Catster

Animals in Buddhism

Kiss dah grrrls- and make dhem- whine

Purred: Wed Dec 3, '08 7:09am PST


	We (Buddhist) believe there are 6 realms of existence one can be born into. From lowest to highest they are: Hell, Hungry Ghost, Animal, Human, Demi-God, and God (God having a different meaning than what most people think of as "God") Anyway, as you see, we animals are in a realm lower than humans. We also believe that the only way our (animal) spirits can move on to the higher realms and eventually become a Buddha is by going to a Buddhist Temple, hearing Dharma (teachings of Buddha) , or smelling incense. (Incense helps to clean the bad karma.) So, one of things my momma does for us every night while we're laying in bed is she chants the mantra "OM MANI PADME HUM" out loud several times for us to hear. She also burns incense a lot. This way, in our next life, we will be born a human and will be able to stive for Buddhahood from there. If you'd like more on the meaning of that mantra, try this web site: http://dharma-haven.org/index.htm Thanks for letting me share this with you!

♥ In Summerland )O(

Missing- You

Purred: Thu Dec 4, '08 5:55am PST


	That is so beautiful! I love exploring other "ancient" beliefs, it always gives me insight on how my beliefs have come about. I am Wiccan/Pagan and believe that animals are already born perfect so they don't get reincarnated. Many times people will ask me if their dog is a reincarnation of another long lost pet. I believe when they go to Summerland it's for good. Humans on the other hand have many lessons to learn and require frequent reincarnations. If, for example, a person was perhaps very arrogant and cruel, they may need to come back as a dog to learn humility as they (dog) find themselves totally dependent on the kindness of their humans. So what about other beliefs?

Kiss dah grrrls- and make dhem- whine

Purred: Thu Dec 4, '08 8:49am PST


	Well, you know, my momma thinks we animals are more perfect than humans too! I think it's more about the suffering that we do. The lower the realm you exist in, the more the pain and suffering - the more pain and suffering you must indure (throughout many lives) in order to advance to the next realm. So, if we animals are given the chance to see a Temple, hear Dharma (or a mantra (prayer) like the one mentioned earlier) or cleanse our karma (such as by inhaling incense) then we will be born a human the next life, and thus, will be able to obtain Buddhahood much sooner and with less suffering. The Buddhist goal is to become a Buddha - to never know pain or suffering again - and to help others to become Buddhas. (Not a "Buddhist" but a "Buddha"!) Buddhas can also come back, in any form, to help us. So momma often wonders how many animals she has know that may have actually been Buddhas there to help or teach her.

Sugar

suggie muffin i- aim to please

Purred: Sun Mar 15, '09 7:57pm PST


	Hi. I just joined, thanks Gwydion. My mum used to practice meditation and that was her favorite one. She needs to get back into her old practices. I think she will be wiser to do so. Happy to be here! Woof Sugar Ray gotta get rid of that easter pic hehee