Man considers himself the peak of creation; less, perhaps, than gods, demons, angels and other beings that are more than natural; but certainly greater and more important than anything he can see or touch.
We can say, man expends energy and performs work in order to provide for the future.
But is this truly a distinction between man and other forms of life??
Doesn’t the beaver build dams, the squirrel store nuts, and the spider spins webs??
To us, it would seem there is simply no comparison. In none of these cases, or any others involving the lower animals, is anything like human forethought involved.
So, I repeat, it seems to us. Yet is it possible that this difference so clear to us is a result of mere prejudice and self love??
Would a creature from another world, studying life on earth, really see the difference between a spider building a web and a man casting a net into the sea as anything more than one of degree??
Then we developed tools, but even birds use rocks to break snail shells and even insects may use pebbles to block tunnels.
Our alien observer, watching men swarm over the quarries and deserts of Egypt and the slow, painful stone-by-stone construction of the Great Pyramid, might not see much of a distinction between this and the construction of a termite hill.
In fact the termite hill is larger compared to the insect than is the Great Pyramid compared to a man, and the alien might be more impressed by the termite. To be sure, the man manufactures his simple tools while the termite has his built into his body, but the alien might consider this sign of great ingenuity on the part of man to be interesting but not crucial.
Then man tamed animals to attain more energy and perform even the kind of work which was not possible with the limited energy his body possessed.
Our alien observer might see in our use of animals still another mere extension and elaboration of some of the activities of the lower animals.
To take an example, sea anemones are sometimes fixed by a crab to his shell. This is to the benefit of the sea anemones which, ordinarily quiescent, now finds itself transported from place to place, thus increasing its chances of finding food. This is also to the benefit of crab since the stinging tentacles of the sea anemones keep creatures at a distance which might otherwise prey upon the crab. Moreover, the crab dines upon scraps of food that escape the sea anemone during the latter’s meal.
Will our alien see difference between this and a case of a man who rides a horse and fed and protects the animal in return?
Then man started using other sources of energy like wind and running water.
Undoubtedly, it puzzled early man to find such large quantities of energy in inanimate nature. He resolved it by giving life to apparently inanimate nature and imagining the existence of demons or gods who made themselves manifest in the storm blast. The wind was their breath and waters raged at their command.
However, long before wind and water were even feebly tamed by man, another source of external energy came under his command. This is commonly referred to as the “Discovery of fire”.
Fire itself, of course, was never really discovered since it has always existed. But man came to know how to create fire and so domesticated fire. Fire gave him light, warmth, protection from other animals and increased his food supply as he found that cooked food was easier to chew.
It is beyond doubt that the discovery of fire is the greatest single human achievement. Here at last, our unwearied alien observer can finally find his clear distinction. No other species, however intelligent, makes even the most fumbling attempt to use fire, whereas no tribe of man is known today, however primitive, that doesn’t use fire.
And this is one reason that you can find no place of worship today where fire is not worshipped. In different forms like candles, incense sticks, a lamp etc., in any kind of worship, fire is the main element. The Greeks had their myth of Titan, Promethus, saving the human race from misery by bringing down the celestial gift of fire from sun. The sun as the prototype of fire was worshipped by many.
Most of us light candles, lamps, incense sticks etc. while worshipping, but we never think why we do it.
This is an attempt to make us question the reasons behind the beliefs that we have formed over ages. I wish the discussions will continue till the mind is freed.
Peace...
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These my
own thoughts combined with the thoughts and writings of many great
persons in this world which have helped me form my thoughts. My aim in
posting this is to make an effort of starting a discussion that helps in
the growth of my mind.
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A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...
