Hari Aum.
One might ask why write a post on bird-feeding on a blog on spiritual matters. Well, that's because I think bird-feeding is actually quite an important spiritual activity! You might think this sounds trivial and silly but let me explain.
A few winters ago when it was snowing a fair bit, I set up a hanging bird-feeder, a bird table and a small water bowl/bird bath in my garden. I placed these in such as way that I could get a nice view from the sofa in my living room that looks out into the garden as I enjoy bird-watching (a habit I learned from my father while growing up in India). Now I have a fairly steady stream of daily bird visitors including robins, sparrows, magpies, pigeons and a few other species. Occasionally a squirrel pays a visit to the bird table and rarely a field mouse appears and takes a bit of food.
I've observed that these birds are highly intelligent creatures. They've worked out that my husband and I are a source of food and when the bird feeder/table runs out of food, they know how to communicate to us that they want more.
For example, this morning I was sitting on the sofa having breakfast when I suddenly caught sight of a robin staring at me from the bush under the bird feeder which was empty (the food ran out a couple of days ago). It looked at me intently and then looked pointedly at the feeder. It repeated this cycle a few times and then flew off. This is not the first time I've noticed this behaviour in the robins- it's a message that they want some food!
Similarly, when the pigeons want to communicate their desire for a top-up of food in the feeder, they appear in the garden and throw what can only be called a tantrum! They flap their wings, strut up and down the garden, stare at my husband and me while we are in the living room and generally draw attention to their presence in the garden! I sometimes give in to this behaviour but if I've only recently given them food (which they've speedily eaten!), then I ignore the tantrum thinking that they can fend for themselves for a couple of days until I top up the feeder again!
Anyway, the robin succeeded in making me feel guilty this morning (you know how it feels when you're eating and someone hungry is staring at you- quite uncomfortable!). I therefore topped up the feeder and bird table with some bird food, and the robin then returned and played a game in the garden hopping between the bushes and plants while looking at me- it seemed to be expressing its thanks! This is also not unusual for robins. One time, a robin actually sat next to the patio door and stared directly into the living room at me after I'd put some food on the bird table. They seem to be able to feel gratitude and try to express this in their own way.
One of the five great sacrifices known as the 'pancha maha-yagyas' according to the yogis is the feeding of other species, be they birds, animals or insects (Sivananda used to feed sugar to ants). I feel this is an important part of recognising the divine in other species. It makes one feel connected with other species and with nature in a nice way. Being kind to birds and animals is an essential part of spiritual life in my view.
The same God that resides in us resides in birds and animals. Feeding of these species is therefore a way of worshipping the God within these beings. It would be good if we could feed birds and animals with the same devotion that we offer milk and sweets to stone idols in temples. Of course stone idols also contain God (as God is everywhere). But God is more manifest in living beings than in idols so it is good to include bird/animal-feeding as a form of worship.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
One might ask why write a post on bird-feeding on a blog on spiritual matters. Well, that's because I think bird-feeding is actually quite an important spiritual activity! You might think this sounds trivial and silly but let me explain.
A few winters ago when it was snowing a fair bit, I set up a hanging bird-feeder, a bird table and a small water bowl/bird bath in my garden. I placed these in such as way that I could get a nice view from the sofa in my living room that looks out into the garden as I enjoy bird-watching (a habit I learned from my father while growing up in India). Now I have a fairly steady stream of daily bird visitors including robins, sparrows, magpies, pigeons and a few other species. Occasionally a squirrel pays a visit to the bird table and rarely a field mouse appears and takes a bit of food.
I've observed that these birds are highly intelligent creatures. They've worked out that my husband and I are a source of food and when the bird feeder/table runs out of food, they know how to communicate to us that they want more.
For example, this morning I was sitting on the sofa having breakfast when I suddenly caught sight of a robin staring at me from the bush under the bird feeder which was empty (the food ran out a couple of days ago). It looked at me intently and then looked pointedly at the feeder. It repeated this cycle a few times and then flew off. This is not the first time I've noticed this behaviour in the robins- it's a message that they want some food!
Similarly, when the pigeons want to communicate their desire for a top-up of food in the feeder, they appear in the garden and throw what can only be called a tantrum! They flap their wings, strut up and down the garden, stare at my husband and me while we are in the living room and generally draw attention to their presence in the garden! I sometimes give in to this behaviour but if I've only recently given them food (which they've speedily eaten!), then I ignore the tantrum thinking that they can fend for themselves for a couple of days until I top up the feeder again!
Anyway, the robin succeeded in making me feel guilty this morning (you know how it feels when you're eating and someone hungry is staring at you- quite uncomfortable!). I therefore topped up the feeder and bird table with some bird food, and the robin then returned and played a game in the garden hopping between the bushes and plants while looking at me- it seemed to be expressing its thanks! This is also not unusual for robins. One time, a robin actually sat next to the patio door and stared directly into the living room at me after I'd put some food on the bird table. They seem to be able to feel gratitude and try to express this in their own way.
One of the five great sacrifices known as the 'pancha maha-yagyas' according to the yogis is the feeding of other species, be they birds, animals or insects (Sivananda used to feed sugar to ants). I feel this is an important part of recognising the divine in other species. It makes one feel connected with other species and with nature in a nice way. Being kind to birds and animals is an essential part of spiritual life in my view.
The same God that resides in us resides in birds and animals. Feeding of these species is therefore a way of worshipping the God within these beings. It would be good if we could feed birds and animals with the same devotion that we offer milk and sweets to stone idols in temples. Of course stone idols also contain God (as God is everywhere). But God is more manifest in living beings than in idols so it is good to include bird/animal-feeding as a form of worship.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
very true... I too am blessed with such lovely opportunity..
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it :)
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