According to Hindu belief, certain humans may reincarnate as animals.
- According to popular belief, being born as an animal is an undesirable reincarnation that occurs as a result of a past severe transgression.
- We are all in essence 'Human Animals' who may or may not choose to regulate, improve and evolve our being, intelligence, and physical/metaphysical existence over this continuum and experience called life, albeit our so proclaimed and self-glorified 'Human Life'.
- One is born as an animal to expiate, or atone for, one's bad actions and Karmic inequities by enduring pain, in many instances by being born as a certain kind of animal hundreds of times.
- Unlike the Jains, who believe that all matter (even stones/inanimate objects/creation) have souls, most Hindus believe that this is only possible for sentient, or fully conscious, creatures, such as animals.
- Many Hindus are vegetarians because they believe animals have souls and that this diet does the least damage to other living beings.
The animal world is seen as a place of retribution by Hindus.
- Being born as an animal is an unpleasant condition from a karmic standpoint, since animal conduct is predominantly dictated by instinct, and therefore animals cannot make a deliberate effort to improve themselves.
- In a more literal sense, animals in India, even the "holy" cow in many instances, have very terrible lives.
- Animal existence, like all other negative karmic situations, will come to an end someday, but only when all of one's crimes, unbridled carnal desires, and mortal sins have been completely expiated.
- Re-birth as an animal is a condition to be avoided because of the pain and lack of control over one's fate.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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