Tibetan Buddhist Lamrim: The Dangers of Lower Rebirth

Is it possible that you could have been born a creature other than a human?

All the major world religions use some form of a carrot-and-stick approach to motivate good behavior.

The carrot is a reward for good behavior, such as going to heaven, gaining favor with God, being reborn in comfortable circumstances, reincarnation in a Pure Land, or escaping the cycle of rebirth entirely.

The stick is a punishment for bad behavior, like going to hell or being reborn as an animal.

These methods have varying degrees of success, based mostly on whether or not someone accepts the beliefs of that religion. If people don’t accept the beliefs, neither the carrot nor the stick have much force.

Historically, religious zealots would kill non-believers, ostensibly to save their souls. Apparently, God needs a worldly stick when the imaginary one doesn’t work.

The value of human life

One of the foundational beliefs in Judaism and Christianity is that humans are created in the image of God…