In today’s world, there is discrimination towards animals. Favoring the interests of humans over the interests of animals is prejudicial. There is no reason for preferring the interests of human over non-human, and no philosophical defense for denying animals moral consideration. People who want to distinguish human beings from non-humans are interested in justifying certain practices that cause pain, discomfort, suffering, and death in animals.
In creation myths, animals were viewed as equals by humans. As a philosophy, men and animals lived together, and the roles of the animals in the myths, reflected the feelings of the culture for animals.
The Iroquois Native Americans have a great respect for all animals, and understand how much they depend on animals for their survival. Water animals in one creation myth, save the Sky Woman when she was falling into the ocean that covered the earth, by building an island for her to live on. Without the animals, the earth would have never been created and the Sky Woman would have sunk to the bottom of the sea. For the Native Americans, the turtle is called an earth-diver, one who swims to the bottom of the sea to find a bit of mud and sand with which to build habitable land; and represents a metamorphosis of the beginnings of all life, starting from the depths to where they are in current form.
The African Bushmen believe that not only are plants and animals alive, but the rain, thunder and the seasons are too. At one time, people and animals lived peacefully and in bliss with Kaang, the Great Lord and Master of All Life. People and animals understood each other. The myth says that the peace and bliss in which humans and animals once lived, was broken by fear that overtook humans, which was due to their physical and mental weaknesses, in regard to their survival; as compared to animals, who were stronger and able to survive without harming others. The Bushmen say that we can only see the outside form or body, but we cannot see the living spirit on the inside. These spirits can fly outside from one body into another, and a spirit of a woman or man, may fly into an animal.
In Roman mythology, Romulus, who founded Ancient Rome, was nursed by a female wolf, one of the most sacred animals in Roman history. The Romans give the wolf special status and religious importance. But the importance of the wolf goes back even farther than before Rome existed. Pastoral nomads honored animals as totems, and when threatened by famine or danger, in their ‘Sacred Spring,’ sacrificed animals to Mars, the God of War and Agriculture. When these people had to resettle and establish themselves in another valley, they were often guided by a woodpecker, ox or wolf. The name of the animal was often given to the new settlement.
The Buddhist doctrine says that no phenomena exists independently from other phenomena; humans and animals are all the same. According to their teachings, physical existence is dependent on inner meaning, and a karmic seed which causes things to exist. The real nature of animal symbolism in Buddhism is that animals can bring about the highest realization of the real nature of all existence. Animals can help sentient beings develop wisdom and reach the levels of Buddha. This is why animal symbols exist in Buddhism, they are physical manifestations of wisdom inherent in the human mind.
In Buddhism, lions and “snow lions,” are protectors of buddhas, and symbolize the wisdom, fearlessness and divine pride of dharma practitioners who are actually able to live freely in the high snow mountain of the pure mind, and not contaminated by delusions. Lions have achieved the power to subdue all beings with their great love and compassion.
Elephants are a symbol of mental strength, steadfastness, responsibility and earthiness. They bring good luck and prosperity. And in Indian mythology, flying elephants are vehicles and appear from the milky ocean, and white elephants are considered to be very special and have the power to produce rain.
The horse is symbolic of energy and effort, they represent the air that channels through the body as the vehicle of the mind. That means that we have the possibility of controlling the mind and wind, and can guide it towards any direction and at any speed that we wish.
The peacock represents wisdom, openness and acceptance. They represent the path towards liberation and transform the poisonous mind of the ignorance, want and hatred – into enlightenment.
In parallel to animal myths and legends, real animals have a huge impact on our lives and present day culture. We can learn a lot of life lessons from them, but we also have a lot in common with them.
Animals develop long-lasting ties. Orangutan mothers stay with their young for eight to ten years and while they eventually part way, they continue to keep up their relationships. Less solitary animals, such as chimpanzees, baboons, wolves, and elephants maintain extended family units which are based on individual and complex relationships. For long periods of time. Meerkats in the Kalahari desert are known to sacrifice their own safety by staying with sick or injured family members so that the fatally ill will not die alone.
Animals that develop lifetime bonds are known to suffer from the death of their partners. Some are even said to die of sorrow. Darwin reported this in The Descent of Man: “So intense is the grief of female monkeys for the loss of their young, that it invariably caused the death of certain kinds.”
Jane Goodall’s report of the death of the healthy 8 year old chimpanzee Flint just three weeks after the death of his mother Flo suggests that sorrow can have a traumatic effect on animals. Coyotes, elephants and killer whales are also among the species for which profound effects of grief have been reported, and many dog owners say the same.
Humans should object to favoring their own species and not allow their interests to override that of other species. There are certain characteristics that do not matter when it comes to making decisions that put animals in danger, or may harm them in any way. But the present structure of our society separates us from the animal kingdom and has created a human supremacy. Animal myths and legends remind us of how some cultures are far more enlightened that others.