Rinpoche saying hello to a resident dog at Kathmandu Animal Treatment (KAT) Centre, when he visited Nepal in 2008

Many of us claim to be animal lovers. We say we love animals, but just how much do we really love them? To what extent would we go to help an animal? To what extent would we give something up in order to save an animal?

Our guru, His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche is the one person I know who showed us what it really means to love all animals, not just with his own pets but even with the abandoned, voiceless strays we see every day. And Rinpoche did not just say he loved animals, but transferred his love into action, actually doing things to show his love. This includes acts such as feeding strays on the streets, regardless of the time of day. Rinpoche did this consistently, from the moment I met him to the very end.

There are many times Rinpoche asked us to follow him around to purposely look for strays in order to feed them. This simple act of compassion can be done by anyone on a regular basis but the question is, how many of us actually do it? How many of us even think about doing it? When we say we love animals, do we really love animals or does it stop at just our words? Is our love for these animals conditional on what they can do for us? On how they can benefit us, for example alleviating our loneliness and boredom? If it is, then doesn’t that become another way to increase our own attachments? The answer is yes. We love animals, or rather our pets, because they are ours. They are cute and cuddly; they can keep us company and so we love them. But what about the old, wrinkly, dirty, skinny dogs or cats we see on the streets? Do we even see them?

I, for one, am guilty of the above. I used to claim to be an animal lover but in reality, Rinpoche showed me and many others that we are quite hypocritical. In fact, we are all very lazy and selfish people who claim to be animal lovers but do nothing to relieve their pain and suffering. Do we stop to give food to hungry strays we see as we drive past them daily? I know that I did not. Rinpoche’s actions made me think, “Why not?” It’s something very easy to do and literally takes just a few minutes of our time. Are we too lazy to try? Or too afraid to do something out of the ordinary perhaps? Whatever the case, Rinpoche showed us how easy it is to be compassionate.

One day, while driving back to Kechara Forest Retreat (KFR), Rinpoche saw some stray dogs rummaging through rubbish on the side of the road. The next thing we knew, Rinpoche was buying loaves of bread at the nearest convenience store before heading back to the strays to feed them. Before feeding the very hungry dogs, Rinpoche asked us to chant various mantras and blow on the bread so that when the dogs ate the bread, they would get blessings from the power of the mantras. Rinpoche also asked us to chant aloud for the dogs to hear the mantras. Although animals may not have the ability to understand human speech, the sound of mantra would bless the animals to hear them. It would also be associated with something positive in their minds, such as receiving food when hungry, thus creating a happy memory.

Since this happy memory is implanted in their minds, when they have a future rebirth as a human, and their good karma ripens such that they have the chance to hear those holy mantras again, it will trigger something positive in them. This positive trigger could be what is needed to direct them towards learning the Dharma. It also helps to plant the seeds of enlightenment in the minds.

Some of the mantras Rinpoche asked us to chant include Medicine Buddha, Manjushri, Chenrezig and Dorje Shugden. Feeding strays in this way became a regular occurrence; any time Rinpoche drove out and saw stray dogs that looked hungry, we stopped and fed them. Rinpoche even instructed us to buy dog food and disposable bowls to hold drinking water. We were to make sure that all our cars were well-stocked at all times with dog food, drinking water and any other necessities needed to feed strays. We even stocked up on fish food, because there were a few times Rinpoche noticed tiny fish in drains and wanted to feed them too. For Rinpoche, no being was too small or insignificant.

Bryan Ho, Karen Chong, and myself with Rinpoche, feeding some stray doggies while shopping for some plants

Such a simple idea of having dog food ready in your car to feed strays as you drive around daily can relieve so much suffering. So why don’t most of us think of that if we love animals so much? The answer is obvious. We are not really that compassionate; we may say we’re trying to cultivate it but it hasn’t permeated our entire being in the same way Rinpoche abides in compassion.

This experience made me reflect on what it truly means when I said, “I love animals.” Rinpoche taught us that feeding stay animals that we see on the street should be automatic. We shouldn’t even think about it, if we wish to practise real compassion. This is one of the first steps we can take to nurture our compassionate quality, and it is a very easy one that all of us can do instantly.

Rinpoche explained that giving food to another being who cannot say “thank you” to us is a good way to practise loving-kindness without expectations, conditions or agenda. Knowing that strays can never utter a word of thanks, let alone repay our kindness, that they may growl and bark at us, yet we are still kind to them and go out of our way to give them food and water – that is practice. That is where we start.

This teaching was also a very important one about giving without expectation or agenda. And yet, such selfless generosity somehow makes the act of giving all the more rewarding. This is perhaps the best way to practise the perfection of giving because you can’t possibly expect anything back from a stray dog or cat. So the act itself becomes virtuous, especially if we begin with a good motivation – to be of benefit to others – and dedicate the act afterwards.

Without Rinpoche’s consistent effort in showing his love and care for animals, I don’t think I would know what it really means to ‘love’ animals and how to transform that love into practical and positive actions that we can do on a daily basis. People think that we need to join some big group or organisation to start saving animals, or to go somewhere far away like Antarctica to save an animal. In reality, you can start immediately, wherever you are.

Rinpoche’s idea of keeping our cars stocked with dog food, ready to feed them when we come across them, inspired many other students to also start carrying dog food in their cars. To this day, we still ensure our cars are stocked. From such a simple act, Rinpoche created a wave of kindness, inspiring others to do the same.

Doing something for another being without expecting anything in return is a liberating experience. Imagine if could transfer this act of compassion to all aspects of our lives and to everyone around us? Then there wouldn’t be conflict, jealousy, war and suffering. The world would definitely be a better place.

One thing is for sure – in everything that we do, we need to start somewhere and we need to take small steps at the beginning, as Rinpoche taught and showed us. When I look back, everything Rinpoche did or asked others to do, he always did it first himself. It was followed by the Ladrang (household) team, and then each department within Kechara, until everyone was aware and understood why we were doing it. That way, everyone aligned with Rinpoche’s vision.

Rinpoche spotted this three-legged mummy dog as we were exiting the highway. It was around 3am and Rinpoche saw that she was running around looking for food. He asked us to stop and to give her whatever food we had. There were other strays around which we fed as well, but Rinpoche was very concerned about this particular one. Later, we found she had a huge open wound which was infected with maggots. Rinpoche asked us to help send her to a vet back in the city. You can read more here.

There are many stories about Rinpoche’s ordinary yet great acts of kindness towards animals. This is just one of them. Though it has been told many times, it acts as a reminder that we can and should practise compassion in any way, especially towards those who are weaker, less fortunate and those without a voice. Rinpoche taught us, “Helping others is not a duty, it’s a privilege.” It was certainly a privilege to be able to help serve those animals who would not have otherwise been seen or heard.

Sometimes, after feeding strays, Rinpoche asked us how we felt giving to and helping another being who cannot thank us. If we answered positively and did it happily, it was sign that being kind and compassionate is our innate nature. And true enough, we always did feel good about it. The kind of happiness we feel from helping others is priceless, and we should nurture such actions by doing them more. This is how we practise the Dharma.

Thank you Rinpoche, for those precious life lessons that make our human life a little less self-serving and a little more selfless. Such simple acts of kindness give us purpose to live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. That’s what really brings lasting happiness.

For more interesting information:

• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Social Media to Enlightenment?
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Eating Out with Rinpoche
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Tsem Rinpoche, My Protector
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Looking for That Switch!
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Taboo Words
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Cooking For Rinpoche
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Vajra Yogini or Anger?
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – The Assignment
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Change Karma
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Creating The Causes
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Buddha Images and Imprints
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Food and Dharma
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Spreading Dharma in Jonker Street
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – What’s the New News?
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Mission Impossible

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