For the most part, the animal realm of rebirth, like that of the hell realms, is considered low, base, ignorant, undesirable in every way in Buddhism and Hinduism.
This, however, is where my personal philosophies depart more strongly from the Buddhadharma and are influenced by Native American philosophical systems, many of which through legend and narrative indicate animals in a place of wholeness and wisdom, and human beings at a deficit, confused and self destructive. I must say the evidence that most every other species on the planet is able to live harmoniously within their environment and respective ecosystem, without taking or killing more that is needed to survive, with the wisdom that they are but part of a greater sphere.
I would refrain from reciting certain lines when I was practicing with a Gelugpa group last year. We would repeat lines together, on of which explaining the harm of being reborn in the ignorant realms of animals, but I took offense to this line. I did not think animals were more ignorant than humans on all levels. Many human actions are so shallow and shortsighted, while many animals seem honed by qualities of innate wisdom and reflect balanced lives, undistracted by needless suffering and flashy technology, they do not appear to commit genocide, or rarely kill or cause harm without reason and mainly to serve needs of survival.
I think the term monkey mind is outdated and ignorant in itself. I don't think it fits the condition which it intends to describe, fully, and after reading into the Daoist texts and drawing my own conclusions I find it inept at assessing human deficiencies. Perhaps more apt would be "ADHD Teen Mind" or "Crack Fiend Mind" or ......?
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