1. Yes. Skinnerian habit-formation overlaps with Buddhism at a superficial level.
- It is now well established that animal behavior can change drastically. K-9 units of police departments have well-trained dogs, for example.
2. Biological Variation (individual-organismal-differences):
- Lower animals (worms, birds, etc.) hardly change their behavior in specific ways. They all act the same way.
- Higher animals with somewhat developed brains (dogs, chimpanzees, etc.) can be trained to change their gati.
- But, in general, animals cannot change their gati drastically. They live their whole existence within the main types of gati they are born with.
3. However, a human can change their gati drastically. Some live like animals and then are subsequently born in that specific animal realm. Those who engage in vicious acts are likely to be born as lions or tigers. Those who live moral lives and help others are likely to be reborn as humans or Devas. There are many possibilities; see #4 below.
- Humans are easily influenced, especially in the early years. We can clearly see that in society.
- One carries gati to this life from the previous life. Consider a human who has more time in their life at the time of death. They live in the gandhabba state (with only the mental body) until they can enter a ‘suitable womb’ where the gati of the parents are similar to that they had in the previous life with a physical body.
- See, for example, “Buddhist Explanations of Conception, Abortion, and Contraception,” “Cloning and Gandhabba,” “Gati to Bhava to Jāti – Ours to Control,” “Gati and Bhava – Many Varieties.“
4. This is a subject that can be discussed in great detail. See, for example, “Cuti and Marana – Related to Bhava and Jāti.” The following is from that post.
“2. The Buddha divided all existences into five main categories based on predominant gati. The “Gati Sutta (AN 9.68)” lists those five main categories: Hell (niraya), the animal realm (tiracchāna), the hungry ghost realm (peta), humans (manussa), and Deva. Many suttas (including Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) sometimes lump the Devās in the six Deva realms and Brahmās in 20 Brahma realms into one category as Devās.
- When a lifestream is in a specific existence, it will predominantly have the gati associated with that realm. While in the Deva realms, that living being mainly displays “Deva gati.” For example, Devās in the lower six realms still crave sensual pleasures, i.e., kama raga. Brahmās in the higher 20 realms don’t have cravings for sensual pleasures. But neither will engage in akusala kamma during their life as Deva/Brahma.
- A lifestream in a niraya realm will have the gati of a “hell being.” During such an existence, no pleasant thoughts arise; rather, a painful, angry mindset persists. This bhava has dosa (extreme anger/hate) as the base; of course, moha is there, too.
- In the hungry ghost (peta) realm, the mindset (gati) will be that of one constantly in hunger pangs. This gati is based on lobha (extreme greed) and moha.
- The animal realm has “all three defiled gati,” i.e., lobha, dosa, and moha.”
5. More related posts in “Gati, Bhava, and Jāti.”