Nature's Purpose

Looked at in this way, even the having of children, the propagation of the species, has as its objective continual progress along the Path, and ultimately arrival at the end. But do people at the present time really have this objective in view when they have children? People go on producing more and more dark-eyed little infants-but are they thinking of these new individuals as heirs to the task of carrying on along the Path? If not, then their motivation must be on some lower level, the level of animals like dogs and cats. People give birth to offspring, which they then love so dearly they would willingly lay down their life for them. But animals do this too. The attachment to offspring dominating the mind of a parent operates in precisely the same way in animals as in man.

But let us examine why an animal has such an attachment to it offspring, such a strong desire to protect them. Just what is the purpose of it? We can safely assume that it is not a result of rational thinking in the part of the animal. Attachment to offspring and desire to protect them are naturally present in animals. And why has Nature equipped animals with this kind of instinct? In order to guard against the extinction of the species. And for what purpose should the extinction of an animal species be averted? Ultimately in order to make possible further evolution, further steady progress towards the highest stage possible for a reproducing species. Thus we see Nature working to save each species of living this from extinction, thereby by ensuring continued evolution up to the highest point. This is Nature's purpose. Animals, in general, are subject to this law, whether they realize it or not. It can be said, then that for the lower animals too, birth is a journey. It is a non-stop journey of progress until the top is reached, until there evolves Man. And after that further progress is possible to the state of Fully Enlightened Man.