“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” - Mahatma Ghandi
It is quite possible that the venerable Mr. Ghandi toured extensively through Nepal before forming this theory. Whereas people in Jordan rarely omitted the slightest opportunity to smack or whack a critter, you almost have to wonder where Nepalis rank animals in their overall hierarchy. And considering how old-fashioned gender relations can still be here, I am not far off the chart.
The relation to cows has already been documented. Cows linger in this city at their own pace and leisure, and I still haven’t seen a cow with a leash or a bell around it. People will throw themselves between a cow and a vehicle if there’s a close call in traffic. Wonder if they would do the same for their spouses? In fact, a cow’s dung and urine are used during Puja, a religious ritual where people honor their gods. Wow. Cowpiss as Jordan water. In the States, we call that by its actual name (Bud Light). Then there are the dogs. It seems almost every building has a dog guarding it. People go to great lengths to avoid hitting dogs here. So far, I have only seen one dog that’s been killed by traffic.
To Hindis, animals are merely creatures of the lower evolutionary scale, perfectly capable of becoming human the next time around the wheel, i.e. when they are reborn. They, like any human being, can achieve salvation. There is little doubt that animals enjoy a special status. There have been animal gods, and various divinities have assumed animal form at one time or the other, according to legend. Theology aside, a walk in the streets will suffice to recognize just how much Nepalis value their animals. I don’t think you will find a country with fewer road kills. Although this will certainly not prevent them from eating them (the slaughtered animals, not the road kills).
Speaking of eating, the outsider can’t help but wonder if Nepalis have chosen the wrong animal to worship. I don’t want to sound insensitive, but do they actually realize that Elsie is carrying a few hundred Big Macs with her? Did the cows merely bully (pun intended) their way into divine status? This is Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. Something tells me that an eagle might be the better animal to worship. True, eating a cow will seriously mess up your karma and/or send you straight to hell in your next life, but it will very likely make you lose that rumble in your tummy in this one.
Another encounter I have had here was with crows. Smart little bastards, those Nevermores. When I exited the gym a few days ago, I spotted a crow staring directly at me. I shrugged him off and put down my bag to get a sip of water. The crow walked toward me, using only its feet, virtually daring me to chase him off. When I made a move toward him, his buddies made theirs. One of them swooped in from my left toward the bag, trying to hook it by the straps with its beak. Luckily the bag was too heavy for him. This didn’t stop the crow coming from the right to zoom in to complete the ploy. I was lucky to get out of that ambush with my bag intact. And oh, there is a festival to celebrate the crow here as well.
Animals enjoy the somewhat equal status extended to them and will also abuse this unique power they have. Monkeys too, as I have already learned, are overly aggressive in their pursuit of material well-being and will jump into cars and steal, even when they are occupied.
There are numerous festivals worshiping different animals, from the bird to the snake. When animals are slaughtered during festivals (usually goats and chickens; again it sucks to be at the bottom of the food chain), this is not considered a senseless death, but an opportunity for the animal to be reborn as a human being. My question is: what makes us think they want to become human?
The Nepalis and I will disagree about certain aspects pertaining to certain animals, among other things. But it is refreshing to see that animals can be treated with dignity and not just as lunch or method of transportation that needs to be whipped at every corner to maximize its output.
It is quite possible that the venerable Mr. Ghandi toured extensively through Nepal before forming this theory. Whereas people in Jordan rarely omitted the slightest opportunity to smack or whack a critter, you almost have to wonder where Nepalis rank animals in their overall hierarchy. And considering how old-fashioned gender relations can still be here, I am not far off the chart.
The relation to cows has already been documented. Cows linger in this city at their own pace and leisure, and I still haven’t seen a cow with a leash or a bell around it. People will throw themselves between a cow and a vehicle if there’s a close call in traffic. Wonder if they would do the same for their spouses? In fact, a cow’s dung and urine are used during Puja, a religious ritual where people honor their gods. Wow. Cowpiss as Jordan water. In the States, we call that by its actual name (Bud Light). Then there are the dogs. It seems almost every building has a dog guarding it. People go to great lengths to avoid hitting dogs here. So far, I have only seen one dog that’s been killed by traffic.
To Hindis, animals are merely creatures of the lower evolutionary scale, perfectly capable of becoming human the next time around the wheel, i.e. when they are reborn. They, like any human being, can achieve salvation. There is little doubt that animals enjoy a special status. There have been animal gods, and various divinities have assumed animal form at one time or the other, according to legend. Theology aside, a walk in the streets will suffice to recognize just how much Nepalis value their animals. I don’t think you will find a country with fewer road kills. Although this will certainly not prevent them from eating them (the slaughtered animals, not the road kills).
Speaking of eating, the outsider can’t help but wonder if Nepalis have chosen the wrong animal to worship. I don’t want to sound insensitive, but do they actually realize that Elsie is carrying a few hundred Big Macs with her? Did the cows merely bully (pun intended) their way into divine status? This is Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. Something tells me that an eagle might be the better animal to worship. True, eating a cow will seriously mess up your karma and/or send you straight to hell in your next life, but it will very likely make you lose that rumble in your tummy in this one.
Another encounter I have had here was with crows. Smart little bastards, those Nevermores. When I exited the gym a few days ago, I spotted a crow staring directly at me. I shrugged him off and put down my bag to get a sip of water. The crow walked toward me, using only its feet, virtually daring me to chase him off. When I made a move toward him, his buddies made theirs. One of them swooped in from my left toward the bag, trying to hook it by the straps with its beak. Luckily the bag was too heavy for him. This didn’t stop the crow coming from the right to zoom in to complete the ploy. I was lucky to get out of that ambush with my bag intact. And oh, there is a festival to celebrate the crow here as well.
Animals enjoy the somewhat equal status extended to them and will also abuse this unique power they have. Monkeys too, as I have already learned, are overly aggressive in their pursuit of material well-being and will jump into cars and steal, even when they are occupied.
There are numerous festivals worshiping different animals, from the bird to the snake. When animals are slaughtered during festivals (usually goats and chickens; again it sucks to be at the bottom of the food chain), this is not considered a senseless death, but an opportunity for the animal to be reborn as a human being. My question is: what makes us think they want to become human?
The Nepalis and I will disagree about certain aspects pertaining to certain animals, among other things. But it is refreshing to see that animals can be treated with dignity and not just as lunch or method of transportation that needs to be whipped at every corner to maximize its output.
0 comments