Dog Funerals Held By Kechara
In Tibetan, a puja house is called Shabten Khang. “Shabten” means “puja” and “khang” means “house”. So a “Shabten Khang” or Puja House is a house or place where monks can do pujas (prayers) for the lay people all year around.
There are many Puja Houses throughout India, for example Jangtse and Shartse Shabten Khang, and Gyume and Gyuto Shabten Khang in Dharamsala.
When the Puja House in Kechara was first open in January 2012, Kechara did so with the purpose of benefiting all sentient beings. This includes our beloved pets…
Many of us create strong karmic links with our dogs, cats etc. and we experience the same pain when they pass away as we do with any other family member.
For those who are unfamiliar with pujas, the literal translation of puja is “to clear obstacles”. A puja is the direct initiative to do something for someone who has an obstacle, a problem, difficulty… or for someone who is experiencing some kind of pain, sickness or fear. It is an expression of our care, compassion and sincere concern for another being.
Through a series of rituals and prayers, we direct positive energy towards a positive aspiration. The benefits are manyfold and encompasses healing, long life, protection, wealth, wisdom, peace and the quick fulfilment of our wishes.
In the case of the passing of the animal, a puja is done to bless and guide the mind of the deceased. Recitation of holy texts and mantras generates a tremendous amount of merit and purifies the negative karma of the animal. This helps guide them towards a swift, good rebirth during their crucial transition.
Do take a look at 7 of the many beautiful bereavement prayers below that were done for the funeral of someone’s beloved dog. When our beloved pets pass away, the best thing that we can do for them is to help ensure that they take a good rebirth.
I’d like to thank the Puja Team for always being there for others… 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They remind me of the monks in the Puja House in India who perform pujas every single day, sometimes up to 10-12 hours long. This includes buying the tsok, preparing the altar, making the tormas, cleaning up afterwards, etc and they never complain. They never ask for anything and whatever they receive, they offer up to their monastery.
To everyone in the Puja Team, thank you for being selfless and tirelessly relieving the suffering of others.
Tsem Rinpoche
Teddy the Charming Short-Legged Boy
Lulu the Adored Shih-Tzu
Chubby the Cute Chow Chow
Eve the Beloved Poodle
Jay the Loved Husky
Luna the Dog Who Lived For A Day
Nono the Little Poodle
Website: Puja House
Facebook: Kechara Bereavement Services
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Phone Contact: +603 7803 3908
Email: house@kechara.com
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Dog funerals may sound self-indulgent, but that’s the way should. Dogs are our best friend , do feel like us human. We do feel sad when we lost our beloved pet. Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them, and filling an emptiness . For many of us, pets are like a part of the family. Most of us never want to think about the loss of pets, but sadly we can’t avoid pet loss. Proper pet cremation may help in processing the grief of pet loss.
Dog funerals held by Kechara Puja Team , is doing more than that they provides cremation services in a dignified manner for our beloved furry pal. But now we have a pet cemetery services available. Saying goodbye to our beloved pets is never easy, but with Kechara Puja team and cremation service providers, makes things easier.
Thank you for this shaing.
Pets deserve to have the last rite and a funeral too. If we believe in reincarnation then we have to help our deceased pets to take rebirth in a better place. Help them to collect merits so they will be able to take rebirth as a human being and practise Dharma.
It is great that Kechara Puja House is offering pet funeral service. This will give comfort to the pet owners as they can do something beneficial for their pets. After the funeral rite is performed, the owner can continue to help the pets to accumulate merits by making offerings to the 3 Jewels and dedicate the merits to them.
I only come across dog funeral in Kechara and I’m very glad to know that Kechara offer bereavement services for animals. This service will enable animals to have a good rebirth and blessing. The puja will help the deceased to plant good imprint for their future life. Once of the way to help the animals. Thank you Kechara for your compassion to all beings.
Its wonderful to have this bereavement service at Kechara. Its important for our beloved furry friends to have a good blessing when they passed on and have a good rebirth. Thank you Kechara for having such a wonderful service.
I came across this post after viewing this youtube on the Dog Funeral done by Puja Team recently for a poodle. https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=XeLV4l5tV9o
It is so heartwarming to see that animals are well taken care off even after they have passed on… They are treated with respects and love.
Many of us create strong karmic links with our dogs, cats etc. and we experience the same pain when they pass away as we do with any other family member.
The Kechara Puja House Team lead by Kok Yek Yee go all the way to do Puja and funeral for the animals really touches me. The prayers and rituals will help guide the deceased animals towards a swift, good rebirth during their crucial transition. It also helps the pets owners to feel better during this difficult time.
Thank you team.
谢谢仁波切的分享。
在佛教中， 任何众生都是平等的。 我们都会经过生老病死。 我们人类都了解什么是生后事， 也可以通过不同的仪式来为死者累积功德，得到更好的转世。
克切拉祈愿堂就是其中一个为在生者乃至往生者累积功德的地方。 克切拉祈愿堂是通过法会， 向证悟者献上供养和祈愿为我们累积功德。
当然克切拉祈愿堂也不是我们人类的专利， 我们都可以为其他众生进行法会， 祈愿他们可以得到很好的转世。 文章中就是一些宠物的主人为他们心爱的宠物进行法会。 在法会中都是祈愿宠物们可以往生净土， 或是可以得到很好的转世， 有机会修习佛法。
谢谢仁波切成立了克切拉祈愿堂这个部门， 为大众服务。
谢谢
Love is love and there is no difference in love whether it is to another person, or an animal. Many people love their pets, and it is nice to see bereavement pujas being held for animals so that the final acts of their life was having a puja dedicated to them. It is a supreme way to say farewell, because the final act of love from one to their beloved pet, who is also family, is collection and dedication of merit, and the purifying of karma. What more can we do that benefits our loved ones on a higher level than just taking good care of them and feeding them their whole lives? That is good, but having pujas done, developing strong dharmic imprints, and collecting merit for them is far more superior because it prepares your pet for their future lives.
Animals should also be treated with respect and dignity and from the pictures it clearly shows that Kechara’s puja house does exactly that. I am glad to know that if I ever needed someone with services for our beloved pets, Kechara offers it. Thank you for your kindness and compassion!
Pets bring joy to many families and are part of the family. What better way we can make sure that they are blessed when they have passed on. They also deserve a dignified send off and we hope that they will find Dharma in their next life. The Kechara Puja Team is dedicated to this and provide such service. Animals are also sentient beings which has a soul.
“In the case of the passing of the animal, a puja is done to bless and guide the mind of the deceased. Recitation of holy texts and mantras generates a tremendous amount of merit and purifies the negative karma of the animal. This helps guide them towards a swift, good rebirth during their crucial transition.”
感谢尊贵的仁波切的开示，
克切拉佛教中心，有幸的得到尊贵的第廿五世詹杜固仁波切成为我们的导师，仁波切总是教导我们对一切众生要尊重与善待，同时仁波切的车后箱总是放着许多的粮食，当仁波切的车在行驶的时候，只要有流浪街头的动物，仁波切总是给予他们粮食。
因为仁波切的教诲下，我们得以延续伟大的甘丹寺的传承，我们拥有同样的法脉传承同样的法会仪轨仪式，感谢克切拉祈愿堂的工作人员与志愿工作者，他们总是马不停蹄地为一切有情众生进行法会仪式，消除他们障碍与痛苦。
谢谢
Jerry
There are many instances that dogs, are our best friends through our thick and thin. Some find solace and peace with their pets and can find connections with their pets than perhaps even other human beings.
Here the Kechara Bereavement Services do their utmost to provide comfort, care and benefit to pet owners and the dogs who have passed on.
I’m so glad and happy to read about this because it doesn’t only help the animals who passed away to take a good rebirth but it also gives some sort of comfort and assurance to the desperate owners who’ve lost their beloved pets. It’s not easy to see our beloved pets passing away because I am sure that we all treat them like a family, and it’s hard to see someone whom we love very much passing away.
Shabten Khang/ puja house lead by Pastor Yek Yee is doing a very good job in giving service to the deceased and their families, what’s important is that they always make themselves available to assist and benefit. I really respect them a lot because no matter how tired they are, they will still do their best to give support to others, irregardless of time and day.
In a puja (religious ceremony), prayers, food and other offerings are made to the Three Jewels to request their blessings and invoke their help. Pujas are also performed for the dying to help pacify their mind, as well as for the deceased in order to bless and guide their minds to a higher state or rebirth.
According to a poll, nearly all pet owners (95%) consider their pets to be members of the family. Hence, it helps to calm the mind of the pet owners that at this important juncture of their family member’s departure, they are able to do something for their loved ones.
Through the kindness of many sponsors and dedicated volunteers, we now have a Puja House dedicated to providing services to the public, including bereavement pujas for pets now.
Animals are considered sentient beings and possess Buddha nature and therefore has potential for enlightenment too. As our pets do not have the capacity to pay homage to the Three Jewels or do any type of practices, at the end of their journey, this is something that we can do to help them collect merits for their next rebirth.
This is my first exposed to animal puja article in Buddhism . In Tibetan Buddhism, it was belief that puja to be done to deceased animal can help them swift and good rebirth .Animals should be treat as the same way as human being.Rinpoche always teach us that we must practice compassion to every sentient beings included animals.
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing.
The puja team is truly amazing and they comprise of such dedicated, compassionate and caring people, who thinks only of benefiting others. In an instant, they will abandon all the things they are doing to attend to those in need, and I find that a very precious practice that many of the puja team members are doing, to put others first before themselves.
Rinpoche have always advice us on how we can benefit our pets. Having a pet as our companion and family should not just be something for fun, but if we truly love our pets as we love our family member, then what better way than giving Dharma to them in whatever way they can receive in this rebirth as an animal. It is for this reason that Vajrasecrets.com have available pet pendants, which is safe and durable for our dogs to wear, so that they will always have the Buddha close to them. On top of that, Rinpoche have always showed us by example how we can give Dharma to our furrykids, by putting stupas around them so they may circumambulate, and even chanting mantra to bless them. Of course these not only apply to pets such as dogs and cats, infact Rinpoche even put Buddha statues inside the fish tank to bless the fishes and play mantras for the birds to listen! I think this practice is truly incredible and something that all Buddhists should adopt to cultivate our action of benefiting any sentient being that crosses path with us.
What stands out for me is this: the care that Pastor Yek Yee and her team put into conducting a good funeral for the animals, is the same level of care and respect they show to deceased humans. And why not? The animals are sentient beings too, and upon their death they take rebirth in one of the other realms of samsara. Pastor Yek Yee’s sincerity in ensuring they take a good rebirth is very touching, as is her sensitivity and understanding that a pet owner’s grief is just as significant as a human relative’s grief. Whoever deals with Pastor Yek Yee and her bereavement services can be absolutely sure that their deceased loved ones, whether human or animals, are in the best possible hands.