are really poisonous and so are fatal, and most others are not poisonous. They may bite others, but people cannot die due to poison. There may not be too many people who would bite this idea, even if it is based on facts and scientific data.

I have heard several stories in our village, where people had died due to snake bite, and have also heard about those men and women who recovered after snake bite! But generally the stories of the people who have succumbed to poisonous snakes had been doing extra rounds than those who had recovered from such a bite. Now the point I would like to propose is that it is time that we think twice before we look for sticks and rods to kill snakes. It is said that snakes would not deliberately harm anyone; until they are provoked, they would mind their own business! After all, they are not after human blood!

If the human race claims a rightful place on earth, then the snakes too have a rightful place here, and the fact is that these creatures are more friendly to the earth and the universe than humanity! It is time that we stop condemning all snakes as poisonous and kill them instantly. The number of snakes in our villages and gardens and fields have reduced considerably. If this situation were to continue, then after some years, we may not have any real snake to show to our children; the snakes might have then become like what dinausours are for us today. Let us give the snakes their rightful place on earth, and they too would honor us for that act of charity and kindness!