Here is your opportunity of a lifetime - Bhagavad Gita ch3:38

Consciousness is present in all living beings. It's just more manifest in humans, less in animals and least in plants. But all three are alive and thus conscious. I personally see them all as people, simply with different capacities to express themselves.

Plants are least able to express themselves and are rooted to the spot. Here the living entity is obliged to stay in one place for a lifetime and tolerate nature plus the onslaught of those who wish to eat it.

Animals have more capacity for consciousness and anyone who spends enough time with them will conclude that this is a personality, with likes and dislikes, like me. Just because the capacity to verbalize is missing and the brain is smaller does not mean it's not a conscious being like me.

And just as it's obvious common sense to respect human life, similarly it's obvious that we should respect all life and avoid harm to all life. It's only for survival that we need to eat others. Such is the sad reality of life on Earth. Some, however, are unable to contain their lust for the flesh of other beings, and exploit and abuse those who are weaker, instead of protecting them.

Therefore, any compassionate person would agree with the philosophy of doing as little harm as possible and thus only killing plants to eat because their capacity for consciousness is much more limited than animals.

That's the symptom of someone with a sensitivity to consciousness in all life, not just human life. Plants and animals are simply more covered forms of life. Yet all life is precious and sacred.

Because there are more people on the planet than before, there may be a tendency to lose the value of human life, to take it cheaply. And that is the pitfall we need to avoid because life is more valuable than gold, especially human life.

It's is in the human form of life, where the living being is able to manifest greater consciousness, that one is able to inquire into self realization.

All life forms are originally animated by pure eternal consciousness, yet the human form is the least covered, and this allows an opportunity for liberation from taking any birth in any life form ever again.

By applying the ancient techniques in Transcendence, one can achieve the real goal of life, not available to those who are more covered, like animals or plants. And that's why every and all human life is valuable and sacred.

We all originate from the same source and resonate to the same earth frequency. Let's not waste our valuable human form of life, or lose respect for every other form of life simply because we lose perspective or become over familiar. We may miss the opportunity of a lifetime.

Bhagavad Gita ch3:38

dhūmenāvriyate vahnir
yathādarśo malena ca
yatholbenāvṛto garbhas
tathā tenedam āvṛtam

SYNONYMS
dhūmena—by smoke; āvriyate—covered; vahniḥ—fire; yathā—just as; ādarśaḥ—mirror; malena—by dust; ca—also; yathā—just as; ulbena—by the womb; āvṛtaḥ—is covered; garbhaḥ—embryo; tathā-so; tena—by that lust; idam—this; āvṛtam—is covered

TRANSLATION
As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, similarly, the living entity is covered by different degrees of this lust.

PURPORT
There are three degrees of covering of the living entity by which his pure consciousness is obscured. This covering is but lust under different manifestations like smoke in the fire, dust on the mirror, and the womb about the embryo. When lust is compared to smoke, it is understood that the fire of the living spark can be a little perceived. In other words, when the living entity exhibits his Kṛṣṇa consciousness slightly, he may be likened to the fire covered by smoke. Although fire is necessary where there is smoke, there is no overt manifestation of fire in the early stage. This stage is like the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The dust on the mirror refers to a cleansing process of the mirror of the mind by so many spiritual methods. The best process is to chant the holy names of the Lord. The embryo covered by the womb is an analogy illustrating a helpless position, for the child in the womb is so helpless that he cannot even move. This stage of living condition can be compared to that of the trees. The trees are also living entities, but they have been put in such a condition of life by such a great exhibition of lust that they are almost void of all consciousness. The covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and the smoke covered fire is compared to the human being. In the form of a human being, the living entity may revive a little Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and, if he makes further development, the fire of spiritual life can be kindled in the human form of life. By careful handling of the smoke in the fire, the fire can be made to blaze. Therefore the human form of life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of material existence. In the human form of life, one can conquer the enemy, lust, by cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness under able guidance.

Reference: Bhagavad Gita As It Is, translation and commentary by Swami A C Bhaktivedanta, original MacMillan 1972 edition, freely available at prabhupadabooks.com.

Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/lantern-sea-heaven-beach-water-6826697/

Edited and published from my mobile device onto the Hive blockchain for the benefit of those researching consciousness.