[Jittananto]

In this sermon, the Bhante explains that animals are capable of committing anantariya kamma. This is correct because in nature we see animals killing and devouring their parents. It is the same thing when an animal kills an arahant. Obviously, this type of action leads the animal to be reborn in the nirayas after its death.

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[Lal]

Jittananto wrote: “In this sermon, the Bhante explains that animals are capable of committing anantariya kamma. This is correct because in nature we see animals killing and devouring their parents.”

That is not correct. Animals cannot generate javana citta to create the necessary javana power to generate anantariya kammic energy. Abhidhamma explains this clearly, but let me try to explain it in simple terms.

The types of cittas that can be generated vary from realm to realm. 

• We have discussed that even anariya Brahmas are inherently incapable of engaging in most akusala kamma since their kama raga anusaya remains hidden during that existence. They do not get the “distorted kama sanna” and thus are indifferent to mind-pleasing sights, tastes, etc. Of course, they do not have physical bodies to experience taste, smell, or body touches (including sex). They also cannot engage in kaya kamma (killing, stealing, etc) because they do not have “dense bodies.” “Brahma bodies” (subtle mental bodies) are generated to experience “distorted jhanic sanna” because they had cultivated anariya jhanas as humans, thinking that “distorted jhanic sanna” is of value.
• In the same way, animals are incapable of generating strong javana citta because their births (and bodies) are designed to experience suffering due to specific akusala kamma.  They cannot engage in accumulating punna or papa kamma with strong kammic energies that can bring rebirth.
• In particular, they cannot engage in anantariya kamma to the “good side” (cultivating jhana/magga phala) or to the “bad side.” 
• One way to understand this is to see that animals have no sense of “wrong views” (just like a newborn human baby.) Both cannot engage in the strongest types of akusala kamma, which are done with wrong views. See “Akusala Citta and Akusala Vipāka Citta.” This is an old post that needs to be expanded. I just revised it a bit for now.
• Primarily, humans are capable of engaging in strong kamma generation on both sides. Only a human can become a Buddha, and only humans who engage in the worst papa kamma (with tanhā, ditthi, māna) to be reborn in the worst apayas.

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Yash RS

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