To: K-list
Recieved: 1999/12/02 04:29
Subject: Re: [K-list] Phood fite
From: Zala
On 1999/12/02 04:29, Zala posted thus to the K-list:
Another way of expressing this is that a dog has more capacity
for mental reflection and self-consciousness than a fir tree.
Both are manifestations of Cosmic Consciousness, both have mind,
and both have equal existential value -- but because of the
difference in expression of depth and quality of consciousness,
the dog is higher on the natural hierarchy of being than the fir
tree. So when we develop our ecological ethics, both the "low"
and the "high" expressions of nature must be valued and accounted
for.
Nonhuman 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. Even so, no one has delegated any authority to
human beings to kill those unfortunate creatures.
But to survive, we cannot avoid killing
other beings.
To solve this dilemma, articles of food are to be selected from
amongst those beings where development of consciousness is
comparatively low. If vegetables, corn, bean and rice are
available, cows or pigs should not be slaughtered.
Secondly, before killing any animals with developed or
underdeveloped consciousness, we must consider deeply if it is
possible to live a healthy life without taking such lives.
Thus, in addition to existential value, various beings, based on
their depth of consciousness, have a variable degree of what is
often termed "intrinsic value." The more consciousness a being
has, the deeper the feelings, and the more potential for
suffering. Eating plants is therefore preferable to eating
animals. As George Bernhard Shaw once said: "Animals are my
friends ... and I don't eat my friends."
It is also ecologically more sustainable to extract nourishment
from entities lower down on the food chain. Vast land areas are
used to raise livestock for food. These areas could be utilized
far more productively if planted with grains, beans, and other
legumes for human consumption. It is estimated that only 10
percent of the protein and calories we feed to our livestock is
recovered in the meat we eat. The other 90 percent goes
literally "down the drain."
In addition to existential value, and intrinsic value, all beings
have "utility value". Human beings usually preserve
those creatures which have an immediate utility value. We are
more inclined to preserve the lives of cows than of rats, for
example. But, because of all beings' existential value, we
cannot argue 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 Cosmic Consciousness.
Sometimes we do not know enough about the
real utilitarian value of an animal or a plant; therefore, we may
needlessly destroy the ecological balance by killing one species
without considering the consequences of its complex relationship
or utility value to other species. A forest's utility value, for
example, is more than just x number of board feet of lumber. It
serves as nesting and feeding ground for birds and animals; its
roots and branches protect the soil from erosion; its leaves or
needles produce oxygen; and its pathways and camp grounds provide
nourishment for the human soul and mind. As a whole, the forest
ecosystem has an abundance of ecological, aesthetic, and spiritual
values which extends far beyond its benefits as tooth picks and plywood.
All of nature is endowed with existential and intrinsic value, as
well as utility value. This hierarchical, and ultimately
holistic understanding of evolution and ecology, formulates the
basic foundation for a new, and potentially groundbreaking
ecological ethics.
If we embrace the divinity in all of creation, the expression of
our ecological ethics will become an act of sublime spirituality.
Our conservation efforts and our sustainable resource use will
become sacred offerings to Mother Earth, and ultimately to Cosmic
Consciousness, to both Shiva and Shakti, the God and Goddess
within and beyond nature.
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