Octopus’ way of life seen from “heroic childrearing” — Is humanity really lord of creation?

The octopus makes “once-in-lifetime sex” and after that, a male octopus runs out of energy and a female octopus starts “heroic childrearing.” The mother octopus does not hunt for food. She keeps on brooding eggs, sprays water to replace the stagnant water around the eggs with fresh water, and continues to shower love with the eggs.  After seeing her eggs hatch, the mother octopus runs out of energy and dies. I have seen such mother octopus on TV in my childhood.

After getting to know the fact on octopus’ way of life, it is doubtful “whether humanity is really lord of creation.” I have never thought so. I am not sure whether it is because of my experience of seeing the image of such “heroic childrearing of the octopus” in my childhood.

I admit that humanity is more advanced than other animals. But it does not mean that humanity is superior to other animals. Needless to say, humanity cannot be valuable being.

I make a value judgement about a person based not on bloodline, property, titles including academic background, talent or appearance but on “pure heart.” The former can be compared, but the latter is incomparable. If you ask dog’s or cat’s lovers about “which do you think are more pure-hearted, dogs and cats or humans?” It seems to me that almost 100 percent of people would answer “dogs and cats are overwhelmingly far purer than humans.”

Why? Probably, a pet loved as a family member is an object of “unconditional love” for its owner. Their “existence itself is valuable” for their owners. However, humans are different from them. Humans have to be more competent.

It means that for most people, humans are not object of love but object to be used; in other words, human society “is ignorant of love.” 

Why do humans need to be competent? That’s to have a “better life.” Humans sacrifice “love” for a “better life.” Isn’t it the opposite? Don’t you think that you can have a much happier life instead of sacrificing a “better life” for “love”?

Please love and bring up your children in the same way as your pets “whose existence is valuable for you.” I believe that children who are brought up with affluent affection will probably grow “like angels with beautiful heart.” 

Masatoshi Takeshita

January 9, 2020

Note:

Shanti-phula has indicated some parts of the following text in black bold-faced type or in red letters.

English translation of an excerpt from a Japanese article: Toyo Keizai ONLINE– August 4, 2018 –

Octopus dies such a reverent death that we cannot talk about it with dry eyes.

The end of octopus is so reverent that we cannot talk it with dry eyes.

The two octopuses loving each other embrace with each other and make once-in-lifetime sex. The octopuses take a few hours and perform this ritual slowly as if they were to cherish the time or to make every time count.Very soon after the ritual, the male octopus runs out of energy and ends his life.

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A fierce battle to raise children lies ahead before the female octopus.  <snip> .. It takes one month for the common octopus to hatch her eggs, while for the giant Pacific octopus living in cold sea, the period is said to be six to 10 months because her eggs grow slowly. <snip>  During this period, the female octopus does not hunt for food and keeps holding her eggs without leaving them.

<snip>

The mother octopus sometimes paws her eggs, removes dust and mold from the eggs and replaces the stagnant water around the eggs with fresh water by spraying water. The mother octopus continues like this to shower love with her eggs. 

<snip>

And the day finally has come. Small octopus babies are born from eggs. The mother octopus is said to gently spray water on egg membrane and help her children break out eggs. The female octopus that has kept protecting her eggs has no power to swim. She does not have the slightest power to move her legs. After seeing her children hatch, the mother octopus lies down as if looking relieved, runs out of energy and dies.

<The rest is omitted>