Human realm and Human evolution from animals theory

[Rahula]

Hi,
Science seems to have evidence for the evolution theory.
There are skulls found showing evolution evidence. It shows that humans were evolved from Apes.

Those Apes belongs to the animal realm according to Buddhism, and humans belongs to human realm.

According to Buddhism, theory of evolution cannot be true as animals and humans live in two different realms.
Animals have to die and reborn in human realm, they can't just transform or evolved to be a human.

But hard scientific evidence proves otherwise.
I'm puzzlesd, please help me understand this.

Thanks

[befriend]

I wouldn't waste your energy on themes like this.

[Eharp]

If there are no humans, then you are reborn in whatever realms are available including animal. 31 realms of existence. We move through the various realms endlessly. uncountable big bangs and big crunches, uncountable evolution of life. We can be reborn in the animal realm and from there move up to the human realm.

Evolution is a fact. Just a quick look at our DNA puts all that to rest. In fact we share 40% of our DNA with wheat indicating that all life, animal and vegetable sprang from a common source.

Anyway, that is the way I perceive and understand it. Your thoughts may differ.

[KathyLauren]

The realms are obviously not physical locations, since we share the same physical location with the animals. Animals (the apes at least, and to a certain extent, all mammals) have similar anatomy to us, indicating that the realms are not about anatomy. So they must refer to mental states.

A creature with a sufficiently advanced mental state to understand the Four Noble Truths, for example, and other Dhamma teachings, would be in the human realm, whether they lived on planet Earth or were a little green man from Mars.

Kathy

[dharmacorps]

I wouldn't waste your energy on themes like this.

Good advice. Taxonomies are conventions and they differ. Science can tell about physical bodies from bones, but that's about it. Our spiritual potential is what matters and is what the Buddha talked about.

[seeker242]

According to Buddhism, theory of evolution cannot be true as animals and humans live in two different realms.
Animals have to die and reborn in human realm, they can't just transform or evolved to be a human.

It can be true because animals did not evolve into humans in a single lifetime. The theory of evolution does not say that animals just transformed into humans without dying and
being born.

[DNS]

Most Buddhists have no problem or issue with the truth of biological evolution. According to rebirth, one can be born a human and an animal in a later, future life or vice versa. We have that 'spiritual' connection via rebirth, therefore, it's perfectly compatible with the biological reality.

See also: https://www.buddhisma2z.com/content.php?id=131

One of the biggest misconceptions about evolution is that apes and monkeys are supposedly transitioning into humans. A chimpanzee doesn't 'become' and transition to a human. We share common ancestors with that species. We share a recent history* with them through common ancestors, on the primate family tree.

*recent history, geologically speaking, perhaps around 10 to 30 million years ago.

[Bodhidhamma]

One of the biggest misconceptions about evolution is that apes and monkeys are supposedly transitioning into humans. A chimpanzee doesn't 'become' and transition to a human. We share common ancestors with that species. We share a recent history* with them through common ancestors....

And the common ancestor from which both chimpanzees and humans evolved, was a species of ape, a species no longer extant.

[justindesilva]

One of the biggest misconceptions about evolution is that apes and monkeys are supposedly transitioning into humans. A chimpanzee doesn't 'become' and transition to a human. We share common ancestors with that species. We share a recent history* with them through common ancestors....

And the common ancestor from which both chimpanzees and humans evolved, was a species of ape, a species no longer extant.

The evolution of man is not physiological but is psychological with avidya or deluded mind as the main factor. Agganna sutta explains how lobha dosa moha reverts a being in to difficulty environmentally and evolutionarily.

[Bundokji]

The OP seems to be equating visibility with "realm" (i.e if we can know animals experimentally, then they are in the same realm and cannot be in another realm). Before we discover bacteria, were they in a different realm? Same thing can be said about gods in higher realms, some practitioners might have psychic abilities to have direct contact with them. What differentiates animals from humans is the human advanced ability to use tools to increase the range of sensual knowledge. All of the human technology is based on that, and new areas and aspects of the world have been revealed through that, but still, depending on the sense. This primacy of the senses translates kamma loka into "sensual realm".

What could be learned from other animals though is their relatively advanced ability to use "instincts" without much reliance on tools and abstract thinking. Some theories would say that certain abilities/skills and even organs might be weakened if not being used for many generations, but they do not disappear altogether. The appendix in the human body is often provided as an example.

The realms exist in time, and in time there is potentiality.

[justindesilva]

The OP seems to be equating visibility with "realm" (i.e if we can know animals experimentally, then they are in the same realm and cannot be in another realm). Before we discover bacteria, were they in a different realm? Same thing can be said about gods in higher realms, some practitioners might have psychic abilities to have direct contact with them. What differentiates animals from humans is the human advanced ability to use tools to increase the range of sensual knowledge. All of the human technology is based on that, and new areas and aspects of the world have been revealed through that, but still, depending on the sense. This primacy of the senses translates kamma loka into "sensual realm".

What could be learned from other animals though is their relatively advanced ability to use "instincts" without much reliance on tools and abstract thinking. Some theories would say that certain abilities/skills and even organs might be weakened if not being used for many generations, but they do not disappear altogether. The appendix in the human body is often provided as an example.

The realms exist in time, and in time there is potentiality.

Gods , demigods or sura , humans , asuras ,animals , hungry ghosts or peta , and spirits of hell are categorized to be in seperate realms according to texts. One may see explanation
per wikipedia . These occur depending on delusion of minds of lobha dosa moha or level of avidya. A realm is a bhava as I believe . All these can exist on the earth where we live too.

[Bundokji]

Gods , demigods or sura , humans , asuras ,animals , hungry ghosts or peta , and spirits of hell are categorized to be in seperate realms according to texts. One may see explanation
per wikipedia . These occur depending on delusion of minds of lobha dosa moha or level of avidya. A realm is a bhava as I believe . All these can exist on the earth where we live too.

Yes, a realm is a bhava also according to my understanding, but i am not sure what to make of the delusion part that you mentioned. I remember one of the stories Ajahn Jayasaro said about Ajahn Chah is how he was going to give Dhamma talk to the monks in the forest and how certain gods began to make/cause some strange phenomena (i do not remember the details). Ajahn Chah asked the monks not to pay attention to it. bMetta sutta is meant to be a protection for the monks who dwell in the forest from such strange phenomenas.

[justindesilva]

Gods , demigods or sura , humans , asuras ,animals , hungry ghosts or peta , and spirits of hell are categorized to be in seperate realms according to texts. One may see explanation
per wikipedia . These occur depending on delusion of minds of lobha dosa moha or level of avidya. A realm is a bhava as I believe . All these can exist on the earth where we live too.

Yes, a realm is a bhava also according to my understanding, but i am not sure what to make of the delusion part that you mentioned. I remember one of the stories Ajahn Jayasaro said about Ajahn Chah is how he was going to give Dhamma talk to the monks in the forest and how certain gods began to make/cause some strange phenomena (i do not remember the details). Ajahn Chah asked the monks not to pay attention to it. bMetta sutta is meant to be a protection for the monks who dwell in the forest from such strange phenomenas.

If we are talking about undeluded deities , then there are some deities with delusion because of their wrong views about damma.
They are called devas with micca dhitti though they had been of good lliving with meritable acts.
..

[Rahula]

Thanks for all your answers.
Suddenly I remembered following and stoped thinking about this.

"Conjecture about the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.

Acintita Sutta: Unconjecturable

[rekoW]

According to Buddhism, theory of evolution cannot be true as animals and humans live in two different realms.

The animals who kept looking around to help other animals evolved longer necks and eventually stood up because they were looking to help other animals. The animals doing good karma evolved into humans.