Animals and karma

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Tongnyid Dorje
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Animals and karma

Post by Tongnyid Dorje »

I had an interesting debate with one of my friends. He was claiming, that according to buddhism, animals do not create karma, because they have no self-awareness. I believe this is nonsense. I am not that much good in sutras, but, can someone give me, please, some quotations from sutras/tantras about this topic? Thanks! :)
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Grigoris
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Re: Animals and karma

Post by Grigoris »

You don't need Sutras/Suttas/Sastras/etc... to prove such a basic misconception wrong. Of course they have self-awareness. Chase an animal in order to club it to death with a flaming brand, see its reaction. Why do you think it runs/flies/crawls away as quickly as possible?
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
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Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Animals and karma

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

The "Wheel of Life" has a realm of animal rebirth. It is part of the cycle of samsaric births. You could Google an image and show him that.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
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Tongnyid Dorje
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Re: Animals and karma

Post by Tongnyid Dorje »

yes, i know. but he asked me for some quotations. i had explained him, how karmic cause is produced (1. intention, 2. action, 3. satisfaction).
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Seishin
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Re: Animals and karma

Post by Seishin »

Although I have no references; I believe the difference is due to animal instinct vs intention. Although I personally believe animals are capable of making free choice, they are for the most bound by their instinct. So if an animal kills out of instinct, there is no or little karma, however if they act out of choice, then there is karma incurred.

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JamyangTashi
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Re: Animals and karma

Post by JamyangTashi »

Tongnyid Dorje wrote:I am not that much good in sutras, but, can someone give me, please, some quotations from sutras/tantras about this topic?
The Jatakas might be a fruitful place to search for this sort of reference, for example:

MAHĀKAPI-JĀTAKA
MAHĀKAPI-JĀTAKA wrote: Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born of a monkey's womb.
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