Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?

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Paññāsikhara
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Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?

Post by Paññāsikhara »

I've known a few monks who are quite fearless in the face of snakes, and that includes some really poisonous ones too. In particular, one young Thai bhikkhu that I knew: When snakes would come into the seminary compound in Taiwan, he would just go and pick them up, and take them out again. I also have my own little story, when I removed a rather small looking snake from the Vihara. Only after taking it outside and showing it to someone else, was I informed that it was a spitting cobra (a "rinkel", as identified by the black and white "ring" markings around the hood). About two months before, a larger spitting cobra had attacked a dog in the area, nearly blinding it (they spit venom into the eyes, first). I wasn't afraid at the time, and the snake didn't seem aggressive toward me either. Animals, including snakes, are living beings too. We should be kind to them, and not hurt them. :heart:

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Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica), Gauteng Province, South Africa
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PaulD
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Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:40 am

Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?

Post by PaulD »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:The most dangerous one is the deer with two horns on its chest. If a monk practises metta they tend to be attractive to these two-horned deer, and monks can be killed or seriously injured if they let them get too close.
deer with two horns on chest? there's not such thing????
fabianfred
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Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:06 am

Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?

Post by fabianfred »

PaulD wrote:
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:The most dangerous one is the deer with two horns on its chest. If a monk practises metta they tend to be attractive to these two-horned deer, and monks can be killed or seriously injured if they let them get too close.
deer with two horns on chest? there's not such thing????
I think he means the female of the species :anjali:
rowyourboat
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Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?

Post by rowyourboat »

I heard of one monk in the jungles of Sri Lanka who had a snake crawling into his lap while doing sitting meditation! fortunately it slithered away without getting too snug :tongue:
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