[lammaredder]

Hello FFD

I also am not in a position to view the video because I do not have the download space at the moment. (I have heard YouTube downloads the whole video as soon as it starts playing).

But I assume it is Ajahn Brahm speaking and trying to explain where all the extra souls come from when there has been such enormous human population growth.

In the Theravada suttas, I cannot recall any teachings about animals being reborn as humans. Whilst such stories exist in the Jataka Fairy Tales for children, these are not the teachings of the Buddha himself.

The Buddha himself was primarily concerned with human beings not thinking & behaving like animals (rather than visa versa).

My advice is to try to take from Ajahn Brahm what you yourself regard has important for you.

There is no need to follow anyone blindly, no matter how kind, wise & inspiring they generally are.

Best wishes

Element



"Bhikkhus, these two bright principles protect the world. What are the two? Shame and fear of wrongdoing. If, bhikkhus, these two bright principles did not protect the world, there would not be discerned respect for mother or maternal aunt or maternal uncle's wife or a teacher's wife or the wives of other honored persons and the world would have fallen into promiscuity, as with goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, dogs and jackals. But as these two bright principles protect the world, there is discerned respect for mother... and the wives of other honored persons."

Lokapala Sutta: The Bright Protectors

"Enough, Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that."

A second time... A third time Punna the ox-duty ascetic asked the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic Seniya does what is hard to do: he eats his food when it is thrown on the ground. That dog duty has long been taken up and practiced by him. What will be his destination? What will be his future course?"

"Well, Punna, since I certainly cannot persuade you when I say 'Enough, Punna, let that be. Do not ask me that,' I shall therefore answer you.

3. "Here, Punna, someone develops the dog duty fully and unstintingly, he develops the dog-habit fully and unstintingly, he develops the dog mind fully and unstintingly, he develops dog behavior fully and unstintingly.

Having done that, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of dogs.

Kukkuravatika Sutta: The Dog-duty Ascetic