Stranded porpoise rescued from Japan rice field
The recent earthquake that caused a devastating tsunami in Japan has brought awakening in many of us. Humans and animals are both suffering from the aftereffects of the earthquake it, and are recovering from the wrath of Mother Nature together.
Here is a refreshing change from the barrage of upsetting news from Japan: A student of mine found this nice story of a man saving a baby dolphin that was found stranded in a rice field during the recent tsunami…
It was swept off to the mainland during the tsunami, and a Japanese man carried it back to sea!
This story is an example of the kind human heart. The kind that we as “humans” should have. The strong protect the weak. So this piece of news gives light and hope that we as humans, the ‘superior’ ones on earth, have the potential to be caring, compassionate beings… to be heroes for those who need our help.
I really appreciate those who go out of their way to be kind to others so much. It touches a part of me otherwise difficult to reach. In the end those who are kind are the ones we gravitate towards.
Tsem Rinpoche
Tsunami-stranded porpoise rescued from Japan rice field
A baby porpoise that was washed over a mile (about 2km) inland by Japan’s tsunami earlier this month has been rescued from a flooded rice paddy.
Local people spotted the animal more than a week after the 11 March disaster and alerted animal rescue workers.
One man eventually caught the finless porpoise in his arms and carried it back out to sea.
Rescuers said the metre-long mammal had suffered a few scratches but was otherwise healthy.
“Immediately after I spotted it, I realised I could not ignore it. I had to do something,” Masayuki Sato told the Asahi newspaper.
“This was also a victim of the tsunami.”
He telephoned the animal welfare group, who were in the area rescuing pets stranded by the disaster.
They fashioned a stretcher but volunteer Ryo Taira eventually waded into the rice field and caught the animal himself.
“I don’t know if it will survive, but it’s much better than dying in a rice field, right?” he told the newspaper.
The death toll from Japan’s quake and tsunami has risen to 9,523. Another 16,094 people are listed as missing.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12844677
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Im so happy that this Porpoise got saved. I couldn’t imagine how much it hurt the animal to be washed away for miles. I hope that it is in a good place now and that it is free with its loved one’s. Thank you for sharing this with us Rinpoche.
It is said that virtuous karmic actions must be developed and not simply accumulated by just refraining from doing anything which seems non-virtuous. The episode in this blog displayed a classic example of a person with a kind humane heart, caring and compassionate – one who goes out of their way to be kind and loving, an ideal example for us to gravitate towards it. Practice makes perfect, so it is essential for the attainment of such meritorious virtue, it should be practiced until it reaches perfection. True selfless service giving is a state of the mind and with the proper motivation and sincere practice will lead us to its perfect achievement. As in the golden teaching of our Lord buddha, “Not to do any evil, to cultivate good, to purify one’s mind, this is the teaching of the Buddhas.”
Sound too GOOD …..Japanese way …. let it go now and get it back later ????
A breath of fresh fair. I always think the world needs better news. Japanese have been known to kill dolphins and porpoises this is GOOD!