I saw one art work in which so many insects were fixed after killing them [I am not sure whether they were collected after they died naturally] like a puzzle. When I saw that it was very disturbed not because those [innocent] insects were killed but when it was displayed as an art work. I don’t want to even share that for this article as I cannot endorse such experiments in the name of gaining ‘knowledge’.
Before sharing my view further I would like to add one more point. Killing insects for food is common around the world. Mahabharata also says clearly that ‘one life is food for another life’ [jivo jivasya jivanam]. So I am not against killing animals or insects for food and never consider it as ahimsa. Then we cannot consume any food as we kill so many bacteria invisible insects in the food.
Next is that I am also not against using animals in lab to gain more ‘KNOWLEDGE’ about their nature and behavior, particularly those that spread dangerous viruses. However I have my own reservation about it. Because several animals, particularly birds and other insects have the inherent system to spread dangerous viruses. But our nature also has its own inherent antidote to prevent the spread of those viruses. And when those animals were taken away from their natural inhabitants and environment and used for testing in labs to gain more ‘KNOWLEDGE’ to invent vaccines to prevent, then any small accidental leak from the lab would create havoc. The recent Wuhan virus is the best example. So even in the name of ‘gaining knowledge’ using animals is a kind of cruelty. And if we allow nature to cure its own viruses, we need not face pandemic like Covid. Instead of catching the animals separating from their environment to do research in labs, why not the scientists invent a method of studying them in their natural settings. When we can send rockets to distant planets, this is won’t be a ‘rock science’ to do. When we use nature for our selfishness, then our own mistakes will cause us to pay a heavy price for it. There is no point in saying that once we gain enough or ultimate ‘KNOWLEDGE’ about a particular disease then we will stop the testing. For me knowledge is relative and when we gain one kind of knowledge it will open ups ten more new questions for which we have to further do more research to gain more ‘knowledge’ at the cost of other lives. And they end up paying the price for our INTELLECTUAL ENTERTAINMENT in the name of gaining more or correct knowledge.
Now coming to the subject of displaying those beautiful insects as a piece of art work. For Indians art is not just a HOBBY but a sadhana, a Tapasya. For many it is even their breath and soul which gives meaning to their life. Any real art in any form should raise the aesthetic sense within us. They also should help as a kind of sadhana to soar high in our atman. But when I watch the display of this kind of art work with killed insects it looks cruel and creates a sense of violence and I become angry. When scientists use animals in the lab for testing, would they take a video and present it to the public as a piece of artwork? Can they display the way animals are killed or tortured for testing? Can an ordinary human watch it with a sense of artistic temperament?
Already we have enough of a violated environment with noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution [remember all the plastics that are floating in the entire ocean around the world will be more than the measure of our earth] and we are reaping the consequences already. Only the arctic poles were left so far, but both Russia and China claim exclusive rights to exploit the natural resources in the Artic and Antarctica continents. So some predict that the next world war would be to occupy them. After polluting the earth now we don’t want to leave even space and in the name of gaining more ‘KNOWLEDGE’ about the origin of creation and life in other plants we are piling up debris in outer space. Leaving all the present crisis that we face in everyday life, rich countries [and even the developing economy like India and China] are wasting their source to send satellites to distant planets like Mars and Venus in the name of research to gain more knowledge. Where is this going to end? Even God does not know. They say that to know whether other forms of life exists in another planet. Even if they found, by accident if they bring back those lives to the earth, who knows what would happen to our planet? That might be the end. Even if they manage to find water and other resources in another planets make those planets for to make inhabitable would be a distant reality. Forgetting the demand of food and basic needs in so many parts of earth, we try to create a future Utopia in some other planets.
So when we want to hide our selfishness in the name of gaining ‘KNOWLEDGE’ violating nature [I want to use a more strong word, but modesty prevents me to do so], then it will take its revenge in its own way. But when such knowledge is displayed as a piece of art, then it disturbs my mind and atman. I don’t think that this is a private issue to be shared within a close circle but a public issue to be ‘CONFRONTED’ as we all have stake in it.
DB, Gurukulam, 29-04-2023.
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