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Cats,dogs and karma

Posted by Pandora Hinson on July 23, 2016 at 10:31am in Krishna

Hare Krishna

From what I understand, animals do not accrue karma because they are not responsible for their actions. Thus a cat or dog does not get any "bad or good karma". So why are some animals adopted into "good homes" where they are loved and cherished as a "family member" their entire life? Why then do  other cats and dogs end up  suffering so much abuse and neglect?

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Replies

  • Walter Cloud ShaktimanahDasa August 17, 2016 at 9:25am

    An animal body is in and of its self is bad karma and

    human kind are suppose to have little or no karma

    and at least we can take actions that can change it for the better.

    Good Karma for us is retaining this form at least getting into heaven is better

    or going back to the spiritual sky is best.

    But maintaining this human form is the aim of this life not to loose this opportunity.

    although living with animals is a dicey situation because it is a law of Physics that

    it is much easer for a lowdown spirit to pulldown an exalted Spirit that it is for a elevated spirit to lift up a degraded one. Many places in the scriptures proclaim that dogs are not welcome in the heavens? 

     

    • Pandora Hinson > Walter Cloud ShaktimanahDasa August 18, 2016 at 1:00am

      Hare Krishna

      Thanks to all for your comments. I was told at a class at a Hare Krishna Temple many years ago that animals do not incur good or bad karma for their actions because they are controlled by their instincts. I work with "human demons" at my job everyday. After dealing with these hostile people at work, I need to hang out with the animals. I spent my childhood at the local petstore and so I am much more bonded to animals than to humans. I do foster cat care now. My foster cats are helping me in my spiritual life because I am always playing the Srila Prabhupada chanting tape especially  for the foster cats.

  • Jake Jah Rose July 25, 2016 at 6:38pm
    Hare Krishna
    PAMHO

    Why are animals considered not responsible for their actions while humans are? Where is it said in the scriptures that only humans can incur karma? How can an animal with bad karma gain the form of a human life without ever having the chance to correct the bad karma? Or is there no chance for such a soul?

    Thank you

    I have another question that is related. Oftentimes when I see an animal near me I will chant Hare Krishna so that the animal can hear me chanting. By hearing the holy name, even impurely uttered, do these animals gain spiritual benefit? Is this a way that their karma can be cleared, by the mercy of Krishna's name?
    • 3ruf705dlznca > Jake Jah Rose August 17, 2016 at 2:24pm

      All living beings are enlightened when sense the transcendental vibrations of holy name.

      They dont need to have ears to sense it, Jake.

      Despite the enlightens and spiritual purification, living beings will continue their Karma untill they wake their deep love for Lord, or until they firmly  realize they are not this material body.

      Those who are firmly convinced that transcendental soul is just observer in the body, not doer, wont get karma even if he kills all human beings on earth. Thats why those who think they are killed and those who think they killing , are in deep illusion and ignorance.

      SB 11.11.9 — An enlightened person who is free from the contamination of material desire does not consider himself to be the performer of bodily activities; rather, he knows that in all such activities it is only the senses, born of the modes of nature, that are contacting sense objects born of the same modes of nature.
      SB 11.11.10 — An unintelligent person situated within the body created by his previous fruitive activities thinks, “I am the performer of action.” Bewildered by false ego, such a foolish person is therefore bound up by fruitive activities, which are in fact carried out by the modes of nature.
      SB 11.11.11 — An enlightened person fixed in detachment engages his body in lying down, sitting, walking, bathing, seeing, touching, smelling, eating, hearing and so on, but is never entangled by such activities. Indeed, remaining as a witness to all bodily functions, he merely engages his bodily senses with their objects and does not become entangled like an unintelligent person.
      SB 11.11.12-13 — Although the sky, or space, is the resting place of everything, the sky does not mix with anything, nor is it entangled. Similarly, the sun is not at all attached to the water in which it is reflected within innumerable reservoirs, and the mighty wind blowing everywhere is not affected by the innumerable aromas and atmospheres through which it passes. In the same way, a self-realized soul is completely detached from the material body and the material world around it. He is like a person who has awakened and arisen from a dream. With expert vision sharpened by detachment, the self-realized soul cuts all doubts to pieces through knowledge of the self and completely withdraws his consciousness from the expansion of material variety.

      • 3ruf705dlznca > 3ruf705dlznca August 17, 2016 at 4:02pm

        As  already said by Jake, animals do have karma, otherwise they wouldnt get new body after this one.

    • E-Counselor
      Radha Rasamayi DD > Jake Jah Rose July 26, 2016 at 11:49am

      Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

      PAMHO.

      Animal yoni is itself considered a punishment yoni - thats why there is no karma attached to an animal yoni. When that jiva was in human form, it wanted to enjoy what a cat enjoys, thats why it got the body of a cat. Only in the human form of life does jiva have the power to discriminate and choose. Thats why only in the human form of life there is karma building up for every action and inaction.

      Haribol,

      YOur servant,

      Radha Rasamayi DD

    • Pandora Hinson > Jake Jah Rose July 26, 2016 at 2:49am

      Hare Krishna

      Animals are controlled by their instincts. They are not capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. Humans are considered to be "more intelligent" and capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. If I kill a bird, I will suffer "bad karma" because I know it is the wrong thing to do. If a cat kills a bird he doesn't get "bad karma" because he is totally  controlled by his instincts. Animals can make progress by eating prasadam, drinking Ganga water and listening to the Hare Krishna Mantra. So it is good that you are chanting  Hare Krishna to the animals. Yes, they do gain spiritual benefit by the mercy of Krishna's names.

  • E-Counselor
    Radha Rasamayi DD July 25, 2016 at 2:10pm

    Hare KRsna Mataji,

    PAMHO.

    That is because of past karma. While an animal will not incur karma in this birth, when that soul was in human body, he would have done some good karma also to be adopted and pampered in this birth. Similarly, animals who are subject to neglect and abuse are ones who have done exceptionally bad karma when they were in human form of life.

    Since you are so much into pets, I am sure you notice that each cat has its own nature - much like humans. That is also the subtle body which is manifesting even in the cat body.

    I hope you understand.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Radha Rasamayi DD

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