Relating to Humans?

Last class we discussed how Philosophy, Art, Craft, & Science are categories or how the "self" perceives the "outer world". You had stated that you feel only humans can really use these categories to relate to the outer world. I agree in that only humans would sit and say "well this is the philosophy, art... in this activity.." But I do think that other creatures "alive" or inanament could very well have thought beyond our knowing. How do we really know that a crystal which takes many years to form, if could speak, wouldn't tell us about its experience? Just by acknowledging the existence of the crystal and studying its growth is us listening to its story. In nature plants and animals have adapted to one another in order to continue to survive. Maybe there is an unknown connection between them. Flowers and Bees, Birds and trees, a parasite and its host. They may not think " hmm which flower looks better, but they do seem to know what they are doing. A tree or plant will form a gall in order to stop a parasitic take over, but in turn is providing the parasite with a home or hotel room in exchange. How does this tree know to do this? Did it just decide one day it was sick of getting bit? Orangoutangs, Gorillas, although not human defiantly show signs of thought and emotion. Just look in the face of a caged primate and tell me it isn't thinking of a better life. Or how it got into this situation. This kinda takes me back to how everything is connected. We has humans may not have the ability to hear, or scientifically describe the thoughts of rocks, plants, trees, or any other living creature that isn't human, but maybe thats just because we are human. I'm sure a bee could not understand a crystal, but maybe one crystal could speak to another. Who knows?

Circulating energy/ outer world

"How can you support from experience the notion of all energy, including "selves" being constantly recirculated? By analogy only, or can some "scientific" demonstration be made?"
- Just like all beliefs there is no physical evidence that makes one true or better than another, but people find ways or reasons to believe in what makes them able to continue life. The earth itself is always recirculating. When anything dies, something new is born, when ever it rains the water is reabsorbed into the earth and then evaporated back into the sky again. You personally showed us a tree at Shenk's Ferry that has been decaying for 15-20 years or so and all around it was new growth. If this is possible with nature... well aren't we a part of nature. You can not ask a plant why it exists, but if you could what would it say? Would we say they exist for the soul purpose of providing us with food and air. Are we that selfish? I think we have all taken for granted what we have been provided with. But in the end we will all eventually die, and whether we are buried or burned, our remains will eventually become part of the earth again. And from that something new will grow. I can not say what happens to our energy with evidence, but I really don't think it just disappears.