Animals depend on their innate instincts for survival. These instincts, or traits are similar to greed, arrogance, and self love. These instincts provide each species the ability to survive. You will never see one species befriending another species in nature. In nature, an animal because of these traits will attack and kill an animal from another species. It becomes the survival of the fittest. In this type of existence, life is short, full of danger and suffering. Selfishness is required for the species to survive. The weak often die out and become extinct. These traits serve a purpose.

But man does not have to be like an animal. We have the unique ability to reason. We can reason to share our earthly possessions. When we accumulate the dust of greed, arrogance, and self-love, we tend to separate our connection with God, and think or behave from the perspective of the self, like the animal. When this occurs, we see deceit, robbery, violence, killings and other transgressions against mankind. We become like an animal in nature.

In the Book of Prophecy (Ofudesaki), God warns us that if we accumulate too much debt, we may be reborn as oxen and horses in our next lives. Debt refers to the accumulation of excess greed, arrogance, and self-love.

If you let your debts pile up,

a path of oxen and horses will finally appear. 8-54

It is befitting that one’s soul returns to a mind that relies on instinct (greed, arrogance, and self love) for its survival.