Animals Help Us to be Better Humans…..
What makes us great humans is not how much we can hurt others, but how much we can help others.
What makes us kind humans is not how we take care of ourselves, but how we take care of others.
What makes us good humans is not how we abuse animals, but how much we allow them to live and be happy freely.
How much we exploit animals makes us harder, colder, more cruel. If we can ignore and overlook the pain that animals so obviously experience when we hurt them, it means that we have become more cold. Being cold is a temporary escape. Why indulge in temporary methods when it will bring even more problems?
The colder we become, the more lonely and isolated. The more isolated we make ourselves the more we begin to hurt the people we love around us and eventually ourselves. Cruel acts make you unwanted, hated, and avoided. You don’t deserve that. So don’t create the causes for that. Heal yourself by healing others. That works and it’s a long term solution.
The numbness we have ‘developed’ in hurting animals makes us inhuman. How can anyone ignore pain, strife, grief and fear in another living sentient being? How can anyone give those feelings to another living creature and enjoy? To enjoy that is to become inhuman and inviting pain for yourself.
Hunting, killing, beating, abusing, hurting animals is not a sport nor a need, but an ugly act that makes us become colder and unfeeling humans. That couldn’t benefit anyone. Why do things that are harmful because harm can never take away the anger you feel. It can never take away the lack of self-esteem you have. It can never give you a sense of power that is a true quality.
Love others, love animals and love the environment. Do not hurt anyone or anything because by doing that, you never get rid of the pain you feel. You shouldn’t have any pain. Start your healing by being genuinely kind to others. Start no matter what. It is hard at first, but what isn’t? When you generate a kindness in your heart, everyone will feel it, even the animals that we think are just dumb mute brutes which they are not. Everyone including YOURSELF need kindness….start today and don’t stop….Join or start a animal shelter, rescue centre. Help the homeless…go all the way. Create awareness for endangered species. Speak up for the abused. Find a cause that benefits others and GO ALL THE WAY!! IT WILL BE FINE…TRUST.
It will be hard work, but in the process, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF AND HELP MANY TO FIND THEMSELVES….WHO ARE YOU REALLY? You are a kind, loving, good person deep down inside, just manifest it NOW!!!!!!!!
Tsem Rinpoche
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I agree with title of the article “Animals Help Us to be Better Humans” as I have observed and watched on internet that these beings are far more compassionate and awareness than humans. We can’t denied our fault of ignorance but indeed it turn out they are the true heroes behind every end of disaster or incidents. Some even risk their lives to safe others. Isn’t they are not worth to be respect or they are just being an animal or pet?
To be loved, firstly need to love yourself, if not you can’t love others. Start cultivating yourself to be compassionate by adopting an animal. I think this is good way to train ourselves to be loving, kind, patience, generous and responsible. With these positive attitudes to treat animals, we definite manifest to be better. Sometimes I feel pain on my pet for wondering the karma of its’ previous life that lead her to be born as animal. I will always make dedications and blessing for her future rebirth.
Thank you, Rinpoche for sharing your thought. 🙏🙏🙏
The way Rinpoche wrote it almost like a poem. A note, a reminder, a wake up call to humanity.
Animal is not a lesser being than humans in any way, shape or form. In fact, we should take care of them, live with them harmoniously and be there for them. ♥
Thank you Rinpoche
Animals help us to become a better person because when we love and care for an animal, we might not get anything back in return, we have to give unconditionally. Besides, since animals don’t speak our language, we have to observe their behaviours to understand what they need. As we care for animals, we develop kindness and care, we will naturally apply it on human too.
Not harming people does not make us a good person. To be a good person, we have to do more than not harming people, we have to always bring benefit to others, to help others.
Animals can make us better in two primary ways: They can make us feel better, and they can make us aspire to improve ourselves. The former comes naturally and without action on our part. But the latter requires effort. What we receive from our companion animals, in the form of positive energy, can occur simply by being in the presence of our pets. Walk in the door of your home after even one hour’s absence, and a dog will greet you as if you’ve been gone for a decade. But acting more like a dog in this regard requires self-motivation and practice.
Perhaps a greater and more useful perspective lies not in how we see animals, but how our animal friends see us. We can and must aspire to be the people our pets think we are. How can we be more like our pets? Simply observe, learn and act. Here are a handful of ideas, inspired by animals, of both the domesticated kind and those in the wild.
1. Animals teach us mindfulness
2. Animals bring out our true selves
3. Animals remind us about the importance of compassion
4. Animals open up our hearts and help us heal
Most dog lovers would not be able to eat dog meat nor will they abuse dogs. The same goes for cat lovers towards cats, etc. This is just one example how animals can help us become a better human. When we defend and speak out for the voiceless, we develop care. When we cannot see animals’ suffering, we develop compassion.
Although not all dog lovers or cat lovers, etc. can rightfully claim they are animal lovers, any activists are better than none. We can only hope people can extend this kindness to ALL animals one day.
What makes human great are the marvellous acts we create through the combination of intelligence and compassion for others who are voiceless, helpless and who are under our care and responsibility. When we exploit animals and others, we are effectively stripping away our humane ability, and let ourselves become cold.
We must continue to let the love and compassion in us grow. Therefore we must continue to spread love and compassion by creating awareness against harm to animals, as well as by caring for people around us. Thank you, Rinpoche, for this sharing.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderfully stirring post. Yes, we become better humans through learning to be kind and caring for others and learning to love all without borders, as well as learning to care for and love our environment.Humans were never meant to be unfeeling and unkind for whatever reason or motive.
Whatever pain, hurt or anger that has developed inside us will never be assuaged by lashing out in unkindness and cruelty towards others. Instead, we need to start the real healing by being kind to others, including animals and beings who are helpless and who cannot communicate their feelings and their pain to us.
Start generating kindness to others.Join or start an animal shelter, help the homeless, create awareness of endangered species, create awareness against killing of animals for whatever reasons,speak up for the abused. Find a cause. Go all the way. Or just find something to do to show you care. In this way, we will heal and find our way back to the good, kind, loving person we are deep inside of us. START NOW!SHOW YOU CARE!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing with us .Its compassion and kindness to be a better person.Do not harm and kill animals….love them like they are one of us. If we help ,love and care for them they will love us too in way.It would be wonderful if we can create awareness for endangered species, start a animal shelter and rescue centre or maybe help the homeless.
Thanks Rinpoche for your teaching about kindness,love ,care and compassion.
Let us remember that animals are not mere resources for human consumption. They are splendid beings in their own right, who have evolved alongside us as co-inheritors of all the beauty and abundance of life on this planet..Besides love and sympathy, animals exhibit other qualities connected with the social instincts which in us would be called moral.. we have lot to from animals.. thank you Rinpoche for the article
It is easier to develop compassion and care for beings that are at a disadvantage to us than beings that are more developed and has an advantage over us. As humans we have a much greater potential than animals to learn and grow. Being in an animal is existence that is afflicted by ignorance; the very cause that brought about an animal existence in the first place.
Being kind to animals and not eating them & acknowledging their sufferings and pain starts us on the route to become a kinder person , a more compassionate being and eventually start generating Bodhichitta
Don’t always think is the animals need human more than human need them. Actually animals especially pets like dogs, cats and birds help human being to be a better person, a more caring and loving person.
When we start to stop eating meat and become a vegetarian, we rather “sacrifice” satisfying our tastebuds for saving another being’s life.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing with us and continue remind us on kindness especially to animals, I fully agree animals do have feeling they do not like to be hurt they also has fear like us all being like to be love and be care no one like to be hurt so why hurt them the worst us torture them like boiled and burn them this is so bad and cruel, I wish one day we Kecharian can have our own animal Santuary that we be able to help more animals.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this simple logic in creating peace and happiness in our lives. Yet, our ignorant minds are so deluded by the self cherishing and ego pursuit that we just ignore that simple fact and logic.
Humbly yours,
_/\_
Lum Kok Luen
That is completely true. If we help and care for animals and others, we can truly be human. The definition of human has changed because on todays modern world, humans are wasting resources and lives for temporary indulgences that they like. That is a bit silly, because the definition of human has changed to a killer beast that kills and destroys without remorse. But just like the indulgences, that can be temporary. So we must make a new definition and a good one. That we will make permanent.
We need to be kind creatures to each other and other animals like us. Because no matter how you think of it, we are all earthlings and we share our one and only home. So we keep on killing our mother earth and her other children. What will happen in the future? There will be no more mother earth and no more children and that includes us.
We are cruel creatures and that has to change. So many animals have gone extinct in such a short time. So many. People say that in the last 40 years the earth has lost 40% of its wildlife. We should all change.
Thank you Rinpoche for posting the teachings about compassion, kindness, care and love towards animals. The short and direct teachings and advice are adequate to remind me to help and save more animals who need our assistance to lessen their pain and sufferings.
Fantastic words! I love this very much…Tsem Rinpoche’s elegant words of simple kindness. Very inspiring. I have suffered so much before and I continue to suffer and create the causes for suffering… May I stop creating those causes.
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Dear Rinpoche, I really cannot take it when people says that people who eats god and cat meat are no less than an animal. What they never think about is what about the feelings of others animals? We always ignore when people kills other animals such as fishes, chickens, cows and etc. What we think and say depends on how we see it. They never show you how they torture and kill the animals. They are all the same except that they are in different bodies. Does it really matter that what animals are we eating ?For me , it’s more important to respect all anomald that repecting and nothing for the others.There is no single animal this world that is made for us to eat. And I really wished that one day, I can just wake up in a world that doesn’t eat or hurt any animals, not even any dairy products. Thank you for reading.
Dear Rinpoche, I really cannot take it when people says that people who eats god and cat meat are no less than an animal. What they never think about is what about the feelings of others animals? We always ignore when people kills other animals such as fishes, chickens, cows and etc. What we think and say depends on how we see it. They never show you how they torture and kill the animals. They are all the same except that they are in different bodies. I really wished that one day I am able to wake up in a world that nobody eats meats and dairy products. And everything is organic. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Animals do help us to be a better human beings as animals are observant and is sensitive in picking up the human energy that we released. Helping and taking care of animals in the shelter is definitely a good experience to learn and also interacting with animals does helps us to understand better by learning how to be observant like them. Spending time with animals does nurture our kindness towards those beings who are unable to speak for themselves. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this wonderful thoughts.
This is super true. I dont know how else to say this but that you Rinpoche are completely correct. I loved it when Rinpoche said that we must be kind to others to make ourselves better people. I have nothing else to say but that this is true. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
If we take others pain as ours, then we will stop hurting others. If we really love animals, we will never eat any kind of animals. And because we (the human) is superior than the animals, then this should inspired us to protect the animals and becoming someone who is kinder and better. The superior state should help us to be better humans that care the weak ones.
Something or someone bad/negative should bring us up. They should help us to become better person. Good/positive things bring us up, bad/negative things helps us up. Both way are the same. Don’t judge. Don’t judge and hate and do nothing.
Human and animal are same , both also have mind , blood and body. I believe that have reincarnation,how you treat animals , then you will become animal and suffer it in next life. By stopping this chain is very simple and easy that start with our daily meal ,be vegetarian .I’m believe less demand on market and less animal will be killing, so you are rescue animal.
Thank you Rinpoche sharing .
Animals cannot report us, cannot complain about us, and most cannot even retaliate against us. Animals are almost powerless against our technology and our ability to learn. Like babies or small children. If we harm animals how different are we compared to people who harm babies and young children. If we revile the acts of such people, should we rejoice when people hurt animals?
When we care, care without agenda. How to care without agenda is when we learn how to care an animal because there is nothing we can get from them, not even a thank you. It is by learning how to care for an animal we develop genuine care. If we want to be respected, we want kindness from others, we have to open our hearts and start letting people in. Being cold and numb, our pain will never go away, it will become deeper. Letting go and move on, life is beautiful.
[…] 仁波切自小就对动物疼爱有加，从来都不忍心看见动物受苦。为了创造克切拉动物庇护所（KAS）成立的善因，仁波切跟弟子们开始展开了一系列援助行动。 […]
CREATE the cause for animal Liberation! Go vegetarian to help save animals. They are the ones to end up in the frying-pans, cooking-pots and the sharp ends of chopper blades and knives, for their tender flesh, skins and bones. If only they can talk, they will fill you with tears, shame and remorse, but unfortunately, they cant. Like our Guru said, “The numbness we have developed in hurting animals made us inhumans. How can anyone ignore pain, strife, and fear in another sentient being? How can anyone give those feelings to another living creature and enjoy? To enjoy that is to become inhuman and inviting pain for yourself? Love others, love animals and love the environment.” From statistics found in some brochures of our own Vegetarian restuarant, Kechara Osasis, 6.1 Billions animals in the form of sheeps, cattles, chickens and turkeys were reported by U.S. Dept of Agriculture to have been slaughter every year, with intensed sufferings of pains and misery by these animals before their death. As the kind, loving, good person you are, GO VEGETERIAN all the way now to save lives!
If animals can talk. They will ask us. Are we any diffrent from humans in emotional pain or sufferings, The answer from them will be no. The sufferings of animals and humans are the same. The blood in humans and animals are the same colour. The organs and nerves inside the body are the same. If you hit an animal or a human both feel the same. So if the human can feel the same pain that an animal experience. They will not beat an animal again. So if a human can think like this they will not hurt animals anymore.
If we are a Buddhist then we should believe in karma, if we believe in karma, then we should believe in reincarnation, if we believe in reincarnation, then we should realise that all beings around us, from a small tiny ant to a stranger sitting in the coffee shop opposite the table could be someone close to us in our previous lives. That someone could be our fathers, mothers, relatives, friends, benefactors or teachers from our previous lives that had showered us immeasurable kindness, nourished and nurtured us to adulthood and could have sacrified a lot for our well beings in the past. As Rinpoche has mentioned before in many of his dharma teachings from Youtube, we cannot remember the past doesn’t mean the past doesn’t exist. We cannot deny the kindness we received from others simply because we can’t remember them.
By realising the innumerable possibilities that those beings that were kind to us in the past could have fallen into one of the three lower realms – animal realm, and not knowing which animals could be the one that had benefited us in the past, we should extend our kindness and love towards all the animals. Thus none of those beings that have benefited us would be left out.
Another note that sprang to mind: If animals help us to become better humans, then logically speaking, humans will help us to become even better humans.
Animals are born in ignorance, they are the way they are and there is very little that we can do to change their nature apart from superficial tricks and housetraining. It is easier to forgive your pet dog when he’s made a mistake, because you know he doesnt know any better.
Humans on the other hand are a completely different story. We are born with BRAINS (most of us) and we know right from wrong. So when someone is angry, rude, lies, backstabs, steals, betrays, annoys, frustrates you, it is harder to let go. It is harder to forgive. Because our EXPECTATIONS of them are much higher.
If we can forgive our beloved pets, extend the same kindness to our friends and families.
Very well said Beng Kooi. Thank you!
The beauty about animals is that most of the time they do not show any affection even after years of feeding and taking care of them. I am not talking about dogs here. Most dogs are just very affectionate, it makes it so easy to be kind to them. I am talking about other animals like iguanas, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and even sometimes cats who doesn’t come when you call them. Hence, humans are selective. They only like animals who response to them. Okla … not expecting everyone to be a Boddhisattva. The least we can do is NOT hurt them. The only thing I used to kill was insects like mossies, ticks and roaches out of ignorance. Am not proud of it, hence I vowed not to do it anymore. Who knows I might be killing my ancestors! Once we know better, why still do it?
If we can stop hurting animals that do not return any affection to us, we can learn to be kind to any “spesies” of human beings. It’s so much easier to stop hurting animals than to stop hurting people emotionally, verbally and physically. Start being kind to animals by not killing, hurting and eating them and you’re better human already.
There are three prominent activities/department within Kechara that helps supports prevention against animal cruelty; namely: Kechara Oasis, Kechara Animal Sanctuary and Medicine Buddha Puja.
They all combine forces and support each other in different spectrum of animal care from spiritual, material to manifesting the actual animal sanctuary.
Rinpoche teaches us that animals are beings which we must look into caring for them deeply because when they suffer they are unable to communicate it well to us and whenever they receive kindness, they cannot thank you back.
It helps us to practice loving them unconditionally and gives us the chance to open doors of compassion for ourselves and others.
May the Kechara Animal Sanctuary physically manifest soon!
Dear Rinpoche,
From beginning to end, this post means so much for me. This shows me that life isn’t just about enjoyment at the expense of others and life isnt just about selfishly abusing those around us, human or nonhuman. I am really inspired to take on vegetarianism full time now because of this article. Like you said, why should I just keep doing the same things over and over without showing any care to those around me? I definitely think it is time for a fundamental change in the way people live their lives and so I am going to start by making a change in my life, NOW.
Thank you so much for inspiring me Rinpoche,
Tyler
Many years ago, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche conceptualized Kechara Oasis, a restaurant that is vegetarian and promotes stopping the harming of animals. Since its incorporations in 2009 till now, Kechara Oasis has been receiving excellent review from the media and press, this includes The New Straits Time, Malay Mail, New Sunday Time, Clive Magazine, (to see details please click http://www.kechara.com/dining/press/)
Another department, (which in the pipeline making) that H.E. Tsem Rinpoche wishes to setup is Kechara Animal Sanctuary (KAS). It is going to be a place to liberate abused animals. It is thru KAS that we are able to organize monthly activities to release animals back to the nature, and continuously seek generous and kindhearted sponsors to support the act of liberations! (to see more details, please click http://www.kechara.com/animal-sanctuary/)
It is through the kindness of our Spiritual Guide, we can practise the act compassion, as taught by the Buddha, and become a better human being…
Paul
It is appalling to witness the cruelty the human race is capable of inflicting on other beings. Rinpoche is so very accurate when Rinpoche explains that habituation of animal abuse will lead to further deterioration in the form of causing pain and harm other human that, eventually, ends in the abuse of those who are close to us.
How very scary it is to see the disease of cruelty spread like an uncontrollable fatal virus within the acclaimed civilized human race. Perhaps this frightening realization is so ugly, many individuals persuade themselves that animal cruelty does not exist. We pretend so that we can go about our old ways and fulfill our desires to enjoy juicy meat that is the direct product of cruelty and deep suffering.
This abuse and destruction has to stop for the sake of the animals and for the sake of us. If we cannot be selfless, even from a selfish point of view the way we are treating animals and the environment directly harm our loved ones and us.
Please make the effort to view the documentary called Earthling. It is not a feel good documentary but it is real and it is hopeful because the message can drive us to do something effective to be truly human: kind, loving and good.
Another channel to which you can take immediate action is to check out http://www.kechara.com and read about the animal sanctuary project to which you can contribute.
Terima Kasih Rinpoche!
There are days when I wish I can have the stray cats and dogs for my family, relatives and friends but when I look at the mirror often I see how my they would wish that it was the strays rather than me!
It took me so long that realize that the snakes, roosters and pigs in me were having a field day undoing any good that I have left and planting every conceivable bad.
It’s been so long since I have shown kindness or forgiveness to anyone…
And it started with KSA…then to others…
They were my training ground to show kindness. By their accepting my occasional gifts, they helped release this tight valve of self oppressive hate and potential time bomb.
Thank you…
Animal cruelty is quite possibly one of the lowest acts of cowardice. Most animals do us no harm, and so many show us so much love, kindness and unconditional trust. How easy it is to mistreat any being with such qualities, and yet while most of us return the love and kindness animals show to us, there are those who mindlessly mistreat and abuse poor creatures who are left to suffer in silence, and unable to break free from their pain.
Kind regards,
Sandy
Rinpoche asked us to “love others, love animals and love the environment.” If you love animals and don’t eat them, you love the earth (and therefore yourself) too. There are plenty of scientific facts to back this up. It takes four times as much land to feed a carnivore, than it does to feed a vegetarian. The UN estimates that it would take 40 million tonnes of grain to end extreme hunger; in the West, 540 million tonnes are fed to animals every year. By becoming vegetarian, you preserve the earth for yourself, for your children and for everyone else.
“What makes us good humans is not how we abuse animals, but how much we allow them to live and be happy freely.” – that’s exactly how I imagine the Kechara Animal Sanctuary to be. I imagine dogs romping happily in the grass, and ducks waddling next to a pond. I see pigs wallowing in mudbaths, and cats lounging lazily in the sun. Goats and cows chewing away on hay. The place will be paradise on earth, in this lifetime, for these beings who were unfortunate enough to be so close to the dharma, and yet not be able to receive it.
When Rinpoche first asked his Liaisons to go vegetarian, many resisted some even debated on the issue.
To the people that give dharma classes at KH, Rinpoche asked : “ How can you teach compassion for all mother sentient beings if you kill them and eat their flesh ?” The people were speechless.
I could not relate to vegetarianism until I watched the video “Earthlings” given by Rinpoche. To see the cruelty inflicted on animals by people in the meat business woke me up.
Thank you Rinpoche for bringing the truth to us skilfully. In support of what he teaches, Rinpoche started a vegetarian restaurant at Jaya One headed by Irene Lim (http://www.kecharaoasis.com/).
This is one of the most stirring and convincing message for us all to go vegetarian I have ever come across.Yet there is no obvious mention of this which is what makes it all the more powerful and poignant.
A lot of times, the humanitarian aspect( written in all its glory here ) which is the most important is buried or subsumed in the over enthusiasm of those who advocate abstaining from eating meat and those who swear by meat. Until it becomes a platform for constant debate instead of for reflection and change.
When we miss the forest for the trees, vegetarianism becomes a religion and meat eaters are not convinced by the spiritual arguments.
The greatest threat to people is ignorance. The greatest threat to animals is ignorant people.
I fully agree with Rinpoche. We can all be great, kind, good and try to manifest it in different ways like go vegetarian, take care of animals, homeless etc.
Shirely, it is easy to be misunderstood as what others hear and see have more positive motives than they think. Judgements leads to blockage and not to reflection on what could be behind. Expect kritik! Look forward to it, Honour it as an opportunity to be able develop eaven more skills, love, understanding and acceptance. Rejoyce for whatever you do for others as you are the one who know what you do and why! To recive these words of Rinpoche is inspiering to keep up healthy practic and also to try do a bit more…….
That true rimpoche, amimal help us a lot in this jungle we make by ingnorance .
I wish make something soon for the animal in Europe !
Thank you Rinpoche. Hurting makes nothing but transform us in a cold body without heart, a moving statue. It is important to help beings, humans, animals, plants, and insects, even beings we can not see with our eyes; or that we are not aware of their presence.
It is really nothing to give 1h, 2h or 3h of our time to help others every week.
People say they have no time, but use their time in frond of TV or shopping, going to restaurant, in leisure parks, keeping this time only for them…
I want help in an animal shelter and a homeless soup kitchen association again as soon as I moving to city. There is no such association here and I miss help others. I will see if I can help in the Salvation Army here, it takes 3 month check to help in an association, I don’t understand why, they need people now!
We are truly happier when we give our self to others. The satisfaction to help others and to make them happy is 100,000 times more powerful than hurt others. We are happy when people are kind to use, we should to the same with everybody.
Your posts are really inspiring others to help, I will re-blog this one!
With Love.
These words truly resonate with me, Rinpoche. Thank you so much for sharing this. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right words and explain to friends why I have chosen to become a vegetarian. Some are shocked because they can’t imagine that I would give up sushi and tuna, both being my ex-faves. Others find it almost appalling that it is for the path of spirituality. It seems there are just people who can’t grasp the concept that no meat = no killing = living in harmony & peace with all beings on earth. It’s quite funny that even some friends actually think I’ve become too “cultish” in my following the advice of H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. Like I am giving up all “control over my life” and passing the “remote pad” to Rinpoche. The best yet is when they think I am going to become a nun.