every morning i give thanks for having "a precious human life." what is it that makes my human life precious? what is unique about being human? that's been the object of my meditation for the past week. i'm not sure i can say with any certainty what makes the human animal different from other animals but i want to write about some of the things that might be characteristics of our humanity.
first, we have the gift of language, of being able to communicate in complex ways through speech and writing with our fellows. other animals have a limited capacity for a sort of language but it is our ability to articulate our thoughts by speaking to one another and by writing them down that makes us special. as i type these words on my computer, i am acting in a way that no other animal can. the fact that i am doing this is a demonstration of my humanity. it is a precious gift. but if i were to have a stroke that prevented me from speaking or writing, i would still be just as human.
so, while language is a part of our humanity, it is not the only demonstration of our uniqueness. we are capable of a thought process that is different from other animals. our thoughts are not confined to figuring out how to carry on our species and acquire food and shelter. we can ponder what it all means, and our search for meaning leads to the development of much of our civilization and culture. we form bonds that are beyond the demands of species survival. we can ponder abstract concepts and relate those concepts to our daily lives. indeed, our very ability to think in the abstract may have blunted some of the instincts that are manifest in other animals. other animals do not seek out danger as humans often do, craving the rush that comes from the surge of adrenaline that results from risky behavior. our curiosity leads us to new discoveries, we are filled with the desire to understand how things work and how it all fits together.
we are compelled to express ourselves by creating works of art, music that is carved from organizing sound in time, visual art works that organize materials in space, performance and written literature that captures the range of emotions, and combinations of these various creative pursuits. these are not necessary for sustaining life, but human life would not be human without them. the compulsion to create something that is beyond the basic needs of life is special to us. our lives would be empty without our creative impulses and the art that results from them.
humans beings have choices that other animals do not have. we can choose how we live, in what locality we reside, how to relate to one another and the environment of which we are a part, how to put bread on the table and a roof over our heads, what to believe. we can train our minds or choose to live in ignorance. we can choose what we eat and how often. we can choose to be trim, obese, or something in between. our range of choices is far beyond that of any other creature.
one of those choices is how we relate to one another. when other animals are cruel, that cruelty is a survival mechanism. they kill in order to sustain life. we humans often choose to be cruel in a deliberate, calculating way, to get something we crave, something entirely unnecessary for our own survival. we can be greedy and grasping, clawing our way past others in the most callous ways in a rush of blind ambition. when other animals love, it is from an instinctual need to love in order to carry on their species. perhaps much of human love is the same, but we can choose to love that which is unlovely. we are capable to turning the other cheek, of responding to cruelty with forbearance, even with lovingkindness. we are an odd mixture of deliberate cruelty and altruistic love. when we are our best, love wins out.
certainly these few paragraphs don't exhaust what it means to have "a precious human life." they just skim the surface, admittedly from a non-scientific approach and in a superficial way. i will continue to ponder what makes up our humanity and perhaps write of it again. i am grateful that i've been given this life and hope that i can make something worthwhile of that gift.
may we choose love over hatred, kindness over cruelty. may we continue to search for meaning. may we think reasonably, abandoning our clinging, craving tendencies. may we train ourselves to use the gifts we've been given for the benefit of all sentient beings. shalom.
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