Sold Out
Dear friends, this sold out in one day in the papers because it touched so many people and brought tears to their eyes. You must share this and show everyone that every form of life must not be hurt, killed and respected.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Many people think animals don’t have emotions.
His wife was seriously injured.
She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.
He brought her food and tended to her with love and compassion.
He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead….
He tried to move her….a rarely-seen effort for swallows.
Aware that his mate is dead, he cries with adoring love.
He stood beside her, saddened by her death.
Finally, he stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.
People cried after seeing these pictures when they were published in the leading newspaper in France.
All copies of the paper were sold out on the day the pictures were released.
And many people think animals don’t have emotions.
His wife was seriously injured.
She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.
He brought her food and tended to her with love and compassion.
He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead….
He tried to move her….a rarely-seen effort for swallows.
Aware that his mate is dead, he cries with adoring love.
He stood beside her, saddened by her death.
Finally, he stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.
People cried after seeing these pictures when they were published in the leading newspaper in France.
All copies of the paper were sold out on the day the pictures were released.
And many people think animals don’t have emotions.
From: Keep Sharing Interesting Amazing Facts
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Pictures of those birds tells a thousand words, it show how such emotional bond exist in these birds. Birds are more similar to others sentient beings than had ever been thought. Birds may feel for others and have empathy as such even console each other. They may have a sense of justice, may show deep affection for their partner and grieve for their loss. Many birds are highly social and very intelligent as well. Loosing a mate is hard to bare for that lonely bird. They must have a special bond so much so the other just refused to let go.
Thank you for this sharing.
So sad looking at the pictures. It is never easy to see the one we love leaving us. Likewise animals too. They have emotions just like human, therefore we should not abuse and think their existence is to serve us. Treat them with love and care too.
Very touching…….all animals have feeling and emotion like us human. Loosing a mate is hard to bear we can see from the pictures of the love birds. Feeling sad for that bird who has lost his mate and standing by the mate side showing how much love and compassion for her. A lesson to learn from here….We should treat all sentient beings with love and compassion. Never hurt and abuse them. Give them love and care. All sentient beings have feeling and emotional for each other ,
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing .
It is very touching to see birds capable of emotions and feelings that we thought only humans and mammals are capable of. I felt that the mourning is a powerful display of the understanding of loss, which is very rare. I hope the lovebirds will find each other in their next life. Thank you for this sharing.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this series of photos. It is very touching to see such emotional bond exist in the animal realm.
Many human beings treat animals as if the animals do not have feelings. Just because they are unable to express those feelings clearly, that doesn’t mean they don’t have them. We abuse, torture and imprison the animals for our entertainment and pleasure. Just because we are ” on top of the food chain ” , we can do whatever we want to the lower animals. These kinds of thinking is so wrong and very cruel.
We have to show compassion to all living beings including animals. If we only love one but hate the other, that is not true compassion.
Humbly,
Chris
This is just such a touching story. It is so upsetting that he had to watch his mate die in front of him like this. It is so upsetting and heart breaking at the same time. I really hope that people would not drive so recklessly, killing an innocent animal along the way.
Through this picture it shows very clearly that animals do have feelings and they do feel pain just like we do. So with that, how can we be taking away the life of theirs just like this when they do have the right to live on this world as well. They have just as much rights to be here as us.
Animals are wonderful creatures. They are smart and caring for each other. These pictures make me sad as the poor bird cries for his dead mate. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
This is really sad, the feeling of loosing a person you love so much is very uneasy and sad. I’m surprised by the birdie’s love towards his wife, he really loves his wife. Such a little being, but had to go through so much pain. May the birdie get a good rebirth.
This is so touching, even the little birdie knows better than us. Sometimes we woukd have friends who deep trouble, some will help their friends to the end and some will not even bend over their body to help. I dont blame these kind of people, it’s all in the minds.
现实生活里夫妻们常常是本是同林鸟，大难临头各自飞，偏偏这小动物却如此深情。身为人类的我们更应该珍惜彼此。
愿诸病有情，速脱疾病苦！亦愿众生疾，毕竟永不生！
众生具有情，因为因果而有了不同的受生，我们既然有了功德转世为人，得到了善缘能以人身（六道里最适合修行佛法）寻找与学习佛法，那么我们就应该停止了所有不好的恶因
然而，即使不幸的调入畜生道里，也并不代表了我们的心识是因而而改变了，我们同样的会有感情，同样的会痛，待我们净化了业果后，再转世为人身继续修行佛法
所以我们应该爱护一切众生，他们不过是跟我们一样还在六道里轮回着，只是形态不同，其实没差
感谢仁波切给予的分享与开示 祈愿仁波切长驻在世长转法轮
Animals do have empathy of feelings and emotions as what human beings are able to feel, it is just that they can’t express with words doesn’t mean they are unable to suffer. Please don’t harm them, as Jeremy Bentham once said “The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But can they suffer?”. May we be able to protect animals from being abused and ill treated.
Animals are closer to us than we normally think, due to ignorance and wishing and wanting animals to be objects that we do not need to care about.
It has been concluded since the beginning of modern civilization that humans are superior to animals because we are advanced intellectually and civil in our action. However, with recent stories where people watched a young, helpless accident victim die in the middle of the road…where innocent young individuals are killed is school shootings…where “civilized” people torture animals to death for the sake of entertainment. I ask: what defines civil action? How has advanced intellectual contributed to greater peace and happiness?
Our society has gotten so distracted by non-constructive channels of entertainment for our mind that we have lost touch with the human goodness within. The bird’s love for its mate is a reflection of this goodness within and that is probably why every reader was immediately taken by the story and experienced empathy.
This makes my grateful to Rinpoche for the Dharma because Rinpoche effective use the Dharma as a tool to consciously and conscientiously awaken and bring forth the human within…or more accurately, our Buddha within. With practice of Dharma, may we not be touched and inspired by our fellow earthling. Instead, may we become the beacon of inspiration to offer relief to others.
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing with us. This is so touching! Animals have feelings, maybe we just don’t understand them enough, to not hurt and kill animals. They have feelings.
There are many many stories like this article of showing that animals do have emotions and feelings but they just can’t say it out. Just because they can’t talk doesn’t mean they can’t feel. We should treat all animals with love and compassion because they can feel it.
All living beings are said to be spiritual in essence, and that they are conscious, with their feelings alive in their hearts like every human being. Only those with spiritual consciousness can see the “supreme being” nature within every creature! Many can feel the amount of fear, pain and desparation that this poor desolute bird is forced to endure when finding his wife dead!!! Even humans can cry after seeing these in pictures only, can anyone imagine the reality of real episode happening to anyone of them.
What a sweet little sparrow, its such a sad and emotional story. There is no doubt all kinds of animals possess emotions and its so sad that many people do not realise the damage, torture and suffering they are causing by eating meat. I really feel sad for that little sparrow, doing its best to help its mate but returning to find her dead. I really pray for his mates good rebirth. No matter how big or little the animals, they all can’t speak and voice out their displeasure, we need to be the ones to help them stop the mass murdering for human greed. Thank you for sharing this story Rinpoche.
From this photo, we know that animals have feeling and emotions. Just like human, they need to eat food, drink water, sleeping, playing, caring and loving. Only animals cannot speak human language, cannot recite mantras, don’t know how to reduce suffering, how fortunate we are human and able to learn Dharma. Please be kind to animals and do not hurt them .Thank you Rinpoche for sharing .
Animal couldn’t speak, they can’t protect themselves from being abused by human.. Because of this, human start to neglect their feeling and went to the extent of ignoring their sufferings.. This is really sad, but it is true. Human only cares for their own feeling and enjoyment, they used animal to satisfy their desire, the desire of fashion, toying, eating, entertaining, etc.. millions and millions of animals been put into a living like hell, unending pain and suffering till the very last drop of their life. that’s what we are capable of creating such living environment to them.
Look at these pictures, the suffering of theirs can really break the hardest mountain in the world. If they can speak, I’m sure this poor little creature will tell you that he willing to die instead of his wife. Even so many animals was killed by humans, but their family member will never plan and plot for revenge, they still forgive and forget, simple reason is they just want to live. As human, we definitely has no right to take their life.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.Animals do have feeling and consciousness.That is why in the wild,the mother of any animals are very defensive when a stranger is approaching their nest or their offspring’s.
It is so sad to see the poor bird moaning for its mate death.Truly touching to witness such a sorrow event.Hoping for a good rebirth for its mate.
This is so touching and so sad. Animals always will have emotions and feelings. That why we must always care those animals and don’t hurt them.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this pictures.
In truth… animals probably have more emotions than most humans. We may have the intelligence, we may be smart but we may not necessary be emotional, kind, caring and compassionate. Too smart? Or is it too stupid, too cold? Perhaps it is a mixed of it all. But animals are simple, the react to everything because they analyse less and they have less conditions and selectiveness.
Most of us think we’re so good, we’re so great just cause we’re in Dharma… really? What a laughing stock, especially if we’re still buying and eating meat. I remembered Rinpoche made a comment…”How can the same mouth that chants Om Mani Pedme Hum mantras, teach Dharma, is the same mouth that eats another life form?” Doesn’t make sense hu? So if you really wanna start trying to be kind and compassionate, start with your mouths and stomachs is what I think!
Thank you Rinpoche. Just thinking aloud : ” Why does this story in pictures touch the hearts of many, and yet, people mindlessly eat the corpses of birds and animals that were alive and kicking before and were the mates and loved ones of others left to mourn their losses? Their losses have become your dinner plates’ contents!”
Why do people practice discrimination and selectivity? All is life, precious and rare. Why then are some animals and birds treated preciously as pets and others killed callously to satisfy the taste buds?
Animal have feelings,emotion,anger,pain, love even they can speak there own language .thank you rinpoche for this heart touching photo.
This article is very touching. If animals have emotions y we humans cant have them towards animals. They have a heart treat them how u want to be treated by other people. Do wan them to slaughter you, swing you onto the ground by grabbing your neck, beating you with a wooden bat. Of course no!! So why we treat animals like this.
All living beings have feelings and emotions too like the human beings. These pictures in the papers are the proof and it touched many people’s heart and sold out within one day.Even the bird is capable of showing love and care and can grief over the death of his companion.Many people felt sad and cried after seeing the photos.We must not hurt any animals or creatures as their lives are as previous as ours, we should protect and care for them instead.
Animals have feelings… animals can feel love, fear just like how people can too. It is sad how people always put aside the obvious just to entertain their attachments… because to admit that animals have feelings, they will have to ‘give up’ meat on their plates.
If only people value others, be it people or animals… more than themselves, we will see an enlightened society in our time. The picture of these two birds, truly is an eye opener. Animals should be treated with care and we should never find any reason to abuse or to kill an animal no matter what the reason behind it.
Hopefully, with the newspapers being sold out and people being touched by this picture, it would move many people to be vegetarians and champion animal rights campaigns around the world.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this news with us. It is very touching the moral of this story actually tell us that animal do have feeling like human the only different is they can’t talk they are mute. I hope there will be more understand this and stop hurting them they are weaker than us so we do have responsibility to protect them even if we can’t protect them the very least do not hurt them by giving them more pain.
This article is very touching. I even felt like crying when I’m reading this article. There is also another similar article in this blog. It’s about a dog died because it got hit by a car and another dog saw the dog that died’s body he quickly drag the dog’s body to the other side of the road.
People are like that. We who are endowed with intelligence to discern emotions in ourselves and others fail to see our likeness in animals. We fail to feel what should be felt when we see animals that suffer. We ignore and exploit the weak and failing to see that such endeavours only end up with the destruction of our own spirit. What’s our spirit? The ability to feel for others and the wish to benefit others. In order to benefit, we must have empathy and in order to feel empathy, we must not be able to bear the suffering of others. We who are endowed with intelligence should think in this manner to evolve further down the path selflessness and egolessness. There’s no great pursuit or pleasure in attaining this.
animals are not stupid, they are very much capable of feeling emotions. this is a sad story to hear that this birds wife or friend was killed on the road while he was getting food for her. thank you Rinpoche for sharing this. and i hope the bird has a good rebirth
Animals have feelings, they are capable of showing more emotion than most humans. I am always conflicted when people tend to describe acts of kindness as humane acts as animals tend to be more humane than humans, which the term is named after.
We should treat animals with respect and compassion. Animals are always under the iron fist of humans, animals are always abused for the human’s selfish goals.. We should change that.
Animals do not deserve this. They should be loved and cared for. I will share this with my friends and i think i would find that they agree with me. Thank you for sharing this with us Rinpoche.
This is dreadfully sad! Seeing this picture broke my heart. Animals can tell us how they’re feeling. They have emotion and feeling like us human too. Never hurt or kill any beings as they also have feelings.
Sad. I saw that seahorses have love and compassion too for their beloved ones, it’s very touching.
When we understand the meaning of life, every grain on earth has life.
Be compassionate
Be kind
Be mercy.
I can see the anguish in the male swallow after he discovered that his mate is gone. Absolutely heartbreaking for him. These great photos are solid proof that animals do have feelings. And hence, why we should not do anything to harm or hurt them. Thank you for this post, Rinpoche. This is a great reminder why vegetarianism is the way to go cos when the eating stops, the killing stops.
I have seen birds grieving in my garden when the young ones don’t make it as flyers, crash and die. It is so sad but what can we do? A friend of mine is a professor in Oregon who has been studying Cichlids (fresh water fish who come from Africa). Her lab studies genes which apparently drive human-like behaviour in the fish (or is it fish-like behaviour in humans?? He he he). I myself have reared Cichlids before and despite their tiny brains, are able to display motherly and nurturing qualities. Cichlids also care for their young for a relatively long time and live together as family units. They are amazing. I had one five by three foot cement tank with Cichlids and could observe about three to five family units. They do house cleaning, tidying, cleaning their young, etc. AMAZING! AMAZIng!
Dearest Rinpoche,
As I understand it, this bird could be eventually recognized as a Bodhisattva right?
If a bird can, why aren’t we? And right to the level of Buddhahood?
In most cases it is because of the material world we live in. Time to get out of this loop.
We all have the potential for Buddhahood… it is really our choice. Buddha has given us the method, the Gurus, like HE Tsem Rinpoche, will compassionately show us the way. Our minds are all cluttered with social conditioning which tells us that our goals to be happy is to have more material goods, more holidays, more children, more nice food etc… but the truth is that all these do not bring us happiness.
How we look at food is especially illusory – if we think that the meat we eat is someone’s husband, wife, child.. and they would grieve like the bird in this story just because we wanted to satisfy our tastebuds, then we would realise our own selfishness and hopefully be moved enough to change.
Even if we cannot be vegetarian full-time immediately, we can do one meal a day, vegetarian every other day, or once a week… whatever we are comfortable with, then increase the frequency as we rehabituate ourselves.
We live in a world whereby people are unaware of what is going on, except what they feel is important to them. But life is important isn’t it? Whether it is yours or others.
It is convenient for those of us who are habituated to tasting the flesh and blood of others, to turn a blind eye to any evidence or signs that animals could be closer than humans than we think. It is a lie we have fabricated to keep ourselves ignorant, so if we are ignorant then we do not need to change do we? Just bring on the steaks and ribs.
世界万物都是有生命的。 如果我们受伤了会痛， 为什么小动物不会痛？ 人类可以有家庭， 动物们也是。
珍惜生命。
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this touching photo. From this photo, can see clearly how sad the male bird is. Who said animals have no feelings? At times it is just us who refuse to see it and feel it just because we want to enjoy our taste buds or do not respect other beings. One day, we might be like them in animal realms if we do not use our current life to do more Dharma! Thank you Rinpoche for showing us that every form of life must not be hurt, killed and respected.
This is truly very touching, even a bird knows what death is. It’s very heartbreaking to see the male swallow crying over his dead wife, he must has felt very sad and depressed. His wife was very fortunate to have a husband who loved her so much that he kept feeding her until the end of her life. May the wife take a good rebirth, as for the husband, may he never suffer again…
Dear Rinpoche,
I am not surprised that when this picture was released on the newspapers in France it all sold out in a day because many people in this World think that animals have no thoughts, emotions and feelings but of course they are wrong because there a lot of touching pictures on animals helping humans, animals that are seen as enemies helping and protecting each other, animals feeling sad when their mate is sick or dead.
Even this collage of pictures say so much about a swallow and how he reacts to the various situations, animals can feel joy, happiness, sadness, sorrow and every other feelings that we Humans feel.
One simple example is about dogs… put them in a cage and they start moaning but let them free in a park and you hear their barks of joy!
That is just one simple way that we humans can see animals expressing.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing!
Rest Well
Love
Jutika
My god this is so touching!
When do you do you ever see such touching picture before.
You should never kill or even hurt living things,i guess that the person purposely hit the bird.
From this post i learned that you should never injure or kill any beings as they also have feelings.
Thank you Rinpoche for teaching me something new.
Animals do have feelings, emotion and expression, but they only do not speak human language to tell us how they feel. We should treat the animals with more compassion, care and love as they are less fortunate compared to everyone in human form. Animals are always being controlled and taken as food by human. Many animals are suffering with hunger, cold, hot, thirsty, unprotected and exposed to the environment without knowing which is the safest place for them to live. May all the animals can get more and more protection and hopefully more and more people will stay away from meat as their meal. Thank you Rinpoche for showing us the right way in Dharma with much compassion against our ego and self cherishing mind.