What is unique in human compare to animal?

[SarathW]

Scientists now believe that, we evolved and our closest relative Chimpanzee also possess 99% of human genes. This 1% has made a quantum change to human. So what is the real difference between animals and human?

[David N. Snyder]

The capacity to learn and practice the Dhamma.

That's it. The rest is the same; eating, sleeping, sex/seeking pleasure. Moral of the point: practice Dhamma (or some form of spiritual development) or you are no better than an animal.

[SarathW]

[Jason]

Scientists now believe that, we evolved and our closest relative Chimpanzee also possess 99% of human genes. This 1% has made a quantum change to human. So what is the real difference between animals and human?

Well, from a biological point of view, we are animals. But the animal kingdom is extremely variegated, and humans differ from other animals in a variety of ways, one of them being our ability to produce things, especially our means of subsistence (this is actually what Marx thought set us apart from other animals, so it's not really a Buddhist teaching). And, of course, there's our levels of culture and communication, which is another difference.

From the Buddhist point of view, however, humans are in their own realm or category primarily due to their more developed mental faculties. In fact, that's precisely the definition of the Pali term denoting humans, manussa, which means 'those who have an uplifted or developed mind' (mano ussannam etesam).

Psychologically speaking, human beings don't seem to be as constrained by instinct as animals appear to be, which is one of the reasons I think the animal realm is often associated with lower levels of intelligence and self-awareness, as well as rudimentary faculties of volition that don't seem to be as open to being actively developed as ours appear to be. In Theravada, for example, it's held by those who take the teachings on rebirth literally that animals aren't capable of the same level of intention (cetana); as such, they're unable to practice the Dhamma and therefore they must wait until they take rebirth as a more mentally evolved being (e.g., human, deva, etc.).

That said, I personally think that animals can experience the type of 'periodic nibbanas' described by Ajahn Buddhadasa in Nibbana For Everyone, but I'm not sure they have the capacity to achieve the same level of liberation and freedom from suffering that lies at the end of the eightfold path. And even if they do, I doubt we'd ever know it.

[SarathW]

Hi Jason
In regard to making tools and cultural development, I see some animals are better than human! For example I have seen termite houses, higher than six meters. This is amazing in comparison to the size of the termite. I haven’t seen any animal massacre their own kind like human.
In regard to mental development, I may agree with you. I agree that we all are in a separate stage of development. I haven’t attained Arahantship yet. Am I a human or an animal? Buddha is called a super human. I think human is the only animal have the potential to attain Nirvana.

[Jason]

In regard to making tools and cultural development, I see some animals are better than human! For example I have seen termite houses, higher than six meters. This is amazing in comparison to the size of the termite. I haven’t seen any animal massacre their own kind like human.

Sure, termite mounds can be pretty impressive; but skyscrapers and international spaces stations aren't anything to shake a stick at, either. Not too many termite astronauts orbiting the Earth.

As for the rest, we do have a knack for killing our own kind, not to mention every other kind, but animals do their fair share of killing just as we do our fair share of showing love and compassion. I'm not saying that we're necessarily better than other species, just illustrating some of the things that make our species distinct from all the others.

[SarathW]

What about ducks flying over Himalayas even before we invent the aeroplane.

By the way I like your location “earth”. it is very enlightening.
My dream is to see that we all live in this earth as one happy family. (including animals)

[Jason]

My dream is to see that we all live in this earth as one happy family. (including animals)

I'd like to see that, too.

[pegembara]

Humans are not as strong as an elephant, not as fast as a deer, cannot fly like a bird, can't swim like dolphins, can't hear like dogs, can't see in the dark like bats, cannot defend themselves like tigers, can't even survive in the wild without clothing/shelter.

It is the ability to use our intelligence and tools/inventions that set humans apart from other animals. The human mind creates - cars, planes, computers, TV, microphones, submarines, ultrasound, radio, cellphones, satellites. Not to mention art, music, philosophy, nations etc.

I would say it is the human mind and body (eg. ability for fine digital manipulation) that makes human unique.

[pegembara]

Humans are not as strong as an elephant, not as fast as a deer, cannot fly like a bird, can't swim like dolphins, can't hear like dogs, can't see in the dark like bats, cannot defend themselves like tigers, can't even survive in the wild without clothing/shelter.

It is the ability to use our intelligence and tools/inventions that set humans apart from other animals. The human mind creates - cars, planes, computers, TV, microphones, submarines, ultrasound, radio, cellphones, satellites. Not to mention art, music, philosophy, nations etc.

I would say it is the human mind and body (eg. ability for fine digital manipulation) that makes human unique.

[SarathW]

Hi Pegembra
Another 10 years time all those magic inventions will be obsolete!
PS: I am not predicting the end of the world

[Dan74]

Narratives, acute self-awareness, writing and literature, sophisticated culture, science and technology...

[DAWN]

And what is the condition to developement of intelegence?
Thumb.

Some have fins, some have wings, peoples have thumb. It's the only super-skill that have homosapiens - thumb.

[plwk]

What is unique in human compare to animal?

At the moment, a chimp hasn't the literal ability to register on Dhamma Wheel and create a 160 paged thread but of course, the gorillas will contest that metaphorically speaking, humans are not humans all the time literally because at times they are metaphorically chimps too but according to the gibbons, they have direct vision and knowledge that chimps are better humans at times literally but the humans are insisting that the gorillas and gibbons are wrong on that and only they are right... and meanwhile the chimps watches on...