SnakeMan (naga); Piercing Fest; Dog Karma

Buddhist mythology is replete with references to Nagas or "snakes" (a.k.a. Reptilians, shape shifters, dragons). Sometimes called Serpent Kings (raja-nagas), other times banned from becoming monks (according to the Vinaya ordination rules applicants must be asked if they're human), one is forced to confront how real these beings are.

While the dispute may continue for some time in the West, already widely accepted throughout the East, this human being may make one question the underlying motive to move from one species to the other.

This is a poignant case because similar thing took place during the Buddha's life. There were Hindu mendicants practicing the severe austerities such as the "Dog Duty Ascetic" (MN 57). That is, they were behaving in every way like canines. When asked if this had any spiritual significance, good or ill, the Buddha replied that this practice was the path to rebirth as a dog.

"Ripley's freaky manimals" (Reuters)

Given that behaving like an animal may well lead to rebirth as that type of animal, these other extremes of self-mortification may cause one to pause. What comes of self-inflicted piercings, lacerations, and other ascetic stunts? They (yogic tapas) were once performed to free the mind or "spirit" from the wicked, debasing body. However, the body is only the servant of the heart. Rather than torturing the servant, the Buddha pointed out that spiritual success came from taming and thereby liberating the heart through restraint, meditation, and insight (sila, samadhi, and panna). As the heart is set free, the body follows.

"Body-piercing for the faithful" (Reuters 9/4/08) -- People from a village in India's eastern Jharkhand pierce their bodies in a bid to please the goddess "Mansa." They believe that by piercing their bodies they will please their goddess who will protect them from snake bites. The festival is called Panchparagana and is celebrated during the rainy season every year.

• Extremes at annual Vegetarian Festival (Phuket, Thailand)
• Karma (behaving like animals leads to rebirth in animal realm)

The Dog Duty Ascetic
Kukkuravatika Sutra (edited excerpt) MN 57

"Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic, Seniya, does what is hard to do: He eats his food when it is thrown on the ground. This dog duty has long been taken up and practiced by him. What will be his destination? What will be his future course [i.e., his rebirth]?"

"Enough, Punna, let it be. Do not ask me that."

But a second and third time Punna, the ox-duty ascetic, asked the Buddha: "Venerable sir, this naked dog-duty ascetic, Seniya...What will be his destination? What will be his future course?"

"Well, Punna, since I cannot dissuade you when I say 'Enough, Punna, let it be. Do not ask me that,' therefore I shall answer you.

"Punna, here someone develops the dog-duty fully and unstintingly, one develops the dog-habit fully and unstintingly, one develops the dog-mind fully and unstintingly, one develops dog-behavior fully and unstintingly. Having done so, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in the company of dogs. But if one's view is something like: 'By this virtue or duty or asceticism or holy life I shall become a (great) god or some (lesser) god' [i.e., a brahma or deva] that is wrong-view in that person's case.

Now there are two destinations for one with wrong-view, I say, the Great Waste [niraya] or the animal womb. So, Punna, if Seniya's dog-duty is perfected, it will lead him to the company of dogs; if it is not, it will lead him to the Great Waste."

Modern dog-duty asceticism? Lee Wen in Singapore (www.foi.sg)