What's an animal to do?

I was reading the abhidhamma today.
Apperantly the animal realm is part of the woefull planes. Above hell but below the realm of hungry ghosts.
It is possible for animals to create good karma and be reborn in a better realm. The reason the animal re alm stands so low is that there is little to no opportunity for bettering ones rebirthing cycle.

If you google for abbhidhama one of the links is for a free downloadable book by bhikku bodhi.

With love

[Tobi]

catsquotl,
How very sad that whoever wrote those words/doctrines had no better awareness....

Have you read the abhidhamma?
I think whoever wrote it was aware enough to describe an awfull lot about the nature of consciousness, reality even without judgement.

The reason the animal realm resides on the woefull plane is because animal life is hard and gives little opportunity to rise above it. Just look at our bio industry. There is no judgement there. Just a description of what is. But look for yourself..

https://store.pariyatti.org/Comprehe...ok_p_4362.html

With love

[Shaunc]

Originally Posted by catsquotl

I was reading the abhidhamma today.
Apperantly the animal realm is part of the woefull planes. Above hell but below the realm of hungry ghosts.
It is possible for animals to create good karma and be reborn in a better realm. The reason the animal re alm stands so low is that there is little to no opportunity for bettering ones rebirthing cycle.

If you google for abbhidhama one of the links is for a free downloadable book by bhikku bodhi.

With love

From time to time my wife and myself take a dozen eggs and any surplus vegetables from the garden we have to the Thai temple for dana, I usually try to remember to dedicate some of the merit to the hens, I hope that it helps them a little bit.

[sky]

How can animals create anything but good Kamma, they do nothing wrong. They just do what animals do without intent...

If I understand the Dhamma correctly it isn't through intent that kamma and rebirth come to be.
It is by the fact that our consciousness gives rise to name and form. Depending on name and form to become conscious. from that our six base senses arise, making contact, contact yielding feelings, feelings giving rise to craving, which is the base cause for clinging, which fosters being. and being results in another birth.

No self, no intentions, just this merry go round of dependend co-arising states.

If I understood correctly that is.
learned it here

[sky]

http://thubtenchodron.org/2011/06/un...-cause-effect/
This is quite a good explaination on Karma.....

Originally Posted by catsquotl

If I understand the Dhamma correctly it isn't through intent that kamma and rebirth come to be.
It is by the fact that our consciousness gives rise to name and form. Depending on name and form to become conscious. from that our six base senses arise, making contact, contact yielding feelings, feelings giving rise to craving, which is the base cause for clinging, which fosters being. and being results in another birth.

No self, no intentions, just this merry go round of dependend co-arising states.

If I understood correctly that is.
learned it here

[Shaunc]

Originally Posted by sky123

How can animals create anything but good Kamma, they do nothing wrong. They just do what animals do without intent...

Hi Sky. We could probably say the same thing about children too but as you know occasionally a small child is bitten by a dog. Someone has to wear the bad karma for this one. After all, you don't get nothing for nothing in this world. I do agree with you that intention is very important but actions also have an effect regardless of the intention involved.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Shaunc

Hi Sky. We could probably say the same thing about children too but as you know occasionally a small child is bitten by a dog. Someone has to wear the bad karma for this one. After all, you don't get nothing for nothing in this world. I do agree with you that intention is very important but actions also have an effect regardless of the intention involved.

In my understanding ( mybe I am wrong ) it is intent/intentional action or ' cetana ' that reaps Kamma.
Regarding animals biting, I don't think they do it with intention to harm, animals usually bite because they feel threatened and biting is just a natural reaction, cause and effect so to speak.
This is just my opinion and how it makes sense to me, it is rather complicated, or mybe I have made it so myself...

Hi Sky,

What else is Kamma but cause and effect.
Impersonal, trancient and dhukka.

I think Kamma is caused by intentional and unintentional behaviour.
All action is based on the conscious or unconscious mind .

One of the fundamental views in Buddhism is the principle of "dependent origination." This states that all phenomena, both subjective experiences and external objects, come into existence in dependence upon causes and conditions; nothing comes into existence uncaused.

Every action/phenomena has been caused and likewise is the cause of another phenomenon. Just that is what Kamma is. No judgement of the action involved. No system in place to see whether the action was intentional or not.

It is with that impartiallity to the cause of suffering that subsequent birth's are certain. The actions that are remembered at the time of death are (unfortunately) often the regrets we have about desire's we still have. Those desire's are what bring forth a new birth..

Pling,, 2cents