**Animals** (soul, evolution, heaven, philosophy)

[methylatedghosts]

I thought that the reincarnation from plant to animal to human was just dealing with the spiritual growth of the soul. I thought that Hindus believed everything is Brahman, and the soul is the same, just growing spiritually as it is reborn into different levels of existance, and after building enough karma and such, the soul is reborn as a human and continues progressing. i am probably mixing up like a million diffferent philosophies knowing me. But if this is right, our soul could be reborn into an animal... or is it that they do not believe in souls at all daggnabbit! You've done made me lose more marbles... it's too late... I can't think right...

Don't worry - I've probably got it all wrong as well!!!

[Rolling_Stone]

I think of the soul as the union of material mind and a spirit-fragment of God. I'm also inclined to think, like methylatedghosts, that only humans possess a portion of God and therefore only humans possess a soul. Yet, for me, heaven ain't heaven without dogs.

[methylatedghosts]

Seems we're in a bit of a pickle when trying to work this out, aren't we R_S...?

[Doktormartini]

I do not believe in the concept of a soul but I am a vegan =o)

[Hema]

Originally Posted by Saint Tigeress

I thought that the reincarnation from plant to animal to human was just dealing with the spiritual growth of the soul. I thought that Hindus believed everything is Brahman, and the soul is the same, just growing spiritually as it is reborn into different levels of existance, and after building enough karma and such, the soul is reborn as a human and continues progressing. i am probably mixing up like a million diffferent philosophies knowing me. But if this is right, our soul could be reborn into an animal... or is it that they do not believe in souls at all daggnabbit! You've done made me lose more marbles... it's too late... I can't think right...

Yes, according to Hinduism, souls that were in human bodies can be reborn into animal bodies because in the human birth we have the opportunity to develop our spirituality, become enlightened and break free from the cycle of rebirths. If we waste this opportunity and live like animals, for material means only, then in the next birth we attain a body to suit this mentality.

[CelticRavenwolf]

Originally Posted by Hema

Yes, according to Hinduism, souls that were in human bodies can be reborn into animal bodies because in the human birth we have the opportunity to develop our spirituality, become enlightened and break free from the cycle of rebirths. If we waste this opportunity and live like animals, for material means only, then in the next birth we attain a body to suit this mentality.

I've always wondered: what is the position of Hinduism for those who want to be reborn as animals? Is this something that you have an option on? Say you learned the lesson you were supposed to in this life, do you have a choice in what you do next, or do the gods choose whatever will best suitably teach the new lesson?

[Saint Tigeress]

I'm glad I was on target Hinduism was one of my favorite religions that we covered in my World Religions class... but I still don't trust my memory ya know
Anyway, as I rememeber, a person cannot dictate how their soul is reborn as it is reborn according to the persons spiritual growth/ karma accumulated in life through varying factors. The lower on the evolutionary scale you go, the moreso it is designed as spiritual regression. I.E. A person accumulates loads of bad karma by lets say... committing murder, they are just crappy. Before that person can be reborn as a person agian they must "burn off" that bad karma. They are reborn as a fruit. LOL. After a few hundred centuries being reborn as a fruit/ plant, they get to become an animal... as they have progressed spiritually, and eventually they will be born as a human agian and given another chance to build their good karma.
I don't remember if this is still believed, but I know that at some point this also crossed over into social class. A person born into lower social classes are expected to abide by the rules of their social class, which in of itself builds good karma, and then when they are reborn they will either progress to a higher social class or fall to a lower one. I don't believe Hindus in America still follow this though. This was more a part of Indias older culture I believe...

Hema will hopefully be back to clarify and elaborate...

[jtartar]

Originally Posted by Saint Tigeress

What does everyone think happens to our animal babies after death? Do they have a soul or spirit? Do you think they end up in the same place?

This was a short topic in my philosophy class... but my professor was an arrogant one. I don't remember where he got the basis for his stance... but he said they have no soul. i think it had something to do with Aristotles levels of being or levels of something...

Saint Tigeress,
Consider what the Bible tells us at Ecc 3:18-20, where we are told that the same eventuality will happen to man and animal. They are both made of dust and to dust they will return.
If you get a concordance and look up the Hebrew word used for soul, you will find that both men and animals are called souls.
Notice when God created Adam, at Gen 2:7. Here we are told that God created the man out of the dust, blew into his nostrils the breath of life and the man BECAME a living SOUL. Adam was not given a soul, he BECAME a soul. The Hebrew word for soul is NEPHESH, and is used interchangable for man or beast.
Jesus came to earth to buy back what Adam lost for us, perfect human life. remember that man was created in the image of God and Jesuus came to save imperfect men. Jesus did not give his life for animals, so animals will return to dust, but will not have a chance to be resurrected, 1Tim 2:4-6, Matt 20:28, Eph 1:7, Rom 5:12.
In one way this will be a blessing to people who will live forever on earth, Ps 37:29. When the earth gets comfortably filled children will cease to be born to humans, but we will always have the great pleasure of seeing the little ones of all the animals born, probably throughout all futuure generations.
Many people have had pets, including myself, that we loved just as a person, and we can't bear of never seeing them again. There will be many born that will be similar, that in time we will have our memories dimmed about our dead pets.

[Saint Tigeress]

WOW.

Thank you. And welcome to the forum!!! Fur balls n kissins n lickens galore!

I bet everyone will just luv you!