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I like it better than the last one

It's good, but I don't see the need with the discussion thread

It's not going to go anywhere good, just lock it now.

[4maskwolf]

This... isn't locked yet.

*Applauds slowly*

Keep up the good work, everyone, and remember, remain civil to each other.

[MonkeyHead]

I think in Hinduism you can reincarnate as a cow or other animals

IIRC, in Hinduism there is some kind of hierarchy - the belief is that when you reincarnate, you move up or down one or more levels or stay on your current level depending on how well you lived. So, one can advance from a bacterium to a fly to a rat to a cow to a human and then advance through the castes until living a perfect life, getting off the wheel and attaining eternal bliss, or some such. Or, live like an ass, and end up demoted to a tapeworm, or some such. It is an interesting "control" mechanism, and quite different from the Abrahamic concepts of heaven, hell and purgatory

[TD1]

It begs the question, though, why animals are seen as lesser forms of life, and therefore it's a punishment to be one. Each species has traits that separate it from the herd, so to speak. Ours happens to be thumbs and the intelligence to use them.

Suppose I'm asking what's so special about humanity? Yes, you can say we're superior because of our intelligence...but for all we know, Dophins think the same about other forms of life.

[MonkeyHead]

I suppose a Hindu would consider humanity to be superior for no other reason than they are the ones who get to decide such things.

... and curse you, you make me want to quote both Douglas Adams and Ernie Cline.

[TD1]

Douglas Adams I understand, but who's Ernie Cline?

[Arcvasti]

It begs the question, though, why animals are seen as lesser forms of life, and therefore it's a punishment to be one. Each species has traits that separate it from the herd, so to speak. Ours happens to be thumbs and the intelligence to use them.

Which lets you do all sorts of cool stuff. Like masturbation

Seriously though, those are useful enough to justify our biological superiority. Moralistic superiority is iffier, but I'd say being a human is more of a reward then say, an ant. Although I wouldn't mind being some other mammals, because they're neat. Dolphins FTW!

[MonkeyHead]

Douglas Adams I understand, but who's Ernie Cline?

He made this.

[TD1]

It begs the question, though, why animals are seen as lesser forms of life, and therefore it's a punishment to be one. Each species has traits that separate it from the herd, so to speak. Ours happens to be thumbs and the intelligence to use them.

Which lets you do all sorts of cool stuff. Like masturbation

Seriously though, those are useful enough to justify our biological superiority. Moralistic superiority is iffier, but I'd say being a human is more of a reward then say, an ant. Although I wouldn't mind being some other mammals, because they're neat. Dolphins FTW!

Says the human. That ant is perfectly happy with its existence, and will fight to keep it. It knows nothing greater, and in its existence the most important thing of all is itself. Humans? Walking flesh bags. The real universe is within.

[scrdest]

It begs the question, though, why animals are seen as lesser forms of life, and therefore it's a punishment to be one. Each species has traits that separate it from the herd, so to speak. Ours happens to be thumbs and the intelligence to use them.

Which lets you do all sorts of cool stuff. Like masturbation

Seriously though, those are useful enough to justify our biological superiority. Moralistic superiority is iffier, but I'd say being a human is more of a reward then say, an ant. Although I wouldn't mind being some other mammals, because they're neat. Dolphins FTW!

Seriously, if you want to be a rape-and-murder-for-fun, aquatic psycho mammal, a rebreather is the easiest way to go about it.

[Frumple]

At this point, it would probably be the better idea to wait for a practitioner to join in and answer, or at least someone that actually has some vague idea of what they're talking about and isn't just making WAGs in regards to the hindu perspective.

My own WAG would probably be that intelligence actually has a lot to do with it. You have to be able to understand the illusion to step beyond it and whatnot, or at least be aware of your own lack of awareness. And beyond that, most of the greater expressions of the brahman (i.e. the gods) are largely human in shape. It's reasonable enough to assume that those things which are closest to the greater manifestations known are higher truths. Doesn't preclude the possibility of higher entities above the known gods that are animal-shaped and whatnot, nor does it preclude the possibility that our own perception of the truth has colored our perception of the higher entities, but the brahman doesn't really preclude much of anything, technically, so far as I know.

Really, when it comes right down to it, humans are the only species I'm aware of that can actually dance. There's plenty of mating and territorial displays out there, but to dance just to dance... that's pretty much ours and ours alone. If anything puts us closer to the hindu conceptualization of the gods, it's probably that.

[Cryxis, Prince of Doom]

It begs the question, though, why animals are seen as lesser forms of life, and therefore it's a punishment to be one. Each species has traits that separate it from the herd, so to speak. Ours happens to be thumbs and the intelligence to use them.

Suppose I'm asking what's so special about humanity? Yes, you can say we're superior because of our intelligence...but for all we know, Dophins think the same about other forms of life.

Acctually IIRC reincarnating into a cow is the step before getting out of the wheele

[TD1]

Ohh, is that why Indians think Cows are holy? (Not sure if it's holy, or just respected..?

Wel, damn. I've been tending to my however many great grandparents' souls, and herding them into the slaughter house.

Whoops.

[Cryxis, Prince of Doom]

I'm not sure but the big reason is that the cows could be other people, that's why they don't eat them and treat them so well

[MrWiggles]

Huh. I hadn't consider that the Inns/Tavern system would also probably the under lying frame work for things like a Mayor's Office, Mayor's Home as something under this system.

Its just one of those things, where the community tended to view, that kind of change, as something small and shouldn't have been done years ago. If it was done earlier, it would have been replacing one place holder with another.

[Magistrum]

When I first saw this thread I thought temples were already released and this thread was some science on how they work...
By the way, I can answer a thing or two about bible related stuff, but I'm not affiliated to any church as of now, I just read the whole damn thing twice over, I think I can be of help.