RESPECT THE BEING

As the topic suggests, we are going to talk about living beings, especially animals. What did you see when you went out for a morning walk today? Trees, people, bushes, dogs, cycles, etc. But hey, you didn't go out for a walk?! You were sleeping until noon (like me). Well, even if you didn't get up early, you must've seen these things at other times. So let's start our discussion with animals.

TALK ABOUT ANIMALS

Lea is in the final year of her college; she has a pet dog named Rio. They go for walks 3 times a day. Lea has everything for Rio; Frisbee, chewing toys, stroller, shoes, etc. Lea takes care of him as his little brother. She says he's her best friend & she loves him the most.

Have you been to the circus? Do you see parrots riding a bicycle, elephants doing tricks & how other animals follow the ringmaster's instructions? Treat to eyes, right? All the animals are fed well, taken care of. 

Think of horses living in stables; they're well-groomed, fed & have regular checkups with the vet. And so as the cows in sheds. 

In all of the situations mentioned above, we see animals are kept in a safe & healthy environment, taken care of their appetite & are the receiver of affection & care. Isn't it everything an animal requires? Not really. 

FOUR-LEGGED HUMANS 

Animals in the zoo are kept in cages, so as the animals in the circus. Their maintenance is kept as low as possible. Providing pets with all the things as required by humans (i.e., sweaters, shoes, swimming pool, grooming them so that they look good, buying good breeds, etc.) only represents our constraints of loving humans. It only illustrates that we can't love them as they are; we are trying to make them one of us. So that it's easy to love them. Is it really love? To make something as we want it to be & then like it? 

In our defense, we'd say we provide facilities to our pets out of love. But our love depends on what we get in return from them. Pets are used for security, social status, fulfilling emotional needs, etc. We sure fulfill their needs, but in return, we take much more from them. 

PRICE OF LOVE

I'm not trying to say whatever everyone does for their pets is useless or not satisfying their needs. But do you really think animal care for how many toys they've? or how groomed they're? or what's the length of their hair? 

Most of the time, animals have to pay a great price for this "love from humans." Tomcats are castrated when they hit adolescence for the sake of keeping them in a "human home"; otherwise, they'll pee everywhere to attract a mate. Likewise, with Buffalos & other male cattle to use them for luggage loading. What about docking in dogs? Is it required in any way for a dog? No, it'll only benefit humans. And by keeping pets in our homes, don't we restrict their boundaries? Most dog breeds require a large area to live; our backyard isn't enough. Animals like monkeys, mice & guinea pigs are used to perform experiments, tested with risky drugs. 

In most cases, animals are taken good care of because they can be used as sources of income for humans. 

WHAT ABOUT PLANTS? 

What could possibly be wrong with plants? We don't use them for security or social status. But what about selective outrage with them? Don't we grow only beneficial & flowering-bearing plants? Or perhaps we choose to grow exotic cactus instead of local plants. If given a choice, what'd you plant in your backyard, mango or burflower (Kadam)? It's easy to choose, right? The one which will give you sweet fruits. And what about weeds? Do we plant weeds? And what's the basis of their classification from other plants? Their use & amount of nutrition. They don't give fruits or grains & require great nutrition. So they're needy. We can't afford to waste our resources on it. And why do you cut grass on your lawn? To make your lawn look tidy, to represent you're a person who's in sync with social politeness & unsaid norms? 

WHAT ABOUT HUMANS? 

Don't most of us feel less in front of others who have better things than us? Don't we think our body isn't perfect? Every time you stand in front of the mirror, don't you wish for more/less curves, more muscles, more abs, less fat, more height, etc.? 

We constantly wish & try to change something with our look & body.

RESPECT THE BEING

The conclusion of this conversation isn't to start growing weeds, not cutting grass, not provide facilities to your pets/animals, or not paying attention to yourself or your physique.

We sure can love our pets in our own weird ways, provide them hundreds of toys or plant as much as cactus we want, or hit the gym for abs. It's our choice to use our resources wherever we want. 

But the very grass is living, to grow is its nature, exact with weed. To enjoy a soft & warm bed would be pleasant to pets but it shouldn't be obliged to provide us, love. We can attain & wish for whatever body shape we want to live in, but that shouldn't be decided by others that what's acceptable to them, pleasant to them. 

The gist of the conversation is to understand we are made of life. It's one big common thing in us. And it should be accepted in its raw form without defining its use or abuse, ugly or beautiful, good or bad. And we as living creatures should respect it in its very structure. Not to change or mend it to suit our choices. 

We might not love things as they're, but we can respect their boundaries, their limitations & their virtue regardless of their advantages. By changing & mending it, we show our compulsion of only accepting perfect things. Nature doesn't make things perfect. Instead, it makes them as required by its other components, as it'd suit the ecosystem. 

Thank you for reading till the end, drop your thoughts on comments.