Question:

We are different from animals because we are given the ability to differentiate. Then what happens to pets like dogs and cats? Especially, dogs who go through training, and some dogs are trained to sniff things and fight crime, or people who have pets and the dog protects them, what happens to the soul of such dog? Do they get to be humans in the next life?

Answer:

Maybe yes in case that is the strongest impression in the dogs mind & maybe not, if it has some other stronger impression! Gahana Karmanogati – unfathomable are the ways of karma! It is too deep and complicated to know everything about Karma, therefore Lord Krishna said that one must let go beyond a point!

Question:

Do animals have karma? A lion or tiger or a carnivorous animal, kills other animals because that is their a source of food. does this mean that they have karma of killing animal? and how this becomes sanchita karma?

Answer:

Karma’s are not caused out of the action that an animal [or human] does. Karmas are caused by the attachment/emotion associated with the action or thought. Yes, animals create their strongest Karma impressions from the emotion of fear. Like we discussed in the session, rat is afraid of cat so it is born as a cat. This rebirth as a cat happened because of its strongest impression of fear. These impressions of fear collect into the Karma bank and become the animals Sanchita karma. Got it?