Rats! Is nothing mundane anymore?

Just as humans were smugly believing that they had the monopoly on compassion, science began discovering that other mammals seemed to outdo them in that arena (as in no genocide of their own species).

Now - when all that some humans have left is to console themselves by calling others “Dirty Rats” – science has discovered that even rats have their good days.  Robert Preidt from MSN Health reports that when given the choice between chomping down chocolate and rescuing a fellow rodent, some rats chose the compassionate route.  How many humans (including premenstrual ones) can say for sure that they would do the same for their loved ones?

This makes rat-based spirituality a bit more comprehensible to those “happy homemakers” who favor exterminators.

Wikipedia reports that the rat is “the first of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.”  Humans born in the Year of the Rat are said to “possess qualities associated with rats.”  Although compassion isn’t mentioned per se, other laudable qualities such as intelligence, creativity and honesty are. 

Perhaps the country best known for honoring the rat’s higher nature is India.  Statues of rats are often to be found in the temples of Ganesh.  Ganesh himself resembles an elephant, but is often depicted with a rat.  Although some say this rat symbolizes the “selfish desires” that Ganesh can overcome - others herald the rat’s ability to penetrate “even the most secret places” and compare it with Ganesh’s own.

The most visually-striking examples of rat worship (of which Internet videos abound) can be found at the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok, North Rajastan.  Markroques.com reports that rats are considered to be “the incarnation” of the Hindu goddess Shri Karniji, who reputedly lived 151 years and performed many miracles.  At this temple, “sacred rats, or kabas, are fed on gifts of food and milk”  These gifts are valued at almost 5,000 USD per year.  In a country where many impoverished people live on only 626 USD per year, this temple practice has sparked an outcry amongst some Indian journalists.  

       

Resources

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/rats-can-lend-a-helping-paw-to-others-study-finds-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat

http://www.vanamaliashram.org/Karni_Mata.html

http://www.markroques.com/rats.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha

Copyright December 13, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved