The Book of Bunnies

The complexities of the human experience often bring less happiness than we hope for and deserve. In The Book of Bunnies ways of enhancing our well-being can be found in simple lessons from nature that inspire and enable us to improve the quality of our lives and our world. Though not a book about religion or spirituality, The Book of Bunnies offers a thought-provoking addition or alternative to the dogma of organized religion. Posited by a view of the present and historical violence and tyranny that has resulted worldwide because of unquestioned adherence to doctrines that support fundamentalist group think, The Book of Bunnies offers a guide that opens a window for thought and focus on the basics of what we really do need to do and practice for a more harmonious life for ourselves and our planet. I have given quite a bit of thought as to why I have written The Book of Bunnies, and here is what I have concluded. At the core of who we are, no matter our race or gender or culture or belief system, lies the basics of what constitutes the human spirit. All else is superficial - intellectual fluff - as it were; psychological clothes we have donned as we were taught at home, in school, and on the field of human interaction. There IS, accent on IS, a common denominator of man (man as a human, not as gender). We all need air, water, food and shelter, to be accepted, to be loved, and perhaps more. And that, then, manifests itself in the determinables that differ from nation to nation, from culture to culture, from tribe to tribe, and human to human. There are a variety of gods to whom we bow, words we use to express ourselves, tribal and cultural habits we form. BUT, at the core, there still remains the alikeness and only after that comes the dis-alikeness or difference. I have undertaken, through the metaphor of the natural world of a small, insignificant animal, to try to put forth those things which, beyond the basics of physical survival, are important; those things we could all agree upon, those actions and thoughts and feelings that create a common bond rather than focusing on the specifics that create a split or division of beliefs that, when taken to the extreme, can cause negative feelings, violence, wars, and ultimately death. No one, and certainly not me, has been able to overcome the seemingly innate need we humans have that creates chaos among ourselves as we blindly follow or become indoctrinated with belief systems that ultimately enslave our ability to reason. The Book of Bunnies won't stop hate or war or cure nasty diseases or eliminate famine. There is a host of what it won't do. But what it MAY do is open a wee, small crack through which we can view the basics of where we are alike, our similarities rather than our physiological and psychological and cultural differences. It is my little pebble thrown into the gigantic pond of life. It will cause neither ripple nor wave. It won't change anything, but I fervently hope it will at least provide some food for thought. And so, in the words of the bunny, here are some thoughts and ideas. Life as a bunny may appear to be simple, but in fact it is anything but simple. Each and every day most of us in the bunny world need to figure out how and what to eat, where to sleep, how to raise our young, and how to stay safe. When you think about it, isn't that pretty much what humans also need to do? Now I understand that many humans throughout the world believe and practice what I've been told is religion. And, so I've also been told, these religions have holy books that contain wisdom and rules that are supposed to help their followers, and that loving each other is a prime theme in all these religions. What confuses me though is that you humans actually kill each other because of your disagreement about these religions. Wow! That makes no sense to the bunny world. There are no bunny rules, as you humans might call them, but there is a bunny credo that has a pretty simple basis. Are you with me so far? Okay, then, here's our credo. 1. Find something to be grateful for each and every day. 2. Do no harm, at least not intentionally.