Life, Death and Ancestors
Will a pet definitely be reborn as a human after deliverance rites?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Not necessarily. Deliverance rites for a pet express the hope that it will leave suffering behind, find happiness, and have an opportunity to leave the animal realm. Where it goes afterward still depends on its cultivation over successive lifetimes and the conditions and connections of this life.
Dao Xuan and I have discussed how some may be reborn as humans, while others may first follow a Bodhisattva to another world to continue practicing and accumulating merit. This is how we understand possible directions after deliverance through our faith. It does not mean every pet has only one path.
In our understanding, leaving the physical body means continuing onward in a different identity. There are still things to learn and do; going to another world does not mean there is nothing left to do. During deliverance rites, we therefore pray for deities and Buddhas to guide the pet toward a better direction. We cannot predetermine the next life of every pet.