I am happy you have grasped the key ideas regarding “distorted saññā.” I have made some slight changes to the format in your comment to make the points clear.
1. Your conclusion in #1 is correct.
2. Your conclusion in #2 is also correct. Even though suddhāṭṭhaka (atoms and molecules in the language of modern science) would not have “good or bad” qualities, feces made of them would be perceived differently by (the physical bodies of) humans and pigs.
- Kammic energy causes human bodies to produce a “bad smell” for feces because human birth originated from “good kamma.” Furthermore, if a human eats feces, he/she will get sick. The human physical body arises that way due to kammic influence.
- On the other hand, a pig’s body can thrive on eating feces, and a pig likes the smell of feces. That is a manifestation of the “birth matching the gati that led to it.”
3. So, your conclusion in #3 is correct.
- In another example, a lion’s birth is according to “vicious gati.” It is possible that the kamma that led to the birth of a lion was a violent crime like killing another human.
- On the other hand, engaging in moral deeds leads to birth as a human or a Deva. Cultivating (Ariya or anariya) jhana leads to the birth of a Brahma.
- “Bhava and Jati” arise according to “gati“: “Gati to Bhava to Jāti – Ours to Control” and “Gati (Habits/Character) Determine Births – Saṃsappanīya Sutta.”
P.S. I just revised the topic of this thread to “The Connection Between Akusala and Rotten Births.” That matches the discussion better.
