I ponder the dynamic between spirituality and consciousness and how it relates to man and animal.  There is an argument for man having a higher consciousness level and I see how this is true.  The problem is that this consciousness can be used to hurt as much as heal.  It’s clever and friendly with the ego; a human can consciously do harm.  Not until man’s consciousness appeared did atrocious acts of violence, slavery and outright murder come about.  People won’t think twice about abusing animals as a form of sport or entertainment.  Could we say these people are ‘lower consciousness?”  Not exactly.  Animals are considered lower consciousness and they would never do such things.

Let’s look at the other forms of life.  They are completely one with their environment, whether a fish in the water, a bird in a tree, or a bacteria in the digestive tract.  The world over, you see all types of living organisms making do with what their particular environment offers.  They blend in with the natural world.  They don’t have wants because they are always in need.  They will kill or fight only to eat or defend themselves.  They come and go without ceremony.  There’s no degradation, drama, gossip, or defilement.  We could just go on and on really.  The negative qualities were birthed by the human consciousness.  So I will now state that human have a higher consciousness potential.  And that consciousness is not the epitome of all attributes. 

Enter spirituality.  This is what is inherent in animals (lower consciousness) and forced or lacking altogether in so many humans.  That oneness with the environment is the deepest form of spirituality.  God has provided this beautiful planet to provide for us.  To trust it completely, to line up with its’ flow and follow its’ lead is the ultimate in faith and devotion.  I don’t think God could be more pleased with such humility and grace as displayed by animals.  Was the garden of Eden an experiment to see what would happen if animals were uprighted and infused with a strong dose of intelligence? 

Now enter intelligence.  Intelligence gives us a partial science behind the creative genius of God.  In effect it put a creative and therefore destructive power into the hands of the ego.  The excess of intelligence overrode the common sense simplicity.  The telepathic transmissions of information were lost in favor of the much slower and extremely less exacting science of words.  We seem incapable of developing the foresight to understand the effect of so many causes let loose upon the world. 

So what our consciousness or intelligence is lacking is spirituality.  Like so many ecological recipes, balanced living requires the right combination.  Just as prayer and faith thrive only when together, our higher conscious intelligence will only work if based in organic spirituality.  Religion so often becomes an egoic expression of God worship.  It’s exclusive.  How can you exclude something and say it’s not within the realm of God?  We need to bring God right here to earth and revere it in all things around us and within us.  As a complex organism we are already far enough removed from the source physically; our spiritual consciousness therefore needs to see God right in the dirt, blood, and bone of this planet.