Animals and hungry Ghosts – The characteristic emotion of animals is ignorance.

The realm of animals: Animals are not able to reflect on their own situation and to free themselves sustainably from their respective situation with their own strength, therefore they cannot suffer, they only know the pain. They can only follow their urges and instincts and are often helplessly at the mercy of other beings. The characteristic emotion of animals is ignorance.

• Gods
• Demigods
• Humans
• Animals
• Hungry Ghosts

Contemplation - Animals

One time a monk tried to study in a town, but it was too noisy. He went to the temple, but people there were quarreling too much for him. Finally he entered the deep mountain where there was no sound; but even there the birds and animals were too noisy for him and he left. He spent his life wandering in search of the right place to study.

On his way he met a scrawny-looking dog, searching for food. While the dog was crossing a bridge over a little stream, he spotted a delicious looking turtle. He ran and grabbed it in his mouth and ran to the edge of the road to eat up this wonderful meal. But when he tried to chew the turtle he could find no meat, only hard, dried objects.

Wisdom

The dog turned it over this way and that way several times, but could not find the delectable meat he thought would be there. The dog considered, "There seems no other choice but to give up," and he walked away hungry. Now what should that dog have done to eat the turtle?

That monk realized something when he saw the turtle released, for the turtle stuck out his head and entered the water after the dog had gone. Subsequently that monk went back to the mountain and studied there without wandering for the rest of his life.

Yellow Sea is between the white clouds far away. A single castle looks like a thousand foot mountain. How could "other side of the tracks" people begrudge the other side of the tracks? Spring sunshine hasn't reached the front entrance of Hell's gate. (Korean patriarch zen master Hye Am)

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