Animals and plants are also
beings deserving to be kindly treated. They live and serve humanity directly
or indirectly. The flora and fauna are important to maintain the ecological
balance. Rats and owls have their part to play for the well being of all.
Wild life has to be preserved in our own interest. So also the plants
and trees, rivers and hills and all nature should be looked after with
love and endearment. The more we foster them, the better they serve us.
Preserve nature and it nourishes you well.
The quality of mercy is not strained. It drops as gentle
rain from heavens above. To be kind is to be good. Gautama the Buddha
and Jesus Christ, Shibi and Rishi Dadhichi are great because they are
kind. To save the life of a lamb, Siddhartha is prepared to die. And to
save the life of a dove, Shibi is ready to offer his all. Dadhichi has
parted with his back-bone to carve the vajraayudha out of it for the use
of Indra.
Yajna it is, when we look after all including the dumb animals and plants.
"They alone live who live for others; the rest are more dead than
alive", said Vivekananda.
Eknath was a great devotee. He was once carrying water
in a pot to offer it to Siva in abhisheka. But on the way, he saw a donkey
thirsty and it was on the verge of death for want of water. The saint
was able to see Siva in the animal and so offered the water to quench
its thirst.
Noble souls see divinity in all. Therefore they serve all. God is love.
To be divine is to be loving. To love is to serve.
"Expansion is life, contraction is death.
Love is life, and hatred is death."--- Swami Vivekananda
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