The fox thought out, within himself, all the various arguments and counter-arguments to this question that was perplexing him, and he resolved to prove that there is no distinction between man and animals. From that day onwards, he started airing this problem to all the denizens of that forest. Hs sought out other animals and said, ‘Why should we accept the present state of affairs? People are considering animal life as inferior to human life. We should take steps to reverse this erroneous belief.’ In this way he began to encourage all the animals living there to think about this issue and get excited about it. He showed how these false beliefs had been taught and accepted by all the animals, even by the mighty elephant who was stronger than anyone and the dauntless lion, who was their king. The fox resolved to have a very big meeting of the animals to discuss these points and frame some resolution on which they could all agree. The ‘Chatushpada Mahasabha’ was the name proposed for this meeting. It means, ‘The great gathering of the four-footed ones.’ It was decided that on a particular day, at a particular time, all of them would come together in a big open area and assemble for this special meeting.
Initially, three agenda items were agreed upon. The first was that human beings, just like animals, are born from the womb of a mother; therefore there should be only one name, both for men and animals. And, properly speaking, that name should be Jantu, one who is born from the womb of a mother. Either man should be called Jantu, or animals should be called man; but there should not be two different names and two different titles. That was the first resolution they wanted to pass at the meeting. The second agenda item was that animals had been called unwise, while humans claim to be endowed with wisdom; but animals should not accept this. In what way does man have superior wisdom to the animals? The fox was particularly insistent on this point. He asked, ‘What is this wisdom that man has, that we do not have? We have to firmly resolve that there is the same wisdom in both men and animals.’ The third agenda item that the fox proposed, was, ‘Man is considered to be a talking animal whereas we are dumb; that is considered to be a very great disadvantage to us, which they claim makes a big difference. But even if we are dumb what is it that we are lacking? By having learned the ability to talk and by possessing that skill, what is the extraordinary happiness that man has derived from that? Let us propose that talking and dumbness be considered more or less the same.’
‘Then there is also a fourth point we should consider,’ the fox added. ‘Human beings think of us as being Rajasika whereas they consider themselves to be Sattvika in nature. But none of us should agree to this. The Sattvika nature that we have, even man does not possess. We deserve the reputation and recognition that we are far superior in Sattvika nature to human.’ They all agreed that these four points should be discussed in the meeting. But then they wondered whom they should ask to preside over their meeting.
The fox pointed out that there were a number of Rishis and Mahatmas, who had been doing penance in the forest ‘We should select a very highly accomplished sage to preside aver our meeting’, he suggested. They all agreed and resolved to send the fox to find a Maharshi and request him to chair their meeting. The fox went to a cave and there he saw a sage engaged in penance. He reverentially approached the sage and prayed to him, ‘Swami, in the kingdom of animals we have decided to have a very important meeting, a Chatushpada Mahasabha, and we request you to preside over it’. The Rishi who recognized everything as living divinity itself, said, ‘All right, I will be happy to come and preside over your meeting,’ So, in a vast open field they arranged to have their meeting.
In that forest, every animal from the smallest to the biggest came with all their children, and many brought their grandchildren also, to attend this important meeting. They were all in very high spirits and extremely happy to take part in such a grand meeting. And they all showed a great deal of respect for their president. A high platform was provided for the president. Just beside the chair for the president, a chair was provided for the lion. The Maharshi presiding over the function was also in very fine spirits and was not the least bit afraid of the lion who was sitting next to him. This Maharshi recognized the existence of God in every living being; therefore he was full of fearlessness. Once all of the animals were seated, there was a need for properly welcoming the Maharshi recognized their midst. The secretary for this great meeting was the fox. The fox began his welcoming address. ‘Revered president, your excellency the king, honoured minister, dear brothers and sisters! This day is a day which will be written in golden letters in the annals of this great forest and all its inhabitants. This is an unforgettable day, which will never be forgotten, in the whole animal kingdom, for today we will achieve a grand success in this most important meeting for which we have all assembled here. In coming together here yon have all made some notable sacrifices. You have given up a great number of activities, and have made time available in your busy lives to participate in this meeting. So, in the very first place, let me express my deepest gratitude to all of you.’ Then the secretary went on and explained the items on the agenda. As soon as the agenda had been presented, the lion got up and addressed the vast gathering.
The lion told them, ‘You have all heard what my brother has said to you. I want you to now that the great qualities you have, like valour and courage, man does not really have. I am myself direct proof of this. If you consider the courage and valour, the magnificent prowess acid strength, which I have, where will you find any man who is my equal? Though I am king of animals, I never take any wrong or unjustifiable actions. Without reason I don’t kill animals. Only when I am hungry will I take a little food. I do not kill any animals for sport, I never waste any food. Consider our courage, our code of ethics, our high level of morality; cart we find such great qualities in human beings? No! They don’t have them at all. Therefore, why should we be afraid of man? Why should we be thought of as inferior to man? Today, let us resolve to wipe out this blot on our reputation.
The elephant, who was sitting just by the side of the lion got up and said, ‘Man is not even half as big as my leg. In form I am certainly mighty and magnificent. In intelligence I have attained proverbial greatness. Kings, emperors, distinguished leaders, all have developed great faith in me. If ever a coronation was to be performed and I was not there, it would have to be postponed. When I am so great, how can you say that man is superior to me? My intelligence is extraordinary. Therefore, even if you consider just these two, my intelligence and my physical form, you must conclude that man can never be equal to me’.
The fox got up and said, ‘The lion, our Maharaja, has just talked to you, and the big elephant, our distinguished minister, has also spoken his mind. Now we would like to invite a representative of the smaller animals to come and address us’. At this point the wild dog was asked to speak to the gathering. It offered its humble salutations to the president, to the king, to the minister, to the secretary and to all in the great throng who had assembled there. Then it said, ‘Although I am very small and weak, in faith there is no one that can be compared to me. I have unswerving faith and unlimited loyalty to the person who has brought me up, and who looks after me. I will always be grateful and faithful, even if I lose my life. Even if I am harmed by my master I will not return harm to him in kind. Everyone knows that human beings do not have this sense of loyalty, which a dog has. In this quality of loyalty I can never be considered inferior to man. Man often resolves to give troubles to the one who has most lovingly taken care of him and guided him, such as his master or his own parents. Man will think nothing of doing bad in return for the goad, which is given to him. He will criticize and concoct schemes to deceive and hurt the very one who has looked after him so carefully. Man does not have any gratitude at all. He does not have any loyalty. Only so long as his purpose is being served, will he pretend to be obedient.
The moment his own selfish interests have been taken care of he starts his own master. When man is like this how can we consider inferior to mankind?’ In this way, one by one, others got up, and had their say. Appropriate to their status and experience, they gave speeches, extolling the many fine qualities practiced by the animals but which were being ignored by man. Finally, there was the speech of the president. The Rishi addressed the gathering, ‘Dear animals. All that you have just spoken of is true. Whenever a master does something or says something to us, it is meant for our own good. It is intended to promote friendship and good understanding. But as soon as this friendship flowers and understanding blossoms forth, man becomes suspicious and thinks that something bad is being done to him. In front he will offer salutations but behind he will criticize. In front he will use words of praise but behind he will use words of derision and criticism. Filling himself with opposites like that and low forms of cleverness, he wastes his intelligence and his life. All the defects that have been pointed out here are certainly true and present in man as for food, sleep, breathing and such things there is absolutely no difference between human beings and animals.’
The Rishi continued, ‘I do want to point out, however, that there is one specialty in human beings that is unique, in which they cannot be compared with the animals. Animals may inherit a streak of cruelty; once they have acquired that they cannot change it. A tiger, however hungry he may be, will not eat rice and curry. He only aspires to have mutton. He will not change his habits, he will not succeed. On the other hand, if sufficient efforts are made by humans, they can change their cruelty and they can change any of their bad habits. The most important difference between humans and animals is that humans, with effort, can bring about a complete transformation in themselves, whereas animals will not be able to accomplish that. These special capacities and skills for transforming themselves are only available to human beings.’
The fox got up and said, ‘Swami, we will concede that human beings have these special capacities fox changing themselves, but if they do not make use of these capacities, do they deserve the high status that they now enjoy?’ The president declared, ‘If anyone has the capacity to change himself but does not use it, then he is much worse than an animal’. At this all the animals burst into loud applause. The Maharshi repeated the principal point he had just made...that any human being who had the capacity for doing good, but who didn’t use this quality to improve his own behaviour and develop the good within himself, was, without a doubt, worse than an animal. The Rishi added, ‘What is the use of all the learning that man accumulates? Will it change his faith? As soon as bad thoughts enter his head, his thinking becomes dull and he becomes an idiot. In learning and skills, humans have attained a high status. But ail this learning is only for the sake of getting some bread: they use it only to fill their bellies and to eke out a livelihood.’
At this point the fox got up and added to what the president had just said, ‘In the process of eking out his livelihood, man uses all kinds of unethical means. In this area, it is clear that we animals are much better than human beings.’ The fox got carried away by his own rhetoric; he continued for some time on the same theme. ‘We are always fair in gaining our livelihood. In all respects, when compared to man, we are far better. Really, we are the best!’ He got an enthusiastic ovation from the whole four-footed assembly. But now the fox had exceeded his limits and the president pounded the gavel and called for order. At this point, the Rishi explained the second major difference that makes human beings unique. He said, ‘Man has been able to conquer Maya, that is, illusion. Once he has done that he is able to experience Atma, and then he can reach the state of Nirvana. This is a vital difference between humans and animals.
‘Human beings have the power and also the authority to conquer Maya. If man takes the trouble and makes the effort, he will be able to directly experience the Atma. With the help of spiritual exercises he can reach Nirvana. All these you animals do not have’. The Maharshi added, ‘Dear children, in the English language, human beings have been collectively called mankind, using the generic term, M-A-N. The same is given in Sanskrit as ‘Manava’. The inner significance of M-A-N is that human beings can separate out and remove this illusion, (M)aya; they can get the vision of (A)tma, and immerse themselves in wisdom and joy, in the state that is called (N)irvana. This, then, is the meaning conveyed by these letters M-A-N. ‘M’ stands for ‘Maya removed’, ‘A’ stands for ‘Atma seen’, and ‘N’ stands for ‘Nirvana attained’. Attaining Nirvana means that man becomes one with joy and bliss. So, a true human being, a true man, is one who has removed the ignorance of Maya, who has had a vision of Atma, and who has become merged in the supreme state of bliss.’
When the Rishi had finished, all the animals bent down their heads and agreed that these three are things which they could not achieve. But, then the question was raised, ‘Have all human beings been able to attain this?’ ‘No!’ came back the answer. ‘Only very few.’ ‘Those people who do not make any effort at all in these directions are just like us and there is absolutely no reason for distinguishing them from the animals’, they decided. The Maharshi agreed. He said, ‘Although humans have this great capacity for wisdom and bliss, they have not developed themselves in this direction and, therefore, they have not been able to derive much joy from their lives.’
Then, on a personal note, the president explained the reasons why he had come into the forest to live. He said, ‘Men do not care much about these noble qualities. Animals give trouble only to, those who give them trouble; otherwise they will live in peace with each other. But man hurts those who do not hurt him at all. Without any reason he begins to blame and foment trouble, harming people who are unblemished and who have given him no cause for provocation. Man also enters into all kinds of improper work which he has no right to be engaged in.’ He concluded, ‘It is for these reasons that Rishis have given up the company of men and have gone into the forest to live. Man is becoming increasingly selfish. Whatever he says, whatever he does, whatever he thinks, is full of selfishness. Animals do not have such selfishness. Animals are not harming other animals and accumulating wealth. Therefore, in many ways man behaves even worse then an animal.’
It is in this context that Krishna said, ‘Arjuna! Be a true human being, not one who is even worse than an animal. Rise above the animal nature to your true human nature. There are two qualities of animals that you should never have. You are neither a sheep, which is always timid and fearful, nor are you a tiger which is always cruel to others. You are a man. You are worthy of higher things. Be fearless! Do not ever allow yourself to be subject to fear.’ Then Arjuna folded his hands and said, ‘Dear Lord, I will obey your commands implicitly.’ (DBG, pp. 195-200)