Can You Believe What Happened In This Temple?
A picture of a healthy Malayan Sun Bear
I always remind my friends to be kind to animals as they too are living beings that have feelings. It makes me very sad whenever I see animals suffer in the care of irresponsible people. How we treat animals is a reflection of who we really are. If we ill-treat an animal, it just means that we will ill-treat anyone or anything that cannot benefit us. Being kind to animals requires some form of compassion, as one gets nothing back from being kind to an animal except for the joy of seeing another sentient being suffer less.
Recently, one of my students shared the disappointing news that a Sun Bear named Kwan was one of the animals held captive in a Thai temple in Thailand. The captured animals were sickly, malnourished, kept in small cages that reflect nothing of their natural habitat, and deprived of medical care. It saddened me deeply to see how poorly people treat animals… and the saddest part of this story is that this ill-treatment of animals took place in a temple, and for the purpose of opening a zoo! It is extremely disappointing that a temple – a place where people go to learn the Dharma and develop compassion – would have such horrors in their backyard. Remember this is one temple in Thailand and does not reflect other Thai Temples at all. Many Thais are unhappy about this also.
Many years ago, before I started Kechara, I lived in Thailand for a few months. During that time, I visited Thai temples very often as they have beautiful Buddha statues. I also love making dana offerings to the monks in Thailand and I met many, many sincere Dharma practitioners during my stay there. My point… although such an incident happened in a Thai temple, it does not reflect on all Thai temples nor on Buddhism itself.
Some people’s minds may be disturbed by this story, but we must understand that the temple is not the Dharma per se. This is why I always remind my students to apply Buddha’s teachings and methods to become better people. If we don’t, it can become a cause to push people away from Dharma, and that could even make going to the temple a cause for demerit. Why? Because the temple is just a building, and it is the people in the building that determine if the place is holy or not. So, it is our responsibility as Dharma students to make our temple a beneficial place where people can benefit from Buddha’s teachings.
Tsem Rinpoche
Bears Kept in ‘Appalling’ Conditions at Thai Temple
Five Asiatic black bears have been caged for more than three years in one of Thailand’s temples, says the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, which has been fighting for their rescue. The animal welfare group also seized a malnourished sun bear from its premises.
Kwan, the bear that was rescued by the Wildlife Friends Foundation in Thailand
PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: A heartwrenching find during a visit to Wat Ang Suwan, a Buddhist temple in Thailand’s western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, on Saturday (Mar 14).
Members of the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) discovered a three-year-old Malayan sun bear who hardly got any sun. The bear, which they called Kwan, appeared to be skin and bones and looked more like a dog. It had been locked in a room for at least six months.
“Kwan was kept inside a room without windows or any sunlight for many months, and was not fed any decent food, but rice and bananas,” founder and director of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand Edwin Wiek told Channel NewsAsia, adding that “she was completely malnourished when we found her”.
On Sunday, Kwan gave rescuers a scare as she stopped breathing. She was up again, but eventually died the same day. “Rescue was too late, as she was even too weak to get to eat again or be moved,” said Mr Wiek.
According to WFFT, Kwan was not the only bear that has died at the temple. Earlier this month, one of five Asiatic black bears, kept in small cages for more than three years, died from illness.
The rest are showing signs of malnourishment, said the animal welfare group that has been fighting for their release since 2012.
“Two of the bears in the temple are still sick and need urgent treatment, but we have no authority to move them,” Mr Wiek said.
Monks Wanted to Start a Zoo in the Temple
Aside from the bears, the same Buddhist temple once had in its possession six protected species, including two white-handed gibbons, a southern pig-tailed macaque, a stump-tailed macaque, a crab-eating macaque, an otter, and a barking deer.
Mr Wiek, who visited these animals three years ago, said they were all in “appalling conditions, in dirty and small cages”.
Monks at Wat Ang Suwan had said the wildlife had been rescued, and that they planned to open a small zoo within the temple’s compound. However, the animals are classified as “Protected Animals” under Thailand’s Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act. Possession of such animals is illegal unless permission is obtained from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
The temple had failed to provide any legal document to prove their legitimate ownership, and most of the animals were removed from its compound by government officials last year, except the bears.
WFFT said it has submitted three letters of complaint since 2012. However, a Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation official told Channel NewsAsia that it was only notified of the issue recently.
“We had not received a request from our local office to remove the Asiatic black bears until March 6, 2015,” said Ms Jintana Pinnoi from the Wildlife Conservation Office, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. “The request is still being processed,” she added.
According to Ms Jintana, the bears are likely to be transferred to Bang Lamung Wildlife Conserve Station in Chon Buri, 90km east of the capital Bangkok, once the request is approved.
Wildlife on Decline
Wildlife crime is not uncommon in Thailand. In 2013, more than 200 live wild animals, including 14 white lions, were discovered and confiscated by Thai police during a raid on a house in Bangkok.
The country also has a reputation as a hub for international wildlife trade, which continues to endanger many species.
The 2014 Living Planet Report by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said global wildlife populations have declined by 52 per cent since 1970.
[Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/bears-kept-in-appalling/1718898.html]
More Pictures of Kwan, the Sun Bear
Kwan, the Sun Bear was so malnourished that rescuers could not believe they were looking at a bear
After much dispute, Kwan was finally rescued but was physically weak
Kwan, looking affectionately at the person that tried their best to save his life
Unfortunately, Kwan was too weak and never made it. Kwan passed away on 16 March 2015
[Source: http://www.wfft.org/bears-nocturnal-animals/fighting-to-save-kwan-the-sun-bear/]
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It is heartwrenching to see the pictures. Why would they treat the animals in this manner? If they cannot afford or don’t want to take care of the bear, they can pass them to the right authority.
It is more upsetting when this abused are done in a temple, a holy place. Agree with Rinpoche that it is people’s doing and not the place. We cannot generalise Buddhist are cruel but only selected people. I hope the bears that have been rescued can now life happily and freely.
I am not perfect, neither am I a saint for animals but it really bothers me a lot when I see cases whereby animal cruelty and abuse could have been prevented but it was not. Wish Thailand would extend their show of respect to their royalty towards animals as well.
Dear Rinpoche
It was very heart breaking to see how people treat the animals to the stage that the animals are badly hurt or even die .
It is a good advise from Rinpoche on treating the animals. People who can’t treat the pet well, it reflects how the person could treat people around them.
It is very sad to read this news, especially it is from a Buddhist Temple that suppose to bring love and care to sentient beings, but, because of greedy they turn the temple into nite mare for the animal.
It is very true that, if we truly a Buddhist, then we should practice the loving compassion that Buddha taught. After all, as Rinpoche said, the building will just remain as a building. Is the students who responsible to bring the teachings.
Thank you Rinpoche for the teachings
With folded hand
Freon
Thx Rinpoche for sharing this article.First of all I really feel uncomfortable with the photos but I think this good lesson to everyone who not learning dharma yet. In Buddhism we believe on cause n effect(因果）， once everyone know this , I am sure animal abuse case shouldn’t be happened. In my opinion , some say this can be animal karma itself but as a Buddhism we shouldn’t take this as an excuse to kill or abuse animal.if we keep on doing this , we all will keeping 輪回（sorry I can’t remember the terms).
Save the world eat more green.Thanks everyone .
Sad to read it…
how come temple can behave like that…
We need more education on it…
Thanks for sharing….
This is really so unbelievable and so sad. It is pure cruelty and I believe and agree with what Rinpoche says that it is the “people” that would make the place good or bad, holy or not.
Animals have been exploited for centuries for human greed and consumption one way or another and I bet this temple thought they could make extra income from opening a zoo. What kind of temple would have a zoo? Animal conservation and rescue I can understand but a zoo? That’s already the first mistake they made.
It is terribly sad that the laws in such developing countries are not strictly implemented and are not executed fast enough. I hope that this kind of news gets around and create more awareness for people to react faster when they see and hear of such cruelty on animals. If only the Wildlife Conservation Office got the request to release/rescue Kwan sooner, then maybe Kwan’s life could have been saved. Hopefully this is a lesson to implement a more effective system so that more wildlives and animals from these kind of places can be saved. Sorry I do not consider this a temple because of the cruelty it has inflicted upon these poor bears, another sentient being.
“How we treat animals is a reflection of who we really are. If we ill-treat an animal, it just means that we will ill-treat anyone or anything that cannot benefit us. Being kind to animals requires some form of compassion, as one gets nothing back from being kind to an animal except for the joy of seeing another sentient being suffer less.”
The above statement is so true. When I reflect on the people who do not really care for animals, they are not very nice people in general. They are only nice for hidden agendas such as wanting to look good, networking purposes, courting, wanting favors, and so on.
The sun bears are victims of the people in the temple who kept them for financial gains. I guess since not enough money came in, they couldn’t be bothered to take care of the animals. If the people in the temple kept them for the sake of the animal’s well being, this would not have happened.
This is an example of extreme selfishness where the welfare and lives of other beings are disregarded. Perhaps they were brought up in an environment where money was the main focus and salvation to their happiness.
Instilling loving kindness and compassion in children, in my opinion, is very important. Without these qualities, humanity will become cold and ruthless. There will be constant violence and chaos. No one will ever be at peace.
“Because the temple is just a building, and it is the people in the building that determine if the place is holy or not.” – a powerful, sobering reminder that regardless of where we reside, whether it is under a gilded three-storey roof or in a thatched hut, it is our practice that ultimately matters. Rinpoche has always told us that just because you are in the Dharma, it does not mean that the Dharma is in you, and the temple will become any other building if the activities being proliferated under its roof are not holy, sacred or Dharmic.
In the case of this temple, I’m not sure how their actions fall under “right livelihood” where instead of rescuing animals, this temple’s residents became involved in the proliferation of suffering. It’s very disappointing to see that a group of people would want to start a zoo, presumably for fundraising, when instead they could attract sponsorship and contributions via means that do not involve the suffering of sentient beings. After all, Thailand is a Buddhist country where support for monks is not exactly lacking.
If anything, actions like these damages the public’s perception of monks and makes it even harder for sincere, genuine practitioners to get the support they need for their practice.
In this case, the actions of WFFT proved to be far more holy than the actions of the temple.
You wonder though, what kind of karma the bear accumulated in a previous life to be reborn into a place where theoretically she should’ve been the safest, but instead she was made to suffer horribly before dying.
I am in complete shock and outrage because of this. This is so cruel. They completely neglected this bear and this poor animal passed away because of their irresponsibility and their ignorance. That is a life and it was not the only animal there as well. That is very sad.
I am in shock because this happened at a temple. That is meant to be a holy place not a zoo or a tourist attraction. It is meant to be a place for the Dharma and to learn. Secondly, even if they want to have animals at a zoo, they must take care of them because it is their responsibility. That temple is not a true holy buddhist temple if they can allow this to happen. That is subjectiveness because they do not care about the animals even though they can teach the Dharma. That is hypocrisy.
These animal abuse cases are too common now and they should not be. These are lives and they deserve lives to live too. Governments should have stricter rules and fines to animal abusers because if people get punished for what they do then they will stop. Because they may not care for the animals, but they care for themselves. We need stricter rules for animal abuse cases. This must stop soon.
Its really a shame that people treat animals like this. How could you do such a thing to an animal? Or a bear in this case. And in a temple? A place thats meant to be holy, aware and filled with compassion. Its just disappointing to know that there is till such a large amount of disrespect for animals. And in such a place as a temple as well.
On the other hand, i am happy that the bear in this article was found and taken cared of. I can only imagine the state of the bear if it was not found, and was left alone with not even proper lighting. It probably would have died. When i looked at the images in the article, i thought it was a rescued stray dog. Then as i read on, i realised it was a bear and i was truly shocked. Bears are huge creatures. All of them. And to see one in that condition where its legs are skinny and you can see its ribcage, shocking.
Now, i see a good meaning to this article and of course a bad meaning as well. The bad meaning is that, in general, animals are still being treated badly, and abused. Then good meaning however, is that there are still people out there willing to help. Willing to make a different. As long as people help i am okay. Not saying that i am okay with animals suffering, but i have hope in humanity.
It is very sad to read this article, and I get shiver when reading this. It reminds me the negative karma the person has collected for harming another sentient being 🙁
We need to be kind to everyone. Even if we cannot be kind, at the very least, we should not harm others.
Dear Rinpoche,
It is shocking to hear this news about animal cruelty especially when it occurs in a buddhist temple. The temple should be a safe and peaceful place for all living beings but its practically hell for these bears. It is totally unbelievable that these kinds of animal cruelty can take place in a temple where compassion is being taught and practised day and night.
This shows that not all practice what they preach.
Chris
It is heartbreaking to see the state of the bears, especially Kwan, which is only skin and bones.
When people think of animal cruelty, often we think of violence inflicted on an animal. However, a more common form of animal abuse is neglect. Sometimes animal suffering from neglect is worse than those who are victims of directly inflicted violence because their suffering is prolonged. The pain of an animal who suffers untreated illness/ wounds, or without proper nourishment or shelter, can be tremendous.
Animal neglect situations are those in which the animal’s caretaker or owner fails to provide food, water, shelter, or care sufficient for survival. Whether deliberate or unintentional, either way, the animal suffers terribly and extended periods of neglect can lead to seriously compromised health and death.
We can help to reduce animal cruelty or negligence through increasing public awareness. With more awareness and education, pet owners or animals caretakers can adjust their animal’s living conditions.
On a personal level, we can promote and share posts on animal welfare on social media, and support campaigns to change laws where animal welfare is suffering.
If you witness animal abuse or neglect, report it to your local law enforcement. If these authorities agree that there’s the possibility of neglect or abuse, they will investigate and decide how to help the animal.
agreed…
Thank you, Rinpoche.
Boon
Temple consider a holy place but this temple has turn to be a hell for animals. How can they treated animal in such cruel way.
I remember in “earthling” mentioned that animals do not have all the desires we humans have; granted, they do not comprehend everything we humans comprehend; nevertheless, we and they do have some of the same desires and do comprehend some of the same things. The desires for food and water, shelter and companionship, freedom of movement and avoidance of pain ,these desires are shared by nonhuman animals and human beings. As for comprehension: like humans, many nonhuman animals understand the world in which they live and move. Otherwise, they could not survive.
This shows that all beings want to be happy, be Kind to Animals.
It’s very devastating to look at the pictures, it’s even more shocking to know that the people living in temple have been abusing Kwan to the extend that he doesn’t even look like a bear anymore. A temple represents the religion and they should be more kind and tolerant, I personally do not think this is the way to show people what Buddhism is about in this case, it reflects Buddhism very badly. Buddhism/ other religions are not bad, it’s the people who do not hold it well and being disrespectful that makes us think this or that religion is bad. We must always think of our actions and think twice before we do anything, because if we are not aware or mindful, we may cause conflicts or even wrong views.
I hope that Kwan take a good rebirth and may it never have to go through this again. I can’t imagine and understand how could someone abuse an animal to this extend. What is wrong with them? Don’t they have a sense of empathy?
Dear Rinpoche,
It is shocking to see that there were actually animals suffering in a Buddhist temple! I could not believe this at all! How could monks be so blind and uncaring to what they were doing to the sun bears? This is unbelievable!
Whatever their intentions were, be it good or bad, they should have taken the bears and other animals to a better facilitated compound. Honestly, I don’t know what to say.
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
I can’t believe this is what a temple, or rather the people who manage the temple would do to animals? Why would they want a zoo in a temple? that doesn’t make sense. To make money out of it, perhaps? Like what Rinpoche has said, it’s so important for us not just listen to Dharma teachings but also to apply in our daily lives. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of life. Dharma teaches us to understand sufferings and alleviate sufferings by practising it. Yet by looking at these bears, it’s pure suffering for them. How could a place teaching Dharma and conducting prayers for others, at the back, they create more sufferings on others? Illogical.
This is a shocking news of animal cruelty & it is very unfortunate that it took place in a Buddhist temple. As it does cast a wrong view of the religion to the general public because most people would agree that a holy place is suppose to give refuge to the weak & practice kindness & compassion to all beings, animal no exception.
The fact shows that the degeneration of our human nature & the lack of understanding of the essence of the teaching has declined, even among some of the ordained persons.
As Rinpoche has pointed out, it is not the temple nor the teaching that is not correct, it is the wrong of the people in it because the temple is just a building.
I sincerely hope that those responsible had regretted the harm they have caused to Kwan & not to repeat the same mistakes again with the other animals still in captivity.
May Kwan has a swift & good rebirth.
Thank you Rinpoche for remind me the importance of learning & practicing the dharma.
This is so sad. Kwan doesn’t even look like a bear! It is a shame that this temple is so irresponsible and had so many animals in captive and mistreat them in such horrible condition! If they do not have the means or the knowledge to take care of the animals it is better not to start a zoo. As in the case of Kwan, they should not have kept him for so long but to hand over to the relevant authority!
I wish Kwan a better rebirth.
The pictures of the animals in their cages are shocking. The temple clearly acted in an irresponsible manner by keeping these animals but failed to take good care of them. The idea of starting a zoo was not a good idea as they did not know how to care for animals. They should have sent the animals to a wildlife conserve station in the first place.
It is really so sad to see Kwan and the rest of the other animals held captive at Wat Ang Suwan had to go through so much suffering.
It is really shocking that it was the management behind this temple that formed the idea of having a zoo within their temple grounds and because they failed to get the permits to do so, subjected so many endangered wildlife species to hunger, suffering and even death for some.
Temples are places which are supposed to radiate compassion but this temple had done the exact opposite by not only keeping animals in tiny enclosures but also not caring for them properly at all.
May Kwan have a good and swift rebirth.