Journal 19 - Circle of Life

From an early age, we are taught about the cycles of life, thanks to Disney movies. The Lion King not only discusses the cycles of life and death, but does it with nature and spirituality. Mufasa explains to young Simba about the circle of life using the surroundings. From what I remember (its been a while since I have seen the movie, and no longer can quote directly from it) Mufasa explains how the antelope eat the grass, then the lions eat the antelope, and when the lions die, than they become part of the ground and the cycle starts over again with the grass. It is very important to learn about the cycle of life and death. Being exposed to it at a young age helps little kids out with death of family members, pets, rabbits, poor little Bambis that people shoot. Using nature to describe the cycle of life and death helps with younger children as they can relate more to the fantasy and almost make believe side of the animals, as opposed to reality with humans dying. Spirituality also helps explain the cycle. Different religions explain it in different ways. From the ones that I know, I will mention and refer too. Hindus belief that we are reborn as another animal or organisms depending on how we lived our lives. Christians believe that after we die we go to Heaven, where we wait for other loved ones to join us and we all live in an eternity of peace and happiness. Ancient Greeks believed that everyone goes to a place called Hell when they die, then are judged and sent to one of three different places to live for the rest of eternity, the Pits of Tartarus, the Elysian Field, or wait for judgement in the Asphodel Meadows. Some chose to be reborn again, initiating the cycle of life to start over once more. Without nature and spirituality to help explain the cycle of life and death there would be much argument. Norsemen would argue that the cycle ends with Valhalla, others a Heaven like paradise, or an eternal hell like place of torture. Nature is something that everyone agrees on and can teach a unified theory, like in the Lion King, to little children so they understand death better.