We are their only world
A dog, cat, bird or any animal you bring home is not a pet. You may think of them as so, but they don’t think that way about themselves. To them you are their hope, love, family and safety. If you cannot take care of them, don’t get them in… the first place. Just like any family member when young, they are cute and cuddly, but as they grow, they become adults. You don’t get rid of a family member when they are not cute and cuddly anymore do you? All animals have feelings of pain, sorrow, joy, love, fear and security just like us. Don’t cause them any pain or anxiety. They need us as we need them.
They are not a commodity, toy, entertainment, punching bag or some fixture to abuse or get rid of when we don’t want them anymore. Think how you would feel if you were them and you were dumped somewhere? Imagine if you are just something to be eliminated when your not cuddly and cute anymore or just ‘get in the way?’ Be kind to animals especially the ones you bring home and cuddle and love when they are babies. You are their world and the only world they have in their restricted lives. Remember we took them from their mothers, families and separated them from their siblings when very young and environments and forced them into our environments. We owe them some loyalty.
Tsem Rinpoche
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It’s true when we thought of having pets in our home is just like having a new relationship and responsibilities. We tend to learn everything from them. Our relationships with our furry friends have great influence upon our well being and happiness.
Nowadays many people like to have dogs as their pets. The bond between man and dog is so strong that both are able to pick up on each other’s emotions and feelings. That feeling closeness will let human forget about loneliness temporary.
Thank you for sharing this article and teachings. It’s important for us to appreciate what we have and everyone around us. We have to treat them well and be kind to them. I believe being appreciative will make us value everything around us and will make us always remember the positive things more instead of negative or unhappy moments.
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When we created the bond with the dog, it likes created a whole new world to them. Their life will have us in all corners and when they see us their tail wagging and they may jump up and down in superb exited mode. This is the true feeling from the dog that they can’t fake it and a dog is straight forward towards their feeling. If they don’t like you, you ain’t getting anyway with them.
Once you have develope the trust with them, their loyalty is there forever. They can be your best pal where ever you go. Never ever break their trust as they can be easily hurt too but you will not want to do that because they are just so adorable. We may have a lot of friends and we can see them at any time we want and have a great time with them. For the dog they only have us. When we are not around they will live with themselves or maybe with a few doggy friends that stay together. What I’m trying to say here is that they live with us in within the space we provide them. Their only happiness is seeing us and our time spending with care and love with them. We are really their whole life. Love your dog and care for it. They are your best buddy that stays with you as long as they can.
Any animals brought into our house are consider part of our family members. Dogs and cats are the most widely owned pets in the world. They are more than a pet to us .They are famous for their carefree spirit and unconditional love. They can cheer us up when we are feeling down and give us a happiness when we need one. I love my doggie , she might be only part of my life, for her, I am her everything, the only person in her whole life . We should do everything we can to protect, love and care for them as they are part of us. They do have feelings like us ,never hurt them we are their world. Thank you for this sharing.
We have to treat our pets as our family members and not treat them like a toy. Unfortunately many people don’t think this way. When human as other priorities, we will ignore or don’t give much attention to them. We should not treat animals in this manner. They have feelings just like human. We should love and care for them.
Dear Rinpoche,
I actually never thought of that in this perspective. It’s scary how inhumane we can be when we are not aware. Than you for opening my eyes on this, Rinpoche. 🙂 Just like how any animal will be loyal to us, we should be loyal back to them. That being said, i will be there more for my family’s dogs from now on.
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
it’s so true, they are only part of our life but we are their whole world. they need love , compassion and patient. this is whole life commitment, kindly think before you act.
First of all, our lives are special because we can go to different places and do many activities ranging from sports or just going to places or doing simple things like going in the car, taxi or the train. What I am trying to say is that we can do so many things, but they cant go places or do things. They can only wait around and do nothing but wait for you.
Think about it, you are the main highlight of their lives, because even though they are a small part of you lives, we are every thing to them. Another thing to think about, when you come home, your dog is waiting at the door and as soon as you open it they jump and weep in happiness that you are finally there at home. SO YOU MUST show them some attention because if you were alone for hours doing nothing you would do that too right? And you would want to be played with right?
The most important thing is to have a major respect for them. As they are lives too and not only that they feel too. So never neglect them, because the moment you brought them home, they became a part of your family and we don’t neglect our family members do we? SO NOW get up off your computer and play with your pet because they love you and cherish you and shouldn’t you do the same? So love and enjoy their presence as they will not be around forever.
We should not underestimate our relationships with our animals or even with relatives we dislike, we really cannot tell what were their relationship with us in the past. IN fact some of these beings may have benefitted us in previous lives. So based on the truth of interdependence, we must have relied on them before and this life they might be reliant on us.
Attendees : Soon Huat,Jacinta,Andrew,Garrick Gooi,Linny,Natsumi,Chin Seong & Vivacela Teh
This week, the team shares their experiences of having a pet. Even though most of us do not have any including me. A team member shared she once had a dog whom was like a dear family member to her. He even saved her life once. She was grateful to him.
Further, we discussed about the compassion and equanimity we should have towards all living beings that is not only confined to our own children.To put ourselves in our pet’s shoes what if we were abandoned when we are old and sick?We concluded that we do not commit to buy a pet from the pet shop unless we are ready. If we were to give up on our pets, that would mean we also give up on our family too.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for reminding us to be compassionate not only to humans but also to animals too. Bringing animals home is something that we humans do & treating them as part of our families is indeed a noble act. Dogs are sometimes more loyal and reliable & they misses us more when we’re not around but sad to say the people around us are sometimes quite the opposite.
Totally agreed with Rinpoche. We should practice the Bodhicitta and Equanimity. The animals/pets have their own feeling and thinking, we just failed to understand them. We are the most trusted person in their world, imagine how would you feel if the person who you trusted most and rely on betray you. You will feel disappointed, lost trust to the world and sometimes lost dignity so does the animals/pets. We are sensitive to people’s feeling on us so does the animals/pets. They will get depression too if the person it trusted most betrayed/dumped them.
Please show your loves to all sentience beings started with your pets.
Thank You Rinpoche for your sharing. I closed my palm and bowed down to you. I do agreed with you Rinpoche.
I left my dogs before and feel really bad for what I had done. Thank you Rinpoche for the teaching. If I were to bring home pets in future, I will take care of them properly.
Dear Rinpoche,
Although what is said in the meme picture is short it truly says a lot to all pet owners in the world that when you own any pet you should care and love your pet all the way till the end of its life and not love and care for it while it’s cute and then send it to animal shelters when they grow older because no animal in the world would like to be loved and cared for at one point of their life and then abandoned and maybe even put down at another part of their life.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this very meaningful picture.
Love
Jutika
It’s very true. Many families adopt animals because their children want them and treat them like “toys” for pleasure. All of us who have pets know that animals have emotions as well and we are their parents because we adopted them.
So dumping them in the streets, in front of pet shops and animal shelters should NEVER be in the equation. If they are, then PLEASE do not adopt them at all. It’s very bad karma to be so irresponsible.
It also teaches our children to be irresponsible as well. I’m sure we don’t want that for our children. Please lead by example.
I completely agree with everything said here about animals as I too have two cats that live with me at home.
I totally agree with what Rinpoche has stated, we might be thinking that we are bringing home a pet, but to the animal that you’re bringing home, it means something more than a new home, new environment to it. People often buy pets just for the sake of buying it, and the animal will end up suffering.
Thank you Rinpoche for constantly reminding us not to harm or hurt animals and cause them any anxiety.If you want to keep animals as pets, please look after them with love and care from day one till their very last day!
Indeed when the dogs are not cute anymore we pay less attention to them. If we could pay so much love to them when they were young why can’t we pay as much love to them? And in some cases we start to treat them badly why is that? Also it is’t always a good idea to buy pets from a pet store. The ones from the pet stores have homes. But there are so many on the streets that sometimes they are caught and put to sleep. Also dog rescue centers are piling up with dogs that so many there is also put to sleep. So i urge everyone to ADOPT NOT BUY.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post. Sometimes we are really their whole life.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this advice with us. I fully agree with what Rinpoche has mention because we are their everything we should not abandon them no matters what circumstances come along because we are their only person who they can rely on.
This is completely correct. I love animals and I know that they all are like us, they feel sad,happy and they feel pain. Never just think that they are just an “it”. They are part of a family once they join, never let them go.
We really need to consider when intend to buy a pet.it was truth we are their only families, but most of the people only 5 min passion and just abandon the pets away. If we cannot take care of them, don’t buy them to create more future issues.
Thank you Rinpoche for making us think out of our self-grasping selves. Yes, animals are every bit like us in that they have feelings and want to be accepted, loved and cared for like part of the family, when we bring them into our homes. When they grow old, they want to be still part of our lives like the rest of our loved ones. They are ‘family’ and should remain ‘family’ all the way to the end of their days.
If we are their whole world, how can we treat them less? How can we abuse them; and when they are no longer cuddly and cute, how can we discard or abandon them?
We must be kind and love them.
Every being longs for the love from another and it is no different for our animal friends. Cute and cuddly when they are small, they grow big and not-so-cute anymore. But that does not give us an excuse to abandon them; they did not do that to us, so we should reciprocate.
I think everyone also have this feeling that living in a peaceful place with your lovely parents and siblings. Same with animals, when you decided adopt animals and bring them home, they are part of your family members, please giving love, care and play with them . They just want a simple life which have love, joy, peace & etc, don’t simply leave or abandon them.
Thank you for the sharing Rinpoche.If we are going to bring home a pet.We must be ready to take on the responsibility to nurture and care for it as a part of your own family.All living beings by nature are responsive towards kindness and love .They are not like a robot which we have a choice to switch it on or off at our fancy .If we were to treat them as such.
There are many true stories that a pet would literally follow their master to the grave.As they felt so sad after the master passing.that they would starve them self to death or even be waiting at a particular location for its master to return.
So if we are not ready for a pet then just admire them form a far.Just like if we are not ready to have a child of our own .But we would like to play with our neighbour baby’s.No responsibility and no hurt caused,better still no negative karma incurred.
What Rinpoche said is very true. We do owe them for taking their parents away from them. Although they are no longer cute like they used to be anymore but they will still love you no matter what. We’ve seen many news about animals saving their owners but how often do you see the owners risk their lives for their pets?
As Rinpoche said, “Please remember this, a dog is not a pet but part of your family.” As the Dalai Lama has also once said, “We as rational human beings have an obligation to contribute in whatever way we can to the happiness of animals and their respective rights.” As one animal sanctuary has done when they have rescued animals, they will help them to gain a better rebirth by exposing them to Dhama, through the many blessings and recitations of mantras regularly for them to hear and be benefitted. These animals are also being led to go round stupas as directed by their Lama, to create merits for them too! Holy objects are said to help other beings to purify immense amounts of negative karma and create the causes of happiness and merits, perhaps to prepare them for a better rebirth. Quote: “Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages”. – Albert Schweitzer.
Being borned as animal already is a suffering. Pets depend everything on the owner and they also lost their freedom cos some of the pets are retricted in the area they can move around.
Some people keep pets cos they are cute when small. When it grows big, and not cute any more they will throw away or give it to others. Some will buy pets cos their girl friend or boy friend love pets, when boy friend or girl friend gone already, pet also gone. People have all kind of reasons for keeping pets, once the purpose gone, same with the pets.
Actually having a pet is a lifelong responsibilities, is the same like taking care of our family members too. We need to give them a home to stay, food to eat when hungry and taking care of them when they are sick till the day they die. If we are nice to them, pet will be know and they are loyal to their owner too.
Thank you rinpoche for sharing this article to remind us to be kind to animals.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing the posting about being kind to animals. Indeed the animals need our care and protection as they are not able to earn their living like us and unable to express themselves about the feelings, their pain, unhappiness and other emotion. I agree to become part of their lives and never abandon them as part of my family.
This picture is so sweet, so adorable. Definitely, animals see you as a beacon of hope. You give them food, you take care of them. They are not your pets but your friends 😀
dear rinpoche
thank you for sharin such a wonderful article. Many of us tend to forget that animals too do have emotions and they too feel pain. Many a time we take an animal for granted in the name of keeping a pet just as a mere showpeice kinda attitude ,while lacking the responsibility to care ad take care of them. In the place I live in often old aging animals are left by the roadside, some get hit by cars while some get shot by the municipal dog shooters. It is very sad to see them in such conditions. To the animals the owner are their whole world and the get betrayed by the owner just because they are not cuddly or cute, this is atrocious.I own a dog of my own and a squirell which i rescued , I love them and I know the pain they undergo when they do not see me for some time if I am not around and When I return the JOY and Happiness they exibit is simply priceless. Thank you dear rinpoche for sharing this awesome article in your blog , I pray that this article may be an eye opener to many . PRANAMAS and NAMASTE .
Dearest Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this precious post. I felt really moved by what Rinpoche shared – ” You are their world and the only world they have in their restricted lives. Remember we took them from their mothers, families and separated them from their siblings when very young and environments and forced them into our environments. We owe them some loyalty”.
With folded hands,
This is so deep. I love it. I understand this fully Rinpoche and it is a beautiful teaching. Thank you for sharing and I hope that everyone else who reads this will get the same message as I did.
Dear Rinpoche,
The picture is so sweet and warm. I agree that we should only adopt and accept pets / animals when we can give them our time and love.
Thank you.
Dear Rinpoche,
I always love all your posts about animals especially posts related to abondoned and abused pets. I specifically love the last line ” Remember we took them from their mothers, families and separated them from their siblings when very young and environments and forced them into our environments. We owe them some loyalty.” This totally reflects how human beings are so selfish and ugly when we abandon the old and sick pet which no longer cute when they first came in.
Same applies to those adults who abandoned their parents for whatever reasons. I strongly disagree to this unfilial decision and action. It’s beyong inhumane. Thank you for your endless care and enlightening teaching to all of us. Your blog post is my source of light. Once again, thank you very very much 🙂 Carene L.