Read this post!
Dear friends,
I was referred to this blogsite called imprints.com.my and I was very moved by this article posted by the author. So I extracted the article to share with you here… You can feel the compassion from the author towards Jojo. This post is part one as I think the Author will write more about how they make a bigger cage for Jojo. That should be part two perhaps. Do read and see the pictures below.
Jojo seems to be loved, but see how the other monkeys are treated. Remember monkeys are highly intelligent and sensitive animals… cousins to humans. Pain is suffering no matter who has to endure it. Whether we are very intelligent or not, pain can be registered. How much pain we are ‘allowed’ to give another should not depend on how intelligent that creature is. It should depend on can they feel pain? If they can, we should never inflict pain on them.
I thank the author for the compassion in helping Jojo and bringing more awareness to the plight of animals.
Never hurt animals. Never eat them. Never give pain to another no matter what.
Tsem Rinpoche
You can click below and go directly to the blog also to read.
Source: http://imprints.com.my/2011/12/18/jojo/
A few weeks ago, I accompanied a friend to a place in PJ to answer a Room To Let advertisement. We got a bit lost and stopped to ask for instructions whereupon I came across a sight that was heart wrenching. There, in the compound of an old house at a cul-de-sac I saw Jojo for the first time. Jojo is a Macaque monkey kept in a relatively small and rusty cage.
Jojo “belongs” to a family who lives in that house and I shall call the head of the family, Aboy.
Aboy, as I have come to know, is a motor mechanic who works very hard to provide for his family. He is the sole breadwinner and on the best of weeks, he barely manages to make ends meet. That one of his two young daughters suffer from spinal bifida doesn’t make things any easier. And yet, it was a happy enough household.
Aboy loves animals and around the compound is a little Noah’s Ark and you see things that would surprise you such as a goose nudging a Rottweiler aside to get to the dog’s water bowl.
Four years ago, Aboy was on his way home when he came across a group of boys throwing stones at a baby monkey who had just lost its mother. He decided to rescue the monkey and took it home. Aboy relates his story of how he used to feed baby Jojo from his daughter’s milk bottle.
And here is the bitter-sweet. Jojo being rescued and looked after by a kind man who loves him and yet without the resources that he would like to have to give Jojo a better living condition. I asked Aboy what he feeds Jojo and he answered softly…”dog food”.
I don’t know much about monkeys but I am used to seeing them in tress. Free. And macaque monkeys as I have learned, are both arboreal as well as terrestrial. Even as they spend quite a bit of time on land, they need space to move about in trees. Also it is in their nature to want space and strong social interaction and structure. It was not easy to look into Jojo’s eyes. Eyes that longed to be let out and participate in whatever was going on.
Jojo understands tenderness
Aboy reaches his hand into the cage and touched Jojo on the face, and there for quite a few minutes I witnessed a real connection between two sentient beings.
Over the next few weeks I visited them often, bringing fruits and nuts for Jojo. Each time, I would blow mantra ON AH RA BHA TSA NA DHI and OM MANE PADME HUM on Jojo to create imprints in his mind stream, as I have been taught by Tsem Rinpoche. Last week, as we sat by Jojo’s cage Aboy asked if it would be better for him to release Jojo. I told him I would love to see Jojo free although I have no idea where to release Jojo and whether the kid can be re-socialized into a macaque population.
And what about toys? Well, the only entertainment Jojo gets is a rag that hangs from the top of his cage which he uses as a swing, and then there is the occasional “swim” in a small pail of water.
Anyone in there?
And in he goes…
Jojo dives in head first and comes out almost immediately spluttering and spitting. Like all kids with water.
Aboy laughs at Jojo’s antics and wishes he could do more. It was not a pretty environment. And apparently, monkeys sense the environment the very same way we do.
The thought of Jojo in the small cage plagued me for days. I called around and nobody seemed to know how to go about releasing a monkey. But all agreed, that it would be difficult for Jojo, now a young adult male to be accepted into a monkey population in captivity. Monkeys are territorial and protective and would see Jojo and an external menace. There was only one thing we can do in the meantime.
I started making some calls to friends and animal lovers. Collectively we made a decision and I called Aboy to deliver the news. We would like to build bigger living quarters for Jojo on the house compound – would Aboy mind?
Today, I was there to visit again. The contractors were there too to take measurements. Jojo’s new quarters will be 10′ by 7′ with a 8′ high roof. It was fun “designing” Jojo’s new home. Aboy’s daughter wanted a proper swing for Jojo. Aboy wanted to have a small table in there so that “the whole family can eat together”. Aboy’s wife, who just lost her clothes-drying area suggested a small pool. She loves animals too.
And Jojo? He just wanted fresh fruits now that he has worked out what they are all about.
Which he deserves.
Jojo’s situation may not be ideal but far worst horrors are experienced by countless monkeys in human laboratories. Take a look. [Source: http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/monkey.html]
(Monkey – Malish – 01) This is Malish, one of eight monkeys who have been condemned to suffer as part of this research project at Hebrew University in Israel.
(Monkey – Malish – 02) Anyone who could conduct such a sadistic experiment on Malish and other monkeys certainly could not be one of the children of God who the Israelites claim to be; for if a person truly loves God, he or she would also love the whole of God’s creation. In our opinion, this photo proves that such researchers don’t really love God.
(Monkey – Malish – 03) One would think that the Holocaust would have taught all Israelites compassion toward all other living beings, but this photo of Malish proves otherwise. The Nazis dehumanized the Jews to excuse what they did to them. To us, these researchers are just as evil.
(Monkey – Malish – 04) How anyone could look into Malish’s eyes and not see his pleading for compassion is beyond our comprehension. Thus we must conclude that these sadistic researchers are evil.
(Monkey – Malish – 05) Even if some people might conclude that monkeys are beasts, in the Bible, Proverbs 12:10, we are taught:
“A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast,
But the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” (NAS)
Thus, from the photos of Malish, we can only conclude that the researchers at Hebrew University are wicked.
(Monkey – Malish – 06) Until we human beings learn to have love and compassion for all of God’s other living souls (Hebrew: neh-fesh khah-yawh), we will never have peace among our fellow human beings. These experimenters at Hebrew University in Israel are making war on Malish and his companions. We can come to no other conclusion!
(Monkey – Malish – 07) Even after all this torture and torment, Malish’s eyes still express gentleness. He appears much more Godly than the humans who perform these atrocities and the members of our society who sit back with blinded eyes and indifference and do nothing to stop these things from happening. Well, it’s in front of our eyes now, and we no longer can excuse this evil away.
Group
(Monkey – Group – 01) This photo was taken in a holding pen for baby macaques at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center. We can easily see that they are lovingly comforting one another, but for the whole group to be doing this is a strong indication that they are all under severe emotional stress. Our thanks to Gary Adams for helping us properly identify this photo.
Restraint Chair
(Monkey – Chair – 01) In order to restrain the monkey’s movements during certain types of experiments, he or she is placed in a restraint chair like this one. This monkey has had electrodes implanted in the brain.
(Monkey – Chair – 02) This is another kind of restraint chair that has a clamp that fits around the monkey’s neck. There is something very haunting about the expression on this monkey’s face. Could it be loss of hope?
(Monkey – Chair – 03) This type of chair allows some freedom of movement, but no matter what the monkey does, he or she cannot get his or her head loose. If this were done to us, we would consider it a form of torture; and this is exactly what researchers are doing to the monkeys.
(Monkey – Chair – 04) This monkey is really struggling to get loose, but it is all to no avail. The restraint device keeps her firmly in the chair so that she can be experimented upon.
(Monkey – Chair – 05) Common sense tells us that a monkey would not want to be clamped into a chair, such as this one, any more than we would. Thus, the researchers often deprive the monkey of food prior to being clamped into the chair. Then they feed the monkey when he or she is in the chair, so that the monkey will associate being fed with being in the chair, and give the researchers fewer problems.
(Monkey – Chair – 06) This is another photo of a monkey eating in one of the researcher’s restraint chairs. It’s doubtful whether this monkey will be this “contented” once the electrode in his or her head is hooked up and the experiment begins.
(Monkey – Chair – 07) This monkey sits in utter boredom with arms crossed on the front bar of the restraint chair. In our opinion, to subject any living being to such conditions is a sign of human depravity.
(Monkey – Chair – 08) This is another type of restraint chair that is used by the University of Wisconsin. Note that in this chair the monkey is restrained at the neck and hips and is unable to touch or scratch himself or herself. This must be real torture!
(Monkey – Chair – 09) Note the way the ring is screwed into the monkey’s head and the pained expression on his or her face. We believe that this type of biomedical research is nothing but legalized sadism.
(Monkey – Chair – 10) This monkey, in a restraining device, was subjected to neurological experiments conducted by Dr. Edward Taub. Dr. Taub is the only vivisector to have been tried and sentenced for cruelty to animals. Later, on appeal he was exculpated for a legal cavil: his experiments were not subjected to animal protection regulations.
(Monkey – Chair – 11) We believe this is a 30 to 50 year old photo from Scotland which shows an earlier version of the restraint chairs. We are not sure why the monkeys are outside in these restraints, but they’re all hollering about something beyond camera range.
(Monkey – Chair – 12) This monkey is forced to sit for hours in this restraint chair. Think of how often we move when we are sitting in an uncomfortable chair and how horrible it would be if we couldn’t move even our arms, and we’ll get some idea of how much these monkeys suffer, even when not being experimented upon. Because of all the abuse, even the compassionate hand of the undercover investigator causes terror.
(Monkey – Chair – 13) The undercover investigator tries to comfort this monkey who has been clamped down in this restraint chair, where he or she cannot even move his or her arms. The torture of this monkey is being done in full view of the caged monkeys, which causes them to have a lot of stress, too. Testing on animals must end!
(Monkey – Chair – 14) Note the way both arms of this monkey are tied down, and how his or her suffering is in full view of the other monkeys in the cages. To do this to any living being is an abomination before God.
(Monkey – Chair – 15) This monkey has been fastened in a restraint chair, where his or her movements are severely restricted. If we can imagine ourselves in such a situation, we may come close to understanding the suffering this monkey is going through.
(Monkey – Chair – 16) These monkeys are locked into these restraint chairs for many hours, while they’re experimented upon. These devices are absolutely sadistic, as are those humans who devise and use them.
(Monkey – Chair – 17) This is a side view of the restraint chairs that are use to keep the monkeys from moving while being experimented upon. A real torture chamber!
(Monkey – Chair – 18) This is another look at two of the monkeys that are locked into these torturous restraint chairs.
(Monkey – Chair – 19) This is another look at a monkey who has been fastened into a torturous restraint chair. People really have to be evil to do this to another living being.
(Monkey – Chair – 20) This is a lower view of a restraint chair into which this monkey has been securely fastened. Stop the experimenting and testing on animals!
(Monkey – Chair – 21) For the monkeys in this laboratory, it must be like living every day of your live in a torture chamber, where restraint chairs like this one are one of the many instruments of torture. This monkey can be seen screaming.
(Monkey – Chair – 22) It is impossible to look at a photo like this one of a monkey fastened into a restraint for hours on end, and not realize that there is no such thing as the humane treatment of animals in laboratories. Every animal in them suffers greatly every day of their lives.
(Monkey – Chair – 23) Look at the pleading look on the face of this monkey to be free from this torturous restraint chair. We can almost feel the physical torment of this monkey and the emotional torment that was inflicted upon the undercover investigator whose desire was to free the monkey, but knowing that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to expose the truth and hopefully end the suffering of all laboratory animals.
(Monkey – Chair – 24) This torture chamber looking device is a University of Houston Primate Restraint Chair.
(Monkey – Chair – 25) This is another look at a University of Houston Primate Restraint Chair.
(Monkey – Chair – 26) This is another look at a University of Houston Primate Restraint Chair.
(Monkey – Chair – 27) This is another look at a University of Houston Primate Restraint Chair. Just think of how miserable you would feel confined to a device like this for many hours.
(Monkey – Chair – 28) This photo of a monkey in a restraint chair was taken from a report of a laboratory experiment.
Abuse
(Monkey – Abuse – 01) This is an undercover photo of a monkey being deliberately abused by having his or her arms bent back while being carried by a worker at a large testing laboratory. It is evil to mistreat any living being simply because you have the power to do so.
(Monkey – Abuse – 02) This is an undercover photo of a monkey being severely choked by a worker at a large testing laboratory. This is just one of many abuse situations going on behind closed doors.
(Monkey – Abuse – 03) Because these monkeys don’t want to be experimented upon, a heavily gloved technician has to restrain the monkeys by bending their arms and shoulders toward the monkey’s back. To us, this is nothing but abuse.
May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits.
May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil, or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
With a mind weighed down by depression.
May the blind see forms
And the deaf hear sounds,
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.
May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food;
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.
May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy;
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness, and prosperity.
May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests;
May all medicines be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit.
May all who are sick and ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
May they never occur again.
May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed;
May the powerless find power,
And may people think of benefiting each other.
For as long as space remains,
For as long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.
~Shantideva
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If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Seriously these satanistic eperiments on animals shouldn’t be tolerated let alone implemented!! They deserve equal happiness and freedom as much as any human. I’m sorry to see the plight on these monkeys and I am sure plenty other animals who suffer too. I will keep Rinpoche’s advice in my mind and may it be as is mentioned in Shantideva’s prayers.
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Dear Rinpoche, I agree with all of what Rinpoche wrote on the above. If they think that they love God then they shouldn’t be doing all these pointless experiments. I said their experiments are pointless is because at the end no matter the reason the results they gain is just something you can remember it in this life. But Karma will follow us to everywhere we go even after death.
It is just sad that these monkeys go through such bad experiences. I do agree that monkeys are just like us. The way they can feel are like us. No matter which animal it is, they are able to experience emotions just like us. I really hope that one day we would not need to use animals to do any more experiments any more. How the animal may react to the mediations or a situation is different from how a human would react to it. Scientist should just understand this point and stop using these animals as a miniature version of us humans to test our drugs and things like that!
I couldn’t stand seeing all the different methods that they used to inflict into Jojo. I almost cried, i had to scroll down the page before i did. I dont know what else to say besides please be good to animals. Love them and care for them. They do not need to be treated this way. Everyone can make a difference.
As buddhist practicioners, we must not forget that we are not to harm, kill, or abuse animals, but to adopt a way to demonstrate buddhist piety to release all animal beings to freedom and/or help them whenever possible to their eventual liberation; like in the case of Jojo, the Monkey. Animals always being regarded as sentient beings by buddhists, who could hve been our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children or friends in their past lives. Sadly to say, sources from SPCA, indicated that tens of thousands of these animals were cruelly been used in scienctific and medical researches, often under undetestable and undesirable methods of tortureous painful testings which these poor helpless beings suffered in great intensed pains, as what were displayed in the blogs!!! Though, however certain authorities gave assurances of the need to ensure that these animals’ beings are treated with the minimal of sufferings and as merciful as possible – but who is to know except the poor animals themselves!
In general, I rejoice for Jojo.
At first it may look sad for Jojo to be trap in such a small cage but later after reading the story more, by releasing Jojo might not be a good idea. Worried that Jojo might not able take care of himself.
Getting more excited knowing that they going to make a bigger cage for him.
To me the best part is Aboy and family love Jojo and will take good care of him.
Seeing the other pictures of the monkeys really disturbing. Still cannot understand how can people torture the animal in such a way. The monkeys feel the same pain as human. When they scream and shout for pain how can they still continue torturing them?
They are animals but doesn’t need to go through all this pain. We want a better living so do them.
JOjo is lucky to have met Aboy. Thank u Aboy for looking after Jojo.
It’s heart wrenching to see the experiments done on the monkeys and other animals in the name of science. Is it really necessary? Haven’t our ancestors been taking good care of themselves without resorting to such inhumanity ?
It is really painful to look at the pictures as I imagine the pain and torture they have to go through everyday. How can people be so cruel? But in Jojo’s case, he has the good karma to meet the author who is helping him to have a better environment. As for the monkeys suffering for the experiments, the negative karma that will continue till they get to meet Dharma, may they have the good fortune and good rebirth when they do.
Dearest Rinpoche, Thank you for blogging this bring the awareness to everyone. I read this earlier on my mobile but was not able to response to it due to constraints of the mobile phone. It is really sad that how cruel some humans are conducting test on animals and some the delicacies of monkey brain served on the table with a life monkey musk and tied in a box. In the case of JOJO, it is really really sad that it has to be in a cage but yet for him to return to the natural habitat would also be a problem for him to re-assimilate the the environment and acceptance from the herd. I truly believe in the power of prayers to Mother Tara may SHE open up a way for JOJO that is best for her, May all animals be free from torture from human. OM MANI PEDME HUNG.
I’m not surprise that human are doing these. Especially in China. They eat monkey’s brain alive because of some unlogical reasons. I relate this closely to myself. If me and my kids are those monkeys. How can i take this pain for myself and even watching my kids being tortured till death. I’ll rather kill them myself than seeing them baring this pain everyday. By thinking of the sufferings of these monkeys and other animals, I have to make sure I will not reborn as a monkey. I’ll meditate on it and dedicate my prayers to the monkeys, hope they could suffer less.
那猴子跟我们长得很像，跟我们的孩子长得很像。也同样无助、恐惧、无力。
Animal has been sacrificed for many years in many medical experiments. I think it may not be totally banned by our society. Also, in this modern day all of us have enjoyed in one way or other, the benefits of these researches. Most of the new medicines, antibiotics, cosmetics, surgical techniques and medical devices were tested on animals like guinea pigs, monkeys; rabbit etc before the clinical trials are carried out on human beings. Thus, many animals were sacrificed before a new medicine is marketed.
Please refer to this article (Where is the evidence that animal research benefits humans?) published in BMJ (British Medical Journal) in 2004. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC351856/
By ensuring that animal experiments do not set out to answer questions that have already been answered, systematic reviews support the principle of reduction. This principle, outlined in the “three Rs,” (reduction and replacement of animals and refinement of procedures), is held to be a cornerstone of animal research. Ideally, new animal studies should not be conducted until the best use has been made of existing animal studies and until their validity and generalizability to clinical medicine has been assessed.
Since we are unable to stop animal research totally, and we benefit from them, we should use our current rebirth to support and carry out meritorious activities to benefit back other sentient beings.
Jojo is in a way lucky to have some good karma to meet Aboy then being stumbled upon by the author of imprint who extended more help. If it wasn’t for Aboy’s kind heart despite his own circumstances, who rescued Jojo, maybe Jojo would have been stoned to death. It is heart-warming to see such kindness still exist. It also shows no matter what, we can play our part in alleviating animal cruelty and suffering just as Aboy and the author did for Jojo.
It is shameful to see humans taking advantage of their power over those weaker. If only there were more tighter and stronger laws against animal cruelty in every country to end research done on animals in labs. One small way we can surely participate if we really care for animals is to stop eating them and to also only use products that’s ethical, free from animal testing. If there is a huge majority of consumer switch, this can create a global shift in the demand and supply chain of things.
The author of imprint.com.my and her friend are very caring and considerate, knowing that releasing Aboy might not be the best thing for him, they build a bigger cage for Aboy so that he can have a better living environment.
The pictures taken from the research center are really shocking and inhumane. The way they treat the monkey is so cruel, even though they monkey cannot talk but from their eyes we can see they are in suffering.
Life is a life whether it is a human or animal, if we are not going to treat a human this way in a laboratory, we shouldn’t be treating an animal this way either.
It is heartening to hear of the few people who are doing their part to rescue our furry friends like JoJo, but there are too few of them. The huge conglomerates that exploit and abuse animals for science and testing are making animals suffer by the thousands. How can we even begin to start rescuing them all? I guess this is what samsara is about, I guess this is why Chenrezig looks upon the world and despairs. For every person who inflicts such pain on another being, they too will have to come back and suffer the same – and so the cycle goes.
I remember once Rinpoche told some of us that yes, it is impossible to rescue every single animal out there, but if we can even help 10 animals, that is 10 animals less that will have to suffer. We can dedicate the merit from doing this, to being able to rescue many more in the future – that we may have the resources, help and money to do so. Also, that we can raise the mass consciousness in the world to treat animals better. If everyone in our neighbourhood was to rescue just one cat, for example, imagine how many cats’ lives that saves! It all adds up.
If only we can have more people like the author of the blog!! More Jojos in the world would experience less sufferings.
If only KAS is up! Jojo would surely be released into the sanctuary with protection, care and freedom to jump from trees to trees!
To all those organizations that subject animals (our fellow sentient beings!!!) to cruel experiments in the name of scientific research – please STOP now! There must be other ways to test out new products!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this. And thanks also go out to Aboy & Mrs Aboy for giving Jojo a home, with the help of the author of imprints.com.my and his/her friends.
Poor Jojo, but it’s nice to know someone would care enough to do something and make Jojo’s living space more bearable. We don’t have to go out to save the world, but going the extra mile to help others, even if the other being cannot say “thank you” to us, is practising compassion in action.
Thank you for sharing this post with us Rinpoche.
So nice to know that Jojo was rescued and saved by Aboy from being harm by others. On the other hand, it’s so sad to see other animals suffer and being abused. It is not possible to stop the world from harming all these animals and the least I can do to contribute to saving the animals is to stop eating meat and not to use products tested on animals.
非常感人的真人真事，人间还有情。谢谢仁波切的分享。
如果这世界上每一个人类都能爱护动物，不吃不杀它们。不把环境破坏，不要送它们当试验品，
那该多好呢？现在的天灾，大部分都是人类造成的，把森林的树砍掉，
把海洋污染。。。。这一切的人为，都是在伤害着地球。天灾人祸，自作自受。
读到Ahboy的故事，一家人对Jojo的爱，非常感动，人间还有爱，我希望世界每个角落的人类，
救救地球，爱护动物，其实这就是在救自己。
I can’t imagine if i am being experimented this way.
This reminds me of a movie my family watched recently “Rise of the Planets of the Apes”. During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to FREEDOM.
Its so easy to IGNORE others pain and sufferings cause we are not the ones to experience it. Much lesser if its animals. Human race seems superior and our lives are valued far more than other species. Like that, we tend to think and treat the animals with lesser respect.
My action point: In my weekly volunteering in school, I will keep this theme in mind when selecting the books for storytelling. Educating the kids to value lives must be emphasized from young.
Thanks Rinpoche for showing the direction in how ones life could be better.
The worst part might be that these researchers have free reign over what they wish to test and how they do it, so most likely the torture creates no actual results. Not pertinent to anything that could “benefit” humans. Drilling electrodes into a monkey’s head is nothing more than archaic Frankenstein “research.” We wouldn’t want to be tortured and tested on, so why would monkeys want to?
I hope Jojo will get to live in a bigger cage soon. I’m no expert on monkeys but I hope this is the best solution now.
The photos of monkeys being tortured for scientific research make me sick. But if they are contributing to some kind of cure or life-saving medicine then perhaps the monkeys may be accumulating merits for themselves? I guess most people don’t have the far-sightedness to know the long term outcome of such a situation, the big picture. Perhaps it is possible to do scientific research without harming any being.
Dear Rinpoche
Just because the human being is more intelligent, strong in all aspects compare to other living beings, and we want progress in technology, therefore we take for granted other living beings. We don’t bother, we dont care. We can be selfish. we can be cruel. Is this our true nature? The Lord Buddha said no. Let us do our part to relay this message to people around us. The true nature of human being should be compassionate.
It warms my heart when I hear that there are people who care so much for animal even he/she is not wealthy. Like the author humbly said, this may not be the best place for Jojo, but what really counts is he really spent the time and effort to think of a solution for Jojo.
Dear Rinpoche, thanks for sharing the heart-touching story about Jojo…As for the abuse photos, I could hardly look at them without crying and feeling so sad that others would cause such suffering for themselves by harming others…I am always deeply touched by your compassion and generosity with all realms of beings. I have many animals and always give them a beautiful spacious place to live in, along with proper nutrition and care, as well as reciting mantras for them daily. Although I donate to various local rescue animal charities to help feed and take care of rescue animals, I would love to help you help more animals like Jojo, so I will make a donation to your animal sanctuary today to help you help others in need. Also, Shantideva’s The Way of the Bodhisattva, is such a powerful book on helping us understand what true Bodhichitta is…May all beings read this and act in a fiercely compassionate way that will help liberate those in suffering…Om Mani Padme Hum*
If the monkey is in damansara, you can set it free at kiara hill. There’s alot of monkeys around, that look like it.I’ve been there for almost all my life cycling in the trails.XD Instead of having it in the cage, let it free and let it live amongst itself.
“May the frightened cease to be afraid,
And those bound be freed;
May the powerless find power….”
(Quotation from Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara Dedication Prayer)
When i recite these lines of the above prayer from now on, I will be forever filled with the vision of the monkeys in their restraining chairs with electrodes on their brains.
Jojo’s cruel treatment in the hands of his sadistic tormentors (before his rescue)was painful enough already to read about and visualize. But the monkeys fastened in restraining chairs, screaming helplessly in pain as electrodes are activated on their brains and elsewhere!!!…There’s no apt word to describe the depravity, sadism and inhuman cruelty of the laboratory researchers doing this to them in the name of science and research!
Are animals and humans an independent entity?
How many sentient beings are starving and hurting behind the word of God/Religion/Science/ Faith?
How many animals are used in research every year?How is animal research regulated? How are the animals cared for? What actually happens to research animals? How does the use of animals in research and testing compare with other uses of animals by society? Is a Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals Enought? http://oacu.od.nih.gov/regs/guide/guide.pdf
These human dual minds create pictures of a dual world in which we live….and…we observe a lot of judgment.
The public debate on animal research sometimes gets so heated that the facts can be overlooked.
With our Respect and Gratitude,
CPD Team
cruel indeed.never seems to see such kind of photo in public.Everyone should cross the see of suffering and attain nirvana after looking these photo of cruelty.This is a reminder to human beings.Have compassion to animals.Especially those that are not malevolent or do not attack human beings.
….Thank you so much for sharing although it makes me sad, very sad. Especially to see the monkey’s who are abused and tortured. And thank you for the beautiful prayer of compassion of Shantideva. (I copied it to read is over and over)
….Thank you for sharing although it makes me feel sad, very sad especially seeing all the money’s who are mistreated and tortured. And thanks for the most beautiful prayer of Shantideva. (which I copied to read over and over again.
The pictures of the torture inflicted on those poor beings is like a scene from hell. As buddhists we are taught that all sentient beings have been our mother. Would any of us allow our mothers to be treated in such a way as these poor monkeys are? Of course not! We would rise up and demand that this savage brutality end at once! Thank you again Rinpoche for your compassion, for showing the true nature of samsaric existence, and for sharing the story of Jojo.
Last year I committed to become a vegetarian as an offering to you and to serve as a symbol of devotion to you and to honor your request for people to give up meat. This year I will make a commitment to being more aware of what I buy as a consumer. I will avoid buying products that carry out the kind of testing as shown in the pictures you posted and will encourage others to follow suit. Thanks again Rinpoche for all that you do for us and all sentient beings!
It’s very sad to see how animals are being used in laboratory for testing for the welfare of future man-kind. Even though this processes have found solutions for many ‘weird’ illnesses and cure many disease through science, it still doesn’t mean we have to used another being for that purpose. Conveniently saying ‘using’ a being for testing so that the privilege of a healthier life goes to another being just doesn’t make sense as NO LIVING BEING wishes to be ‘used’ in this manner and all beings wishes happiness and dislikes misery. I’m sure everyone agrees on this.
It may appears that some might say that animals have no feelings, they can’t speak up, they are meant for us to eat and some even feels that they are more of an inferior beings compare to humans so exploiting them is fine. This is an inhumane behaviour. What RIGHTS do we have??? Not forgetting that all of us are living together on the same planet. We breath the same air, drink the same water and enjoys the same environment. This applies to humans as well. It would be very selfish just thinking for oneself only and neglecting the survival of others. We all deserve to live and to live well and better because this is the RIGHTS of all living beings as all of us are EQUAL and we all have the same aspiration and wish ~ WE ALL WANT HAPPINESS….
Dear Rinpoche,
It is too hard to see the monkeys suffering. I do not want to cause suffering.
Thank you Rinpoche, at the late of night, struggling with my lack of focus and mental obstacles to study the glorious Lam Rim, I sat down at my computer to print an image of Manjushri to keep at my area of studying. I saw your plea and read this post. As I have experienced, being severly ignorant for the most of my life and prone to selfindulgence, being confronted with horrors such as these, I find my body and heart seeking the refuge of apathy and loss of hope. That is not a pleasant feeling, but has turned up to be useful in the sense of determination. As the verses of Shantideva came up on my screen I could not resist reciting them openly as I took this feeling of apathy and horror as fuel and a representation of right motivation, which shamefully aren’t a big part of my person at this moment in time, and by doing so a calmness and clarity, omit a tad fierce presented itself. The endpoint of this is, your blog and posts are highly effective to awaken compassion and determination in oneself and a constant reminder when the “dharma” becomes a mere supply of intellectual enjoyment, that the world and the faces of those who urgently needs and seek compassion, is everything but enjoyable to bear witness to. May all sentient beings find the unconditioned source of joy and be free of suffering. Thank you again for sharpening the motivation of an aspiring student at this late hour of the night, and thank you for bringing the dharma to places where it yet has to manifest itself.
Poor Jojo, alien to his kind and condemned to live in a cage…
Poor Jojo, loosing his mother so young.
Poor Jojo, facing death and being defensless.
Fortunate Jojo, finding a kind helping hand to rescue him.
Fortunate Jojo, enjoying commitment from his savior.
Very fortunate Jojo, being told Manjushri mantra, while having the aggregates of a monkey, how rare…
May Jojo be well and healthy in this life.
May Jojo take a rebirth conducive to recite Manjushri mantra himself next time.
This is terrible, I want sometimes leave this world, more and more suffering, and the people in that continue!Dear Guru,dear Rinpoche please, if you have more options, help the animals! Thank you, this is the essence of Buddha’s teachings, suffering in this world learning not to hurt anyone,seeing the reality not pink dreams,help others,and then we will have compassion!Thank you…
omg this is so terrifying and heart wrenching! Vicious cycle of karma goes on and on and on… rather happy ending for Jojo but so many more monkeys suffering tremendously and the humans who are inflicting the hurt on them creating huge amounts of negative karma.. may they one day read Rinpoche’s blog and take back as much compassion as the author of the blog did. om mani padme hum!
Dearest Rinpoche, thank you for sharing this. Each time I read about animal sufferings, I feel so helpless that we can’t stop the world from harming them. I have 3 lovely dogs and 2 cats (all rescued), and I am so thankful they are with me. I have to work harder to educate owners to be responsible and more compassion towards animals.