What would the Buddha teach about how to respond if a dog starts hanging around your meditation hut (or wherever), initially seems friendly, but later—without warning—gets into aggressive moods and bites you severely enough that you need stitches?
3 Answers
Suffering is universal. Understanding and compassion are found on the Noble Eightfold Path. Perhaps fence off the meditation hut? Or a leash?
He would not become angry. He would not have become attached to the meditation hut. He would not become defensive and seek to protect the meditation hut.
I think all considerations of positive actions (what SHOULD I do about it then?), in regards to protecting the hut and "it's purpose" and "associated rituals", stem from attachment. None of these purposes and associations really exist outside of the grasping mind.
I think any active proposal to fix anything (other than the attachment) is not related to Buddhism, and should be posted on home improvement (how do I build a fence?)
The quantifier of harm ("so bad that stitches were necessary") is irrelevant here. A hand could have been ripped off. No war can find justification in Buddhism.
Compassion for the situation of the meditation hut "owner" comes as easy or hard as compassion for the dog. Advice and cheering and well wishes for the hut owner to fix the issue comes as easy as well wishing and cheering for the dog to bite people (or do whatever for whatever reason it did what it did).
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1"I think any active proposal to fix anything (other than the attachment) is not related to Buddhism, and should be posted on home improvement (how do I build a fence?)" - it may well be more skillful to build a fence to stop the dog than to only work on attachment. It may even be compassionate to do so - the dog may not understand the boundaries and a fence helps them understandagilgur5– agilgur52025-11-26 02:54:23 +00:00Commented Nov 26 at 2:54
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@agilgur5 I agree, but 'boundaries' is grasping mind / modern psychology irrelevant in Buddhism. If dog was attached to hut and you build fence then you have produced karma. Boundaries is enforcing of mine over yours, not related to BuddhismGondola Spärde– Gondola Spärde2025-11-26 14:53:25 +00:00Commented Nov 26 at 14:53
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If we integrate 'common sense' things into Buddhism we get Myanmar monks expelling Muslims. If we integrate modern psychology into Buddhism then we will suffer from extraordinary circumstances not found in upper class Western environments, since no teaching exists any longer that helps let go fully (boundaries is not letting go)Gondola Spärde– Gondola Spärde2025-11-26 15:02:15 +00:00Commented Nov 26 at 15:02
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"you have produced karma" - but it may be good karma, according to the Noble Eightfold Path (and expelling others, or far worse, may well be bad karma). While letting go may be the ultimate goal, we are currently here, and therefore skillful behavior may be wise - both can be true by dependent origination. Teaching others is also a form of attachment, but one encouraged by Buddha. In the tale of Uruvela Kassapa, Buddha is said to tame a fierce cobra. Certainly the behavior and actions of Buddha must be related to Buddhism, no?agilgur5– agilgur52025-11-26 16:55:10 +00:00Commented Nov 26 at 16:55
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We are talking about what is to be done about a dog that hangs around a property that one calls his own. The undertone is one of reclaiming of what is owned. The desire to safeguard causes suffering. The Buddha explicitly warned of this. In the story that you mentioned, the Buddha uses psychic powers to best a fire spewing, worshipped snake. Fire spewing in Buddhism means spewing hatred and ill will. The Buddha showed the brothers that his is the right way, and that his way is not of hatred and ill will. The Buddha did not show that you should pick fights.Gondola Spärde– Gondola Spärde2025-11-26 20:14:20 +00:00Commented Nov 26 at 20:14
In the context of monks meditating in the forest with snakes and so on, they were told to practice metta.
The article Metta Means Goodwill references AN 4.67.
