You’re equating not two but three concepts you should distinguish: complexity, respect, and the levels of suffering.
complicated and worthy of basic respect
Complexity is not the thing that makes beings worthy of respect. A chicken certainly has a less complex mind than a dolphin, but both have minds capable of pleasant and painful experiences. And so do I. Therefore, if I want my consciousness to be in nice states, and I believe feeling good is good, I should want that for the chicken and the dolphin too. Nothing to do with their complexity.
Nor is the ladder of suffering anything to do with respect. Some beings are suffering worse than others: for example I knew a girl who had mental illness and also a chronic pain condition in her knee that had her in 10/10 physical pain at all times. She’s obviously experiencing more pain than me, or the happy people I know.
The intensity of suffering varies. You don’t have to deny that in order to deny a hierarchy of ‘respect’.
In order to deny a hierarchy of ‘respect’, you acknowledge that all beings have Buddha-nature, which is to say that consciousness itself is capable of clarity, capable of experiencing joy and pain. And if you accept that anything with consciousness is capable of that, you accept that their happiness is just as important as yours.
In fact, if there were no differentiation of suffering, there would be no reason to act compassionately, as everything is going to suffer equally anyway.
I’m not sure about the chicken brain but being as complex. They are extremely trainable, loyal, and demonstrate complex emotions. Except Rhode Island reds. They’re aggressive AF.
You’re equating not two but three concepts you should distinguish: complexity, respect, and the levels of suffering.
Complexity is not the thing that makes beings worthy of respect. A chicken certainly has a less complex mind than a dolphin, but both have minds capable of pleasant and painful experiences. And so do I. Therefore, if I want my consciousness to be in nice states, and I believe feeling good is good, I should want that for the chicken and the dolphin too. Nothing to do with their complexity.
Nor is the ladder of suffering anything to do with respect. Some beings are suffering worse than others: for example I knew a girl who had mental illness and also a chronic pain condition in her knee that had her in 10/10 physical pain at all times. She’s obviously experiencing more pain than me, or the happy people I know.
The intensity of suffering varies. You don’t have to deny that in order to deny a hierarchy of ‘respect’.
In order to deny a hierarchy of ‘respect’, you acknowledge that all beings have Buddha-nature, which is to say that consciousness itself is capable of clarity, capable of experiencing joy and pain. And if you accept that anything with consciousness is capable of that, you accept that their happiness is just as important as yours.
In fact, if there were no differentiation of suffering, there would be no reason to act compassionately, as everything is going to suffer equally anyway.
I’m not sure about the chicken brain but being as complex. They are extremely trainable, loyal, and demonstrate complex emotions. Except Rhode Island reds. They’re aggressive AF.