THE NEXT STEP (PART 2 OF 3)
Animals vs Humans
Now that we understand better what this document
is all about, it is time for us to dive in much deeper into the body of this
discussion. In order to do so, we need to look at: why are we able to do this?
why can we make these life changing decisions? and why do we have endless
possibilities and potential? To answer these questions, we need to look at
where we are and where we stand as human beings from the standpoint of
evolution. We are going to do so by comparing other species to ours, by
comparing the animal species to the human species just for the simple fact that
they are the closest species to ours.
So, let’s start by asking a couple of
questions: what is the difference between animals and humans? Are we really
different? Answering these questions will help us understand our position on
this creation at this time and where those possibilities and potential that I
have been talking about come from. There are a lot of similarities and
differences between animals and humans so let’s start with the similarities. We
are similar in the way that our bodies work and the way we behave. We all eat,
sleep, think, communicate, defecate, etc., and we all are generally sociable
creatures. But we also have a lot of differences. The question that we need to
ask ourselves is: are there any differences that set humans apart, uniquely,
from all other animals?
Some people think that the main differences
between humans and other animal species is our ability of complex reasoning,
our use of complex language, our ability to solve difficult problems, and
introspection (our ability to describe our own thoughts and feelings). Others
also feel that the ability for creativity or the feeling of joy or sorrow is
uniquely human. Humans have a highly developed brain that allows us to do many
of these things. But are these things uniquely human? (Source: The Arizona
State University blog “Ask a Biologist”)
When testing animals correctly, scientists
have learned that certain animals have a fairly complex language, others can
solve complex problems and build and use tools, others can be creative and
express their thoughts, and yet others do appear to feel joy and sorrow. So,
the problem is not that animals are or are not able to do or feel something.
The problem is that our tests and expectations are based on human behavior, the
way we do it or act, and that is a problem.
“Everybody is a
genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live
its whole life believing that it is stupid,” quote credited to Albert Einstein,
although there is no substantive evidence connecting Einstein to the quotation.
This applies to animals as well as humans. If the standard is that animals have to behave, think and act like us,
then the results are going to be misleading, leading us to believe that we are
superior and that they are inferior. Same applies to humans. If we use any
specific area of our mental or physical capacity as standard to grade other humans,
then everyone who does not grade well will feel that they have failed. We
should be tested on our strengths instead of trying to normalize or standardize
everyone under one rigid standard, resulting in more failure than success at
the end.
The Human difference
Now, let’s look at this question from a
different angle. We could say that animals are born, grow up, reproduce and die
between two parallel lines and, between these two lines, they live to their
full potential for what they were designed. In this case, an ant is an ant, a
dog is a dog, a tiger is a tiger, and an elephant is an elephant. Human beings,
on the other hand, are born, grow up, reproduce and die only with the line at
the bottom. The line at the top does not exist (living and dying between the two
parallel lines), but for this to be true, they must transcend physicality. They
must realize that they are more than just a body and a mind. Otherwise, they
live and die between the two lines just like the animals.
The problem is that, if we live and die
between the two lines, then we did not live to our full potential for what we
were designed. And that’s a calamity! We have potentially all these possibilities
and potential, but most people die not even knowing that these possibilities exist,
that they even have them. The reality is that more than three quarters of humanity
(of the approx. 8 billion people in existence) will die without knowing or
working on their full potential. Therefore, as individuals, we have a great
potential, an infinite potential, but only if we are able to transcend our
biology. I will discuss this further later in this document.
It is true that, for some unexplained
reason, the human nervous system, including the brain, has developed quite fast
in a relatively short period of time compared to other species, helping us
improve our lives considerably, but this fact does not make us superior or
better. To the contrary, being a little more evolved should make us more
understanding, compassionate, and loving with other species, with nature in
general…with each other. We do not use and/or abuse a child just because
he/she is not as capable or as smart as an adult. To the contrary, we love and
cherish them for what they are. We celebrate life when we see them because they
are the true manifestation of creation, of purity. Shouldn’t this rule apply to
animals, plants, objects and the planet in general?
We know that “our brain and, more
specifically, our mind with all its faculties (i.e., imagination, intuition,
will, perception, memory, and reason) are very powerful, but nobody really
knows how powerful it is, not even scientists.” So, we have been given
this powerful tool with no user’s manual and no education on how to use it and
how to work with it. We do not even really know how it works. Once we realize
that, the result is obvious: the life that we are living can only be a
continuous accident because we are placed here adrift. If you are given a very
advanced device and you do not know how it works and how to use it, more than
likely, dealing with it will be just a mess, an accident. This is what is
happening to us with our lives, with our minds, bodies, emotions and energies.
In other words, our minds, instead of
working for us, are working against us most of the time and we do not realize
it. Why? Because we are not aware of the problem in most cases, because it is
our mind and we think it is fine, and because we are all suffering from the
same issue. For instance, let’s take a look at three of these faculties, a
vivid memory, a fabulous imagination and a misleading perception. Most human
beings live in the past and the future, but not in the present, which is the
only thing that exists. In addition, they have built a personality since an
early age, filled with things like self-image, status, identifications,
insecurities (i.e., fear, resentment, envy, anger, jealousy, etc.), beliefs,
judgements, prejudices, etc., that not only distorts who we really are, but
it is also used for self-sabotage or to sabotage others. Personalities and what
they are composed of are, basically, self-created mental structures that
are continually defining the human behavior (thoughts, actions, emotions,
habits and behaviors), that have nothing to do with reality, and that, often,
are counterproductive to their well-being.
There is only one area in which that degree
of difference, of evolution, can make quite a difference and that is in the
area of ‘self-awareness.’ This could be one of the areas that set us apart
versus the animals. Although animals seem to have some sense of self-awareness,
it is not strong enough to create the sense of individuality, of a self-aware
individual. In addition, they are fixed in terms of free will. They are
designed in certain way and have very little leeway from that design. We humans,
on the other hand, are completely self-aware, giving us individuality, and have
free will. However, due to our continuous need to be busy and
distracted at all times, the environment in which we live, the fact that we
live most of the time in our heads, and the lack of real education, most humans
are not really aware of themselves most of the time…and worse, most of their
lives.
This awareness is essential to open doors
that are not available to any of the other species, the doors to the inner self
and to other dimensions not available through our sensorial organs and/or our
intelligence. Therefore, we all have a choice: we can be born, grow up,
work, reproduce and die like any other animal or we can transcend this biology
and move into higher states of being. Either one of these options is
fine, but the latter one will allow you to experience things that are
impossible to experience with the first choice.
Now, these differences do not make us
superior. Not only we are not superior to other species, but neither are we
superior between each other. Sadhguru, a famous guru, visionary, and mystic,
wisely said: “Our solar system compared with the universe is just a speck. In
that speck, earth is a micro speck. In that micro speck, the city where you
live is a micro, micro speck. And, in that micro, micro speck for you to think
that you are a big thing is just ridiculous!” In reality, if tomorrow not you
or the planet but our entire solar system was to disappear, it would not be a
big event. In fact, nobody in the rest of the universe would even notice it or
miss it.
Therefore,
as a species, human beings are just another species with not much value. That
is how insignificant we are regardless of what you think, or they have told you!
So, for some people to think that they are special, or have delusions of grandiosity,
is not just ridiculous but also utterly absurd, regardless of how smart, educated,
famous, rich, knowledgeable, talented, etc. they are. However, as an
individual, each of us have a great potential and limitless possibilities. We
just need to be aware, wake up, and start doing something about it. You either
do it now or you will realize it too late, when you die! The choice is yours!!!
Previous (Part 1)
Next (Part 3)
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Author: Maurice Correa
Website: pathtoone.com
Blog: p2oblog.blogspot.com
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