The Natural Sun
Announcements about our sun and its natural conditions
- Chapter 40 -
Plant and animal kingdoms upon the fourth pair of equators
Before proceeding to the more important national codes, it shall be necessary to familiarize ourselves a little, with the plant and animal kingdom on this belt.
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Here you will think: to examine this belt's profuse plant and animal kingdom even marginally would hold us back from continuing with the more important national codes. But I say unto you: "Let you not be troubled, for there are instances where I can axe down the tree with one blow and this shall be the case here."
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But before I begin to explain, I must take you back to the planet Jupiter. Although this planet is a good four thousand times bigger than the Earth you inhabit, no other planet has a greater resemblance to your Earth, firstly by climate and as a result thereof, by the kingdoms of plants and animals. It has certain peculiarities in common with other planets which as it were abound in it, but which are alien to your planet in terms of plants and animals, notwithstanding this however, you shall find upon this planet everything which your planet holds in a magnified form.
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One of these peculiarities in respect of plant life is that, in common with the central equatorial belt population, these piously loving people have the complete ability and the will power to call forth plant and tree forms from the soil; except that such species are then seedless and hence not capable of reproduction, whereas positive plants and trees, such as upon your Earth, have a living seed within them.
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Such positive plants however are the same as the grafted ones upon your terrestrial soil. Thus in the Jovian hot zone you would discover all the tropical growths; then, in its two temperate zones, all fruits and growths occurring in these terrestrial zones; and thus also in the cold zone. But you have to visualize it in a much more refined and far bigger state than on Earth.
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Thus you could for example be strolling through plentiful grassland stalks as through a young wood plantation; and the trees might be ten times bigger than yours. Yet nowhere upon this planet would you encounter the gigantic animals we met upon the planet Saturn.
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Thus the humans upon Jupiter are nowhere near as big as upon Saturn and far smaller than the solar belt corresponding to Jupiter. But the people upon Jupiter are no more than three or fourfold the size of you yourself upon Earth.
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Knowing this we can risk throwing ourselves into it, and you can be assured of getting to know both the plants and animals of this fourth belt. Think of the plants and animal kingdom of your Earth, then imagine them about a hundredfold in size in everything and you have therewith the entire plant and animal worlds of this belt before you.
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If, for instance, you had a fly the same as on this equator before you, it would make an abundant meal for five of your people. Likewise you would find it hard to consume ten strawberries, whilst two of your strongest people would not easily shift a bunch of grapes. And so with everything else, and likewise with the animals, with the exception of the snake, which cannot be found on Jupiter, nor the corresponding equator. There are indeed lizards, but of a benign nature. These usually keep to the sea coasts and rivers; they stay clear of human dwellings.
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Behold, only now can we proceed to the official social codes.
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So here is another regulation that forbids the keeping of any domestic animals other than a few house birds such as chickens and pigeons. Here you will ask: "Will this regulation then also keep the animals out?" But I say unto you: this is a superficial concern, as this regulation requires the inhabitants to fence their domestic properties of sometimes many square miles (GM) in size to keep animals out.
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To this again you will say: "Is this not going to cause the inhabitants a great deal of work?" If they went about it like yourselves, then they would certainly have much to do, for this fence is quite often several hundred (GM) miles in circumference.
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So how do they go about it? They take the proper amount of good seed, digging a furrow around their grounds with an instrument resembling a plough but drawn as easily as play by immensely powerful people in place of animals. One woman casts the seeds into the furrow whilst another covers it over with another tool. This proceeds so fast that no birds could keep up with it. And on account of the great fertility of the soil the seed sown trees grow in a short time standing forty metres tall. And in the course of about three years, by your reckoning, the living fence is as good as full grown.
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Would you also like to know the tree species? Here I say unto you that these trees resemble your cedars, spruce and firs. The stems grow so close together they that form a proper wall which when fully grown, not infrequently, reach a height of over two thousand metres.
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And so you see that no animal is going to get over this fence. Another regulation requires fencing around every property.
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If someone were to ask: "Why do these equatorial inhabitants abhor animals so much?" Then this is the answer: in line with their inner wisdom, these people say: the animals, one and all, still have impure souls and through their conduct can cause the human soul to become unclean, in that all their actions are from out of their judgment. Were man to easily imitate one or other of their functions then he would precipitate himself from his freedom into an animal under judgment, which could gradually harm his soul.
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Hence it is our loving, mutual obligation to keep the animals away from ourselves and rather fear them than maintain an untoward attachment. Love towards animals with time produces unclean feelings and makes the soul animalistic. Hence none should curse animals, but even less, let his sanctified heart suffer attachment to one or other animal.
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Behold, therein lies the main reason for the above mentioned social norm, just as the inhabitant of this belt have a lofty and wise reason for every one of their regulations.
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Here some will ask again: "Are the inhabitants of this belt actually able to fence off the flies and other flying insects, as well as the wild birds?" For surely these are also animals with souls less pure than the human.
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Regarding this and other flying insects, these are easily kept away through man's will. And these animals in any case stick to the sea, lake coasts and river banks.
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And birds in their flight pose no danger to man. But if they settle down somewhere it is not for long, whilst the damage they cause is easily borne because they more than compensate for it by consuming all kinds of creeping things.
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For this reason there is another regulation in place forbidding birds from being chased away from where they settle down. Here also they say: whatever can lift itself above our fencing, not heeding this border, is driven by a higher will for our benefit. Whence we should not chase away something that comes to us from above but instead let it serve us in a way God determined for our good. Thus entire flocks of birds are often allowed to settle down on their grounds feeding, and it is said: everything that works is worth its food. Hence let also these workers eat since they have worked, for they cannot come without God's will, nor can they leave without it.
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And behold, there is also good reason for this regulation. But you will eventually ask: "If the inhabitants of this belt mutually fence off their properties like that, where do the many large animals live?" Don't let that trouble you, for the properties of these inhabitants are not as close together as yours and there are frequently a hundred mile wide vacant stretches left to the animals, on average leaving the animals more space than the people.
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Yet some could still ask: "We noted that these inhabitants journey quite frequently; are they not endangered by rapacious animals when travelling through their habitat?" This question is unfounded, firstly because the animals are generally of a benign nature and fear men. Secondly man, through his spiritual and physical power is a true lord over his world. And thirdly each traveller is escorted to the next neighbouring property. And so everyone can, with these three aids travel securely, especially as they do not have to fear any night upon the sun.
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Behold, this is yet another state regulation, insisting on leaving a sufficient area between the fenced properties for animals, with every property having to have seven entrances all around, structured like the overpasses over your fences, which however, only big people can get over not the animals.
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What do these intermediate animal territories look like allowing access to the overpasses? They are densely wooded areas. Only at the overpass points are the forests thinner to the next property overpass; and these are the paths along which all can journey safely.
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Regarding the upkeep of this path, a rule states that each neighbour is responsible for keeping his half cleared. For here too the inhabitants say: only the unclean animals travel through uncleared thickets, whereas man should travel along open paths. For it is not within the animal's power to clear its path, but well within man's power to do so; each path as well has to be straight to distinguish it from the crooked paths of creatures that do not recognize the benefit of a straight line but stray about in the thickets of forests.
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These are then the most important official regulations regarding land management. Next time we shall look at some more of them before turning to religion and so enough for today.