Can animals attack a Noble person?

  • This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 2 years ago by Lal.
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    • #38012
      Yash RS
      Participant

      Since all the animals don’t have a free will, they live like “puppets” of the nature. So will an animal (wild ) attack any noble person? I saw some videos in which some bhikkus were playing with a tiger and the tiger was very calm towards them.

    • #38015
      Lal
      Keymaster

      Getting attacked by an animal is a kamma vipaka. It can happen to even an Arahant.
      – For example, bāhiyo dārucīriya was killed by a cow just after attaining the Arahanthood. See, “Bāhiya Sutta (Ud 1.10)
      – The same thing happened to Pukkusāti: “Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta (MN 140)
      – See the end of the sutta in both cases.

      Also, we remember that Ven. Moggalana was killed by a bunch of people.
      – Thus, as long as one lives with a human body, any kamma vipaka corresponding to the human realm can take place (good or bad).
      – Of course, only a Buddha’s life cannot be taken by anyone. But a Buddha can be injured, as Devadatta did to Buddha Gotama.

      P.S. Cultivating Metta Bhavana can get rid of some such kamma vipaka, but not all.

    • #38018
      Yash RS
      Participant

      So did the cow in the first case commit an anantariya papa kamma?

    • #38021
      Lal
      Keymaster

      Possibly, but not definitive.
      – Animals do things like robots. So, their kamma generation is different. But it requires an Abhidhamma analysis involving what types of citta can be generated by animals.
      – We need to worry about the types of kamma humans can do. A human is capable of doing ALL types of kamma, good and bad.

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