There's the two forces in nature (bestowal and reception), then there's my story:
The Two Forces In Nature (Bestowal And Reception):
There are two forces in nature, bestowal and reception:
- Bestowal:
- Is associated with the color white.
- Is associated with dogs.
- If bestowal dies, it's a bad thing because it means one is no longer in bestowal.
- Reception:
- Is associated with the color black.
- Is associated with cats.
- If self-reception dies, it's a good thing because it means one is no longer in selfishness, one is in bestowal.
Here's My Story:
When I was about 12 or 13 years old, we lived in Mombasa, Kenya. We had two cats called Salt and Pepper. (Cats are associated with reception, salt is white so it's associated with bestowal and pepper is black so it's associated with reception).
One day I was playing with Pepper. I enjoyed seeing how innovative he could be. I would put him on top of the fridge to see how he would get down. He would jump on to the counter, then on the floor etc. After I did this a few times, he got fed up with me because he jumped straight down from the top of the fridge to the floor. He hurt himself quite badly and a few days later he had to be put down. I felt terrible. It was my fault.
As it turns out, this event has a positive meaning. The death of Pepper means the death of self-reception, the death of Receiving to Receive. Salt lived, which means reception would be transformed to bestowal, a state called Receiving To Bestow.
Basically, it means killing the quality of selfishness in order to be in the quality of bestowal, which is a good thing. However, once you're in the quality of bestowal, "You shall not murder" (Deuteronomy 5:17, NIV), meaning don't kill the quality of bestowal and fall back into selfishness.
This doesn't mean that people have free license to do whatever they want. Not at all. It doesn't mean that people should commit suicide. Not at all. Never commit suicide.
In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves, this includes being kind to all animals and to all of nature.
Basically, it means killing the quality of selfishness in order to be in the quality of bestowal, which is a good thing. However, once you're in the quality of bestowal, "You shall not murder" (Deuteronomy 5:17, NIV), meaning don't kill the quality of bestowal and fall back into selfishness.
This doesn't mean that people have free license to do whatever they want. Not at all. It doesn't mean that people should commit suicide. Not at all. Never commit suicide.
In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves, this includes being kind to all animals and to all of nature.
