On Animals ~
Revision 1
Reflecting on the animal kingdom can teach us a lot about Truth. When we see just how we differ from animals, we can attain to a better understanding of the condition of man. Though man has many similarities to his fellow beast, one aspect peculiar to him can be singled out his brain.
It's mans intelligence alone that has got him into so much trouble he declares himself an individual, separate from his fellow man, fellow beast, fellow plant, mineral and, most-importantly, from his personal metal construct of "God". Beasts, too, regard themselves as individuals but don't take that concept further into the realms of separateness from Nature, the Cosmos or God. They are simply "one with all things". Man should learn from this, understand his condition and renounce his madness.
One of the purposes of one's incarnation is to see all things as mere expressions of Oneself. This "Oneself" is Transcendence, for It is the Highest Essence not subject to anything. It is the Highest Truth, for nothing can transcend Transcendence Itself. Transcendence is thus your Purest Essence, for nothing is in any way different from the Highest Truth for It, being Truth, cannot be lacking in anything, to any degree. If It were, It simply wouldn't be the Highest Truth, but rather a lesser [more corrupt] truth.
Through Will, the Creator, Transcendence expresses Itself as Self/God. This is Pure consciousness. Consciousness, again through the action of Will, expresses Itself as energy, and when energy is organized in specific ways we appreciate these to be the various created forms. As you can see, Will is the bringer of the form from out of the Formless. This is why It can affectionately be called "the Creator"; for nothing can ever happen other than by Will.
Will is Life. It is in fact the ever-present. It can never change; for all that there is, is now. Since the concept of "God" represents "all things" and since all things occur in and as the present moment, for man "the now" is but God. The present moment is God. What you see about you (chairs, people, tables, cars, trees), are Your various forms the ways through which you understand Yourself (God). Animals are but one form, plants another, cars another, thoughts another. The means to understand Self/God is called life and the actual understanding, living live. This is consciousness to be conscious to be alive.
Though creation is an organization of energy, the created are actually bundles of Will, since Will expresses all things you "will" what you see. Your consciousness (God), through Will (the Creator), generates form (the created). The recognition of "being alive" is but to recognize Will. So although, on a lower level of understanding, all things in creation are but bundles of energy, on a higher level, these are simply bundles of Life (or Love). The consciousness that is you, through Will, expresses Itself as the animals, plants, yourself, cars, computers, thoughts everything! Since this is but persistent spontaneous creation, this is sheer Love. Life, Love and Will are all one and the same. Man understands this to be "the Creator".
When one understands that all things are but equal expressions of Oneself, through the action of the Life Force called Love, then all things, lowly animals included, are not only embodiments of Life, ones Will, but are also seen to be completely saturated by It. Everything are but bundles (expressions) of life. This Life is Love the meaning of Will. The animal is thus the way that Self/God loves us. The animal is the way we understand Self/God as love - God says "Can you see Me as the animal?" How apparent do all things declare themselves in this way.
A beast is free from the curse that is the mind of man. Such a mind spawns much delusion, sorrow and confusion. An animal simply is. It is living out its design its life no matter what the circumstances. Now granted, we are not animals. But then again, that's exactly my point.
That which drives an incarnation is Life. This is one's Will. When the will to live ceases, life ceases. For as long as Transcendence takes on form through the action of Will, Life persists. You will only start living when you live in and as the present moment. Since, for man, all things happen only in and as the present moment, and since God is the embodiment of all things, the present moment is God Itself. To live in and as the present moment, then, is to live in and as God - to be God - to be Oneself.
It is in this way then that all animals and plants are not only with God, but are God Itself. Living in and as the present moment is the entire meaning of Paradise. This is why that, no matter what, a beast Lives!
Love the beast!
For as you embrace It
Life oozes from It
~
Even though
A beast may suffer
It Lives!