Perhaps everyone will agree that dogs are the best four-legged friends of man and it is difficult to find a loyal animal. However, from a religious point, everything is not so clear. What place do these animals occupy in different beliefs?
Content
- Собаки в православии 1. Dogs in Orthodoxy
- Собаки в исламе 2. Dogs in Islam
- Собаки в буддизме 3. Dogs in Buddhism
- Собаки в зороастризме 4. Dogs in Zoroastrianism
Dogs in Orthodoxy
According to Christian, including Orthodox, views, all are creatures of God. The great sin is a cruel, derogatory attitude towards any living creature. The indignation of believers against the negative attitude of the church towards dogs and their presence in a person’s dwelling is fully justified.
But even more terrible sins than cruelty are the highest veneration of anyone other than God. However, dogs are often his love, ability to assist and other positive qualities deserve the love of a person, stronger than he feels for his neighbors. Because of these concerns, the church ranked dogs as unclean animals. Many believe that this is due to the excessive sympathy of people for these pets.
Opinions about whether or not to keep dogs in the house, diverge. After all, many clerics do not just live in a dwelling, but are kept in bedrooms. They believe that the Orthodox can live with dogs in the same house, but to put them on a level with children and parents is a real sin.
Despite the prohibition of finding dogs in the walls of the temple, more associated with their unpredictable behavior, the modern church considers dogs to be useful and necessary pets. Today, it is often possible to hear about shelters for stray dogs established on the territory of Orthodox churches. Priests teach children respect for all animals, including dogs.
However, dogs, like other animals, after death can not go to heaven, because only man has the Spirit, a part of God. Orthodox can not pray for their pet, and can only ask for a person who can help in difficult times. You also cannot ask God to take care of the soul of a sick or departed pet, since immortality concerns only the human Spirit.
It will be interesting: the life expectancy of dogs .
Dogs in islam
In this religion, dogs are classified as "unclean". However, such an attitude was not laid in the origins of the belief, but it developed gradually until it became fundamental. In modern Islam, these animals are negatively and sometimes even hostile. It is necessary to clarify that the opinion of the two Islamic movements about the impurity of dogs differ. The Shiites support this view, but the Sunnis do not.
There is an opinion that the attitude to these animals began to change against the background of the conflict of religions - Zoroastrianism and Islam, which took place in antiquity. Then the Muslims seized the territories of the Zoroastrians and began to convert the inhabitants to their faith, naturally destroying the existing cults, including the cult of dogs. Due to the flourishing of intolerance, the idea that dogs are ritual unclean animals appeared. Subsequently, such an opinion about a dog turned into a rooted tradition.
In the Holy Qur'an, dogs are mentioned three times, and each time only in a positive way, but respect for them was eradicated by all means and over time became just a formality. Moreover, this contradicts many Hadiths, indicating that all living beings that the Almighty created, deserve merciful attitude and compassion. In one of the legends of Solomon it is said that for their merits the dog and the horse proved worthy of special mercy - to act as an eternal companion of man, taking second place to people before the Most High Deity.
According to the rules of Sharia, the sale and purchase of any dogs were banned (an exception is made only for greyhounds ), but it is allowed to donate them. The use of these pets is possible only for practical purposes - in hunting, as guards, watchmen, shepherds, and also guides for the blind. Keeping pets for fun is aesthetics or dog fighting, is strictly forbidden, otherwise violators will face a significant reduction in the grace of Allah.
The manifestation of kindness towards four-legged pets is condemned, therefore, animals often do not receive due care from their owners. And those, in turn, explain this by the requirements of faith. A person who has touched a dog will not be allowed to pray until a complete ritual of purification has passed. The Koran clearly indicates respect for these animals, however, most followers of Islam have a different opinion on this matter.
Dogs in buddhism
In Buddhism, there is no concept of the “supreme god”, and followers of this religious trend worship Buddha and believe in the transmigration of the souls of all beings. A person himself, performing bad or good deeds, determines his own karma. After death, a person’s rebirth occurs, and to any creature, or interruption of rebirths is possible.
Buddhists do not exclude the likelihood of further transformation into an animal, therefore they consider cruel treatment to them unacceptable, and the offended will significantly ruin his karma and may be transformed into this animal.
Buddha is often depicted in the environment of various animals, and it is believed that even the most ferocious predators will not be able to harm him. According to the Buddhist faith, animals have the worst karma, but by improving it, they get a chance to go through rebirth and become human. Such a view leads to the fact that many Buddhists become vegetarians.
But theory is a theory, and in fact in countries with a given religion there are a lot of stray dogs, as people often show indifference. They do not offend animals, but do not rush to help them, believing that they themselves are to blame for their bad karma.
See also :
Dogs in zoroastrianism
Probably, this is the only world religion in which dogs are treated exclusively with respect and only positively. The dog was called “a kind creature” and was put on almost the same level with a man; it was considered the second living creature in holiness, after man. And besides, Zoroastrians believed that dogs have a soul.
The Zoroastrians of the period of Antiquity left a rich documentary heritage, reflecting how religion belonged to dogs, and what role they played in the life of the ancient peoples of Iran. These pets were associated with the world of the dead, the highest forces, the progenitors. And their qualities such as courage and vigilance allowed the dogs to become true companions of the followers of Zoroastrianism.
The process of feeding dogs is a ritual act, because Zoroastrians believe that the souls of dead people move to the body of dogs. Therefore, the food that is given to them is actually meant for ancestors. Of course, pets are given all the most delicious and high-quality, in tribute to the souls of departed people.
In one of the religious works painted what should be given to dogs and at what time. In the other, hell’s torments are described, which are waiting for those who don’t feed the dogs and offend them. The dogs are the first to get food from the hands of the eldest family member, and afterwards the whole family starts the meal.
According to faith, dogs not only go through life with a person, but also accompany him after leaving. Dogs entrusted an important mission - to stand guard, fending off otherworldly dark forces. Special vigilance is expected from them during the tribulation hours, when demons can kidnap the soul at the time of its death. Therefore, during the funeral ritual, the four-eyed dog (with white wool, having black spots under the eyes) must constantly be near the body of the deceased, performing a special ceremony - to watch and drive away the special demon - the deva of the corpse.
If death overtakes a woman in childbirth and a child, then two dogs with four eyes are led so that they can watch two souls. Often, a person on his deathbed is dragged by a puppy so that the soul can go into it. In addition, the care of a pet is equal to the care of a person and requires not only attention, but also the same rituals that are used to bury people.
For harming a four-legged pet, a person is severely punished. Even the inappropriate feeding of a dog deserves censure. If the dog is injured during the activities, the damage is compensated by punishment, and for the death of the animal owner is severely beaten with a whip used for horses. If a person kills a dog, then his whole clan is subjected to a curse up to the ninth knee, and after the death the mob of hellish demons are waiting for the killer himself, but no one will come to his aid, since the light forces have turned away from him.
But equality with a person imposes certain requirements on dogs. A dog is also tried and punished if it attacks a person. One bite costs the ear of the dog, the second dog loses its second ear, then the tail goes, the limbs ... If the dog is not corrected, the death penalty awaits her.
Different attitudes towards our four-legged friends largely depend on religious beliefs, however, to help our neighbor and support the weak is not condemned by any religion and is more related to human qualities.