Humanitarianism
Whether my religion is Christianity or Buddhism,
Since we were born as human beings,
the highest principle we should ultimately pursue is Humanitarianism.
That is why we must care for animals and protect the environment.
Because the abstract and spiritual are also part of this.
Killing ants or cockroaches while saying
" 'Mind your business! You little — damn, annoying! Get lost!' " — everyone has memories of saying such things at least once.
Foolishly so. They can't understand us. They died suddenly like a bolt from the blue.
Just as humans think sudden death is punishment from heaven...
Yet we feel frustrated.
In Jonathan Livingston Seagull, there's a fellow named Jonathan.
Unlike ordinary seagulls, his mind is awake.
And he has philosophy and values.
An animal — or perhaps possessing higher intelligence than humans.
He praises the vast sky and its heights over eating, sleeping, and defecating.
What thoughts come to mind when you see a moth in the same position as the romanticized Jonathan...
Or dolphins that beach themselves en masse...
In truth, they are all the same.
For the awakened few, life itself is something very trivial.
Above it, there is still something beyond, and what matters is recognizing that.
That is not meant to scold it or belittle it.
It only means that before thinking about their vitality and intellect, one must first recognize oneself as
a human,
a seagull,
or a moth.
That is what must be recognized first.
We must not become so obsessed with lofty ideals that we forget our own existence.
Even if an ant becomes aware of humans, it still ends up crushed by a finger or living in flight,
and even an intelligent dog or pigeon that can sense human kindness and feel emotion
cannot suddenly become a person one day,
and however much intelligence it may have, it still ends its life within its own species.
Humans too may dream of something beyond themselves,
but they should neither chase nor be chased by it; they should accept their own existence and think about how all beings can live well together.
The moment one life ends, the world as that person knows it closes its eyes with it.
And when the species to which one belongs dies out, that too is the moment the world stops.
That is the end of it.
Whether there is reincarnation, rebirth, heaven, or hell is a matter for later.
Like dogs, cats, cattle, and other creatures that began being domesticated at some point,
there is something more important than stagnant thinking or petty internal quarrels.
You are responsible for your own existence.
