Controlling or manipulating another's mind\body.

[Individual]

An example from National Geographic: The fire ant has a new predator. A rare species of fly kills fire ants by impregnating its brain with its children. The maggots then take control of the ant's behavior while feeding on its brains, eventually hatching into flies (during which, its host obviously dies).

Now, two questions:

#1. From a classic Theravadin point-of-view, would these two creatures be regarded as sentient beings?
#2. If yes, then what is being controlled or manipulated by the fly? The ant's entire set of Five Aggregates or merely some of them?

The above is merely just an example, though... What I'm getting at is the broader question: In what ways can one being influence another's aggregates or kamma?

[cooran]

Hello Individual,

Interesting article.

But what is it that you are asking, using the fireants as an example?

Kamma is Intentional Action. The fireant has no 'intention' if his brain is eaten out or he is influenced by chemicals the larva of the fly exude.

metta
Chris

[Individual]

Hello Individual,

Interesting article.

But what is it that you are asking, using the fireants as an example?

I tried to be concise. My main question is the last sentence of the post and it ties in with the thread title.

To phrase it in a different way that is perhaps more clear: In what way does Kamma Niyama overlap with the other Niyamas?

[gavesako]

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai ... esses.html

Consciousnesses
by
Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo

[Individual]

Thank you, Ven. Gavesako. I'll take a look.

EDIT:

Very interesting article!

But it creates more questions... Is Ven. Dhammadharo speaking from a traditional POV? Are these "consciousnesses" he mentions actual beings?

[gavesako]

The Thais use the word "vinyaan" a bit differently than the Pali vinnana: they often mean a kind of disembodied ghost that is floating around. So one has to bear that in mind when reading his talk.