Tigers May Be Gone, but Many Creatures Dwell at Thai Temples

**misskit** · 05-06-2016, 05:28 AM

The scandal surrounding Thailand's Tiger Temple, where wildlife officers seized 137 big cats this past week, has cast religious sanctuaries for animals in a bad light. Many conservationists and animal rights activists have believed the temple's self-appointed mission to shelter tigers is misguided at best and that the tigers were mistreated to ensure their docility. Tiger parts found during the raid buoyed strong suspicions that the temple, run as an admission-charging zoo, engaged in unethical breeding and illegal trafficking of the endangered animals.

The shady findings at the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua in western Thailand aside, Buddhism and animals have an intrinsic link, loosely derived from Buddhist precepts promoting compassion for all living beings. While tigers are not typical, many temples in Thailand host smaller menageries.

— DOGS AND CATS: Dogs may outnumber monks at many temples. Unwanted pets and rescued strays almost invariably end up at the local temple, where the moral code of the monks ensures dogs and cats won't be put down at the pound. The luckier ones will be adopted by a kind-hearted abbot or novice monks, boys who have the energy and enthusiasm to chase the animals. But most will just survive rather than thrive, especially since their main diet is leftover rice. The stereotype of a temple dog as a skinny, sore-ridden mutt is so ingrained that the Thai phrase for them — 'ma wat' — is slang for a disreputably down-and-out poor person.

Inevitably a crowd of dogs or cats creates crowds of puppies and kittens, straining the temple's resources and risking the animals' health and welfare. Sterilization programs attempt to deal with the problem, but Lanna Dog Welfare in northern Thailand takes a holistic approach. The group is training monks in all aspects of hands-on basic canine health care to help the 10 to 50 dogs living at each of the more than 1,600 temples around the city of Chiang Mai.

— BIRDS, FISH AND TURTLES: Less cuddly animals like birds, fish and turtles lead the lives of second-class citizens. They are found at temples as a result of a Buddhist custom of making merit by freeing animals from captivity. In many cases, the animals serve that purpose over and over, going through cycles of capture and release. The practice, common through much of Asia, is particularly widespread in China, where it is known as fang sheng.

Frail birds, crammed into tiny cages until vendors at the temples sell them to the merit-seekers, either cannot fly out of the reach of their sellers and are recaptured or they reach the wild where they are not fit enough to survive. Fish and turtles are released into temple ponds too crowded to sustain much aquatic life.

The environmental consequences may also be dire; the massive demand endangers the populations of some species, and the disruption of habitats and migratory patterns can spread animal-borne diseases or introduce invasive species.

— TIGERS AND OTHER EXOTIC ANIMALS: Larger animals end up at temples in the same manner as dogs and cats — as a refuge for the unwanted or homeless. For all its notoriety, the Tiger Temple's collection is said to have begun that way, when eight cubs rescued from poachers were brought there for care.

Bears and monkeys are among the wilder animals that might live at temples. But temples are ill-prepared to handle the special needs of such animals, which often are held in appalling conditions. In one famous case, an elephant endured about 20 years chained to a tree, only be killed with a spray of 100 bullets when he tried to escape.

Tigers May Be Gone, but Many Creatures Dwell at Thai Temples - ABC News

**taxexile** · 05-06-2016, 10:03 AM

Buddhism and animals have an intrinsic link, loosely derived from Buddhist precepts promoting compassion for all living beings. While tigers are not typical, many temples in Thailand host smaller menageries.

in a misguided effort to show compassion to animals, all the monks are doing is increasing the suffering of the poor creaturesin order to appear benevolent.

why are they so incapable of seeing the bigger picture.

instead of building gold plated roofs and littering their temples with blingy statues the donations they receive should be used for animal welfare.

**DrB0b** · 05-06-2016, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by taxexile

Buddhism and animals have an intrinsic link, loosely derived from Buddhist precepts promoting compassion for all living beings. While tigers are not typical, many temples in Thailand host smaller menageries.

in a misguided effort to show compassion to animals, all the monks are doing is increasing the suffering of the poor creaturesin order to appear benevolent.

why are they so incapable of seeing the bigger picture.

instead of building gold plated roofs and littering their temples with blingy statues the donations they receive should be used for animal welfare.

Why oh why oh why oh why???

1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

2 She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.

3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

4 The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.

5 Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the Lord hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.

6 And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.

7 Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.

8 Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.

9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O Lord, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.

10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

11 All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O Lord, and consider; for I am become vile.

12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

13 From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day.

14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up.

15 The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.

16 For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.

17 Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them.

18 The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.

19 I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls.

20 Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.

21 They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.

22 Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.

23 You really have become a miserable old git, a Poundland version of TheGent.

**Begbie** · 05-06-2016, 10:53 AM

1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2 They have left the dead bodies of your servants
as food for the birds of the sky,
the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.

3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury the dead.

4 We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
of scorn and derision to those around us.

**Gazza** · 05-06-2016, 11:31 AM

Can't yer tell it's Sunday today.

**DrB0b** · 05-06-2016, 12:05 PM

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink

**Hans Mann** · 05-06-2016, 12:18 PM

Many Creatures Dwell at Thai Temples

Shirley, the greater mekong orange-hued leech should get an honourable mention here.

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