Under the hostel is a food hall. Every morning one of the proprietors puts out a pile of rice for the pigeons. I find out later, by way of the eccentric young Chinese man who is often hanging about, that the the guy is a Buddhist and practicing compassion and mindfulness with his gift of rice to the birds. I am a Buddhist too, he says, you give and you get back. Its called karma. Hes missing the point I thought to myself. You give for nothing more than the simple act of giving. Expectation of reward for your efforts is a gross misrepresentation of the teachers very clearly expressed thoughts on the matter. (I kept this to myself as the young man has a tendency to make every question a cause to demonstrate his superior point of view). Meanwhile, research has revealed that feeding urban birds creates a stabilizing effect on avian populations. A well feed flock is a healthy flock that breeds less, (contrary to current thinking). Its only when stressed that the flock kicks into reproduction mode. The survival through reproduction response is a common feature of all species including humans. When communities are safe, well feed, happy and healthy, population growth slows rapidly, and there it is, the answer to the problem of human overpopulation: equitable access to resources, food, technology and infrastructure. Its a clearly defined piece of genetic behaviour whose effects are easily observed. Feeding the birds keeps the numbers down, makes their lives a little easier and uses up food waste that would otherwise end up in landfill. The pigeons roost in a nearby Pohutukawa and their shit feeds the tree. Theres Something for everyone. Not a bad thing at all.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 01:42:55 +0000
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