Vegetable, Animal and Human People

According to at least one version of the kabbalah (see Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi’s book “The Way of Kabbalah”), people can be classified as ‘vegetable’, ‘animal’, or human. (My friend Francine, on reading this, asked, ‘What about us minerals??’ Unfortunately, there’s no such classification….!)

It does seem to be a rather insulting way of labelling people, but it is worth thinking about these classifications, even while emphasising that all people are aspects of the Absolute Ground of All Being, or ‘God’ for short, and all of equal value.

The term ‘vegetable people’ is used to describe those whose main concern is with the outer world, and conforming to their ‘tribe’. They eat, grow, reproduce and die. A predictable, safe life is the main priority. After death, vegetable people tend to be re-born very quickly, often into the same society.

‘Animal people’, while also needing to eat, grow, reproduce (and die), seek more from life such as becoming rich and/or powerful and/or famous, even if there is risk involved. These people leave more of a mark, often as leaders. Nevertheless they are still slaves to their own egos, ids andsuperegos.

Human people are those who are less identified with their egos, and are further along the way to achieving their full potential as a human being. They direct their lives from a place that oversees and directs their ego, superego and the id. Furthermore, from this level of consciousness they are also in touch with their own souls. This is something I have already written about in ‘The Human Being’ and earlier, in ‘A Spiritual Cosmology and the Problem of Suffering’.

I have been contemplating for some time where I might be in this scheme. I think, like a lot of people, I might slide back and forth between ‘animal’ and ‘human’. It is only now, when I have the time and the inclination to regularly meditate, pray, and go to Kabbalah meetings, that I feel I am more than just occasionally in touch with my soul. Singing in a choir helps in this endeavour as well, though I hadn’t anticipated that before I joined one.

I have also come across the belief that Providence only works for individuals once they have achieved ‘human’ status. Until a person reaches that level they are simply subjected to ‘general Providence’.  General Providence affects people en masse. Providence as you would expect provides. It makes things possible and makes the necessary resources available, either for entire populations, or for individual people who have ‘become human’.

My own observations however suggest that Providence works for individuals who are not yet in touch with their souls in order to actually help with that process, though I suppose It has to see potential in that person. I’ve written about how I think this happened to me in my post ‘So What Now?’. My worry is, in this profoundly materialistic age, that many people just don’t see the many opportunities offered to get in touch with their souls. Especially when so many people no longer entertain the idea they have one.

I would be very interested in other people's ideas and experiences.