Buddhists show empathy not only to other people but also to nonhuman creatures. Because the Buddha’s teachings move us away from an egotistical, anthropomorphic, and self-centered worldview, it only makes sense that we should come to see the other creatures with whom we share the earth as having as rightful a place as do human beings. In Buddhist teachings, nonhuman creatures are not lesser or ‘other.’ Thich Nhat Hanh writes: ‘A human being is an animal, a part of nature. But we single ourselves out from the rest of nature. We classify other animals and living beings as nature as if we ourselves are not part of it. Then we pose the question, “How should I deal with Nature?” We should deal with nature the way we deal with ourselves. . .! Harming nature is harming ourselves, and vice-versa.’
Leave a Reply