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.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica), Gauteng Province, South Africa
Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?
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Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?
My recently moved Blog, containing some of my writings on the Buddha Dhamma, as well as a number of translations from classical Buddhist texts and modern authors, liturgy, etc.: Huifeng's Prajnacara Blog.
Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?
deer with two horns on chest? there's not such thing????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.
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Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?
I think he means the female of the speciesPaulD wrote:deer with two horns on chest? there's not such thing????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.
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Re: Forest dwelling, are the monks concern with wild animals?
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
With Metta
Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha