Jain Spirit 2002 06 No 11

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 53

The Ugh-ly Buglies
spider and so she still continues to spin dexterously. In Hinduism the spider weaves life from its own body and is also the creator of illusion or maya jaal. So the next time you see this wondrous lady, think of her mystical properties. Who knows - she could augur a new project or even an addition to the family. In Jain paintings of the universe (loka), insects and small animals such as fishes are also included.
Believe it or not, lizards are wizards. Remember the story of Shivaji who used a gekko to scale an impregnable Mughal fort. Native Americans considered the lizard the master of animals and fish, the messenger through whom the god informed man that he was mortal. Hawaii has lizard gods who are revered as our animal ancestors. In Maori myth, it was the lizard who rescued the first of the human race from the waters of creation. In Polynesia, Moko the king of lizards is worshipped as the god who protects fishing, Australian aboriginal folklore has a lizard hero who is believed to have taught the people arts. And there you were dismissing this fine, if not upstanding creature as a creepy crawly. Shame.
Mice are nice. Ganesha has one for his mount and it represents foresight and prudence. In Egypt, rats were worshipped and regarded as symbols of great wisdom since they always chose the best bread. The Romans drew omens from rats: to see a white rat meant good fortune. In Japan a white rat accompanies the god of happiness and is also an attribute of the god of wealth. The rat is the first of the animals in the Chinese zodiac. Legend has it that centuries ago, the Chinese were looking for a way to measure time. So the Jade Emperor arranged a contest on his birthday.
The first twelve animals to cross a certain river would be assigned to the 12 zodiac years; the cat and
the rat who were then good friends but poor
swimmers persuaded the good-natured and gullible ox to carry them over. As they neared
the shore, the rat pushed the cat into the water and leaped over the ox's back to come first in the race. The cat, of course, has never forgiven the rat for his perfidy, but we have to admire the little fellow's guts. Finally the pig.
The movie Babe went a long way towards
re-establishing this brave and intelligent animal's place in history. Worshipped by the Greeks, it was the pig that suckled
Zeus. Equally revered in Egypt, the pig was sacred to Isis. The black pig was the form taken by the Egyptian
god Set in his typhoon aspect. In Chinese legend, the pig represents the
unbridled power of nature. For the native Americans the pig was a rain bearer. Here in Hinduism, we have
the Adamantine sow, Vajravarahi, queen of heaven, as the feminine
counterpart of Vishnu's boar incarnation. She also appears in Tibetan
Buddhism. Neither greedy nor dirty, the pig deserves more appreciation.
Every animal, bird and insect is extremely important to the earth - enough
to be venerated. Even the cockroach, without whom your forest leaves will not
turn to mulch and your sewers will choke from all the deadly rubbish that you send into
them. However, I am still trying to find a cockroach god. Perhaps after World War III when they remain the only survivors,
will they automatically attain godhood the way we have
abrogated it to our own species.
Maneka Gandhi is the chairperson of 'People for Animals 'and a Minister in the Government of India. The above article first appeared in Swagat, January 2002.
MIKE TURNER
June - August 2002. Jain Spirit
51
Jain Education Intemational