Slaughter house Versus Meat Processing Unit

                        

Source:facebook

The ongoing debate about slaughter house to be set up in Bhutan on social media particularly in facebook groups and pages bother me a lot.

One who want to eat meat brings their own reasons to defense who don’t want slaughter house to set up. It was so funny some people even said that eat chicken because it doesn’t give oxygen but don’t eat plant (vegetable) because it give us oxygen. On the other hand those who don’t want slaughter house to set up said that animals feel the pain as we human do. Some even bring religion in between to emphasize why we should become vegetarian. In deed some people underestimate Buddhist practitioners are not vegetarian based on few who are non-vegetarian. We believe in cause and effect and our mischievous voice will answer in the long run.

Is our government wise in changing the concept when people are debating on slaughter house stating they don’t want or media are cooking the story of slaughter house?  People start debating upon seeing the government is going to start up slaughter house on media. It is not easy to understand the government yet I already understood my part. Now, government say, they never say we want slaughter house in Bhutan. They say, they will have Meat Processing Unit by importing raw meat form other country. They also said that if people are unhappy of Meat processing unit, they will do away with that plan.

Many Bhutanese are non-vegetarian. How we can be vegetarians when we live in the society of orthodox. Many Bhutanese say if the delivered mother is not feed with meat, she will not get enough protein or nutrient. The truth is there are many mothers who are vegetarians and giving birth.

Many Bhutanese proudly say that Bhutanese are hypocrite. They never want slaughter house in Bhutan but want to eat meat. I think everyone can eat meat if you like but it is no good to encourage one who don’t want to eat. Setting up Meat processing unit or slaughter house is indirectly encouraging people to eat.

There are few people who bring politics in between for debating. Please, let us never bring politics parties in between. After all animals will suffer before their body turn in to meat curry in front of us but not the politics people. Let us offer our sympathy to all the animals as per our capacities.

I hope and pray, no slaughter house or meat processing unit setting up will happen in Bhutan. I believe in government that they will do away with that plan. Let us inform the world one day that Bhutan nation is the vegetarian nation. 

Animal equality in the slaughter house .

WHEEL OF DHARMA, the twelve interdependent links..

Disclaimer: I copied this text and photo from the facebook. I found text more important to read once.

WHEEL OF DHARMA.
the twelve interdependent links..

The dependant origination is one of the basic and most important teachings of the Buddha.
Since it is regarded as part of what we call "the first Turning of the Wheel of Dharma",
it is accepted and discussed in the same way in all the different schools of Buddhism.
The Buddha said that there could be persons, who are not Buddhas, who were not taught by Buddhas, but who nevertheless are able to find out by themselves about the Twelve Links. If such persons meditate or practice accordingly, they can become Arhats on their own. They are what we call the Pratyeka Buddhas, or "Buddha for themselves".
These twelve links are not only a description of the Buddhist philosophy of how the beings originate and evolve in samsara, but it also gives the way, the path to be liberated from this circling in the wheel of Samsara.

This wheel of life painting history...
It is said that about 2,500 years ago two kings ruled in India, in the area where the Buddha lived. King Bimbissara rules over the Magada Kingdom whereas King Utrayana lived a little further. These two kings were friends, and used to send gifts to one another. King Utrayana once sent a very costly armour to King Bimbissara. It was covered with so many precious stones that it was almost invaluable.
King Bimbissara was very much disturbed because he could not think of anything precious enough to send back in return. One of his ministers suggested then that he sent some portrait or teachings of a most holy and revered person who happened to live in his kingdom : the Buddha. King Bimbissara went accordingly to ask the Buddha for permission to have his a portrait drawn and sent to King Utrayana.
The Buddha agreed , adding that not only his portrait, but also other paintings and writings should be sent to King Utrayana. It is told that the artist was first unable to draw the portrait, because the Buddha was too glorious, producing rays of light impossible to catch on canvas. Asking the Buddha what was to be done, He answered that he would put his shadow on the canvas, from which the artist would draw the portrait. It is said to have been the first image of the Buddha.
He also gave instruction for the other painting, explaining that the artist should draw circle with five divisions, in which the five different realms of existence should be depicted. It should be encircled by the Twelve Links of Interdependant Origination, and the whole circle should be placed in the hands of Yama Raja, the Lord of Death. He then gave two stanzas that should be written under the drawing.
The present of King Bimbissara was received with the greatest reverence by King Utrayana, who was so impressed that he came to pay homage to the Buddha and followed his teachings.

In the centre of the wheel, we find three animals : a snake, a cock and a pig.
The pig bites the tail of the cock, which was originally a pigeon, the cock bites the tail of the snake that bites the tail of the pig.
These three animals represent the three basic mind poisons, which are attachment, aversion and stupidity. It is believed that the snake is an animal full of hatred and aversion. The bird, and especially the pigeon, is regarded as the animal with the greatest sexual attachment. The pig was considered as one of the most stupid animals, which is why he represents ignorance.
Though they are all linked together, it is believed that hatred or aversion comes from attachment, and that attachment comes from ignorance. The starting point is thus ignorance, generating attachment and aversion. These three are placed at the centre, they are the core of the painting to denote that the whole world, the whole universe, is controlled, caused by these three basic emotions.

Around this core, there is another circle, with two parts, one half white, the other black. These two refer to the deeds, the actions we perform that can be either virtuous or non virtuous.
The virtuous actions, which are less under control of the three basic poisons, are called "white deeds", whereas actions performed with a stronger influence of the three poisons are called the "black deeds". It is said that if our actions are black, we will be reborn in the lower half of this realm, whereas if our actions are white, we will be reborn in the upper part of the 6 or sometimes 5 realms of the world that are depicted in the next circle.

The upper part starts with the world of heavens, or the world of gods.
The world of gods is believed to be of three different categories : what is called the "world of desire", the "world of Form", and the "world of the Formless". It is believed that those who have done very virtuous deeds in this world will thereafter go to the Heaven of Desire. Those who not only did virtuous deeds, but also realised a stability of mind in meditation, will go to the Heaven of Form. Those who have gone deeper in the stability of meditation but kept certain subtle misconceptions in their minds will be reborn in the Formless Heaven.
Then comes the world of the semi-gods.
The persons who have more or less performed the causes that would have led to the world of gods, but remained jealous, will be reborn in the realm of the semi-gods, where they will have to guard it and fight a lot.
Then comes the realm of the human beings.
It is attained after lots of virtuous, meritorious deeds, but is overpowered by desire.
The three lower realms are the animal world, the world of hungry ghosts, and the hells.
These three are mainly attributed to the three mind poisons, the animal world to ignorance, the preta world to attachment and hell to hatred or aversion.
It is also said sometimes that if we have performed any action very strongly motivated by any of these three poisons, we will be reborn in hell. A lesser motivation will lead us to the realm of hungry ghosts, and a lighter motivation would cause rebirth in the animal realm.

Around this circle, we find depicted the Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination..

The first Link is ignorance represented by an blind old woman.
Ignorance is the basic, original cause of Samsara. It is represented as an old woman because it is said that our ignorance is very old, going back to beginningless times. And the nature of this ignorance is that we cannot see, we cannot understand, which is why the old woman is blind.

The second link is volition , represented by a man making clay pottery. Volition is actually the force that leads to action. It is more or less like karma, the desire that makes us work, do things. Here it is depicted like this, because volition originating from ignorance makes us perform certain actions, so that we are born into different places and realms. What we will become depends on what kind of actions we do, like a potter himself designs what he makes.

The third link is consciousness represented by a monkey. The monkey is one of the most mobile, active kind of animals, and likewise, our consciousness cannot stay anywhere for long..

The fourth link is what we call "nama rupa", or name and form, depicted as a man crossing a river with a boat. Name and form mean the five skandhas or aggregates that constitute a being, at the initial stage.
This stage comes actually just after consciousness. It is the process of becoming. Consciousness enters the form, which is just about to be born. It is depicted in such a way because name and form serve the consciousness in order to constitute a being, just like the boat is used by the man to cross the river.

The fifth link represents the five or six senses, illustrated by empty houses. The senses are like an empty village that the traveller can cross. Wherever he finds an empty house, he can stop and rest. In this way, the senses give the consciousness a place to rest, to stay for a moment before going on. This is why they are depicted as empty houses. The six senses are the abode, the base of the six consciousnesses.

The sixth link is touching, the contact between the object and the senses coming together, depicted as a couple kissing.
The seventh is the feeling generated by the contact, depicted as a person with his eyes pierced by an arrow.

The eighth one is attachment illustrated by a man drinking. It is said that when you drink, you can never be fully satisfied. Attachment can never be fulfilled. It is produced by feeling.

The ninth link is the grasping depicted by a man plucking fruits from a tree. The next stage after attachment is grasping, which forges the final kind of impression for your next birth.

In consequence, the tenth stage is what we call becoming, represented by a pregnant woman. At this stage, we have experienced the grasping, and the force is such that there is no other way but to take a new birth, all the relevant effects and causes have been gathered.

The eleventh stage is birth, a woman giving birth to a child, which needs no further explanation.

The last twelfth link is means old age and death, an old man carrying a dead body. As soon as one is born, one is carrying the burden of one's own death.

All these things are placed in the mouth of Yama Raja, the Lord of Death, because nothing in Samsara, nothing in the world can be permanent, it is all impermanent.

There is a moon drawn in the right upper corner which depicts Nirvana. If we practice or meditate upon these twelve links in reverse order, we can attain Nirvana. On the left side Lord Buddha is pointing to the moon, which represents the teachings of the Buddha, that indicate the way to reach Nirvana.

In the original drawing, , the two stanzas written at the bottom said :
"Take this up and give this up, enter the Buddha's teachings as an elephant in a lotus pond, destroy the forces of the Lord of Death. He who mindfully engages in this way of discipline will bring the end of suffering."

My village, Zangthi.

                  

Zangthi, Gonong, Serjong and Tashiphu

Serjong

Tshiphu

Serjong and gonong

Makhang

Rasuthang

Tshothang

I will narrate the story about Zangthi and its branch villages how it got name. I still remembered, I wrote about how Zangthi and its branch of villages got name when I was in class V in the subject Social Studies. I thank you my father for narrating about it.

It was in the place where irrigation field below Gonong village. In that place, it was believed to present the pot of copper (Zang ga taw). And our grandparent called the place name as ZANGTHI. I have no clear idea, how name Zangthi has called to our current ZANGTHI.

There was the place among all the places where sun arise before than any other place. Hence the place is called as GONTHONG. Current village Gonong is supposed to be GONTHONG. Gradually, the pronunciation get altered from GONTHONG to Gonong.

And it was believed to have a ‘pot of god’ in one place. Grandparent named that place as SERZHONG. It is the current village Serjong. Similarly, pronunciation get altered form SERZHONG to Serjong.

People were cultivating crops for their survival. There was one place where they could harvest good crops. The crops they harvest was very good. Hence the place was named as TASHIPHUKPU, the current village Tashiphu.

Above short story was what I wrote when I was in class V. I will ask our parent about remaining villages like Tshonthang, Rasuthang, Makhang and Mesikhang and will write about it.

Thank you for your time

Jigme Zangpo

Homage to the teachers of three times: Past, Present and Future.

Teacher, teacher oh my teacher

You are the boundlessness

Nothing great I could find to compare thee

We bow before you as a homage

A student’s hurdles and darkness

You guide a way to overcome the hurdles

Giving a light on the way of hurdles

Kadrinche to all esteemed teachers

Where we are today?

If we say we are successful

There is only one word behind

The “teachers” of three times: Past, Present and Future.

No one will be successful

Without a boundlessness, the teachers

Long time ago, an enlighten of Buddha

It was simply because of teachers.

The countless teachers come in my life

To shape the roughness of my life

To realize the true meaning of life

Kadrinche to all esteemed teachers

Today, I take an opportunity to express my heartfelt thankfulness to teachers of three times: past, present and future for your valuable knowledge. May you have a long life. May god almighty bless you for your good health.

I thank you to all the teachers and happy teachers’ day.

Tashi Delek.

Crazy man

A man arrive to the home

He enter to his room

He keep his things in his room

He come to setting room

He switch on the Television

Increase the volume to the fullest

Neither has he never looked what program on TV

Nor has he never listen what it was saying

Instead he is busy on his phone

A social media addicted man

Why he switch on the TV?

Why he increase the sound to the fullest?

Is he mad?

Is he crazy?

Never had he thought of disturbing to other by the TV sound

He pretend as looking to TV as someone pass by setting room

He suddenly stop texting message to his friend as someone pass by.

Please don’t pretend

I know you are crazy

I know you are crazy

Minor sickness will become worse if you are far away from home.

                     

The minor sick sadden me in other land.  I never bother for having Cough and cold sickness. What bother me is having mild fever and headache on top of cough and cold since three days ago.

I am experiencing as if my head is beaten by heavy metal and will blast at any time. It is too hot as if my head is keep on the oven. I miss my mother who always cool my head by wet cloth whenever I suffer from headache. Day by day, I am knowing the value of mother more and more. Kadrinche ama.  

It is minor sickness. I kept sickness within myself. I didn’t share any of my parent and siblings. I know worrisome they will have if I share. I never want them to worry because of me. I have already given them worse worry back in 2005 because of my severe sickness.

I have persistent believe in my Root Teacher (Tsa wai lam) and Triple Gem (kenchosum). It is not I taking refuge only when I become sick. I always recite prayer before bedtime and early morning. I have already taken refuge to Root Teacher (Tsa wai lam) and Triple Gem and I will be taking here after.

I offer my prayer to my Root Teacher (tsa wai lam) and Triple Gem (ken cho sum) daily are always answered. I am safe till now because of their prayer. I thank you my parents, Root teacher and Triple Gem.  

Meat Processing Unit.

                             

It was indeed very sad to read the news in kuensel dated 18^th April, 2015 ("To 'meat' a huge demands") to come up with the solution of high demand of meat with setting up the processing unit in Bhutan. Setting up of processing unit means coming up of slaughter house. I won’t comment anything mention in the news for the reason for coming up and way they will be involved in slaughtering.

“We’ll make sure animals are slaughtered in a professional way, like stunning down, making the animal unconscious,” said Dr Tashi Samdup. “We have to consider how much we’re spending on the import of meat. We are targeting to get 100 percent food self-sufficiency.”

I don’t think killing animals with professional means is different than killing taking place in other country. In bottom line, both are killing and taking the precious life.

I am against the idea of setting up Processing Unit with following opinions:

First and foremost reason come in my mind, our country is the Buddhist Country. The country in which world knows because of her religious and traditions. Gross National Happiness, GNH is the philosophy based on Buddhist principles. Happiness is the core concept in GHN. If slaughtering house is setting up in Bhutan, it is impossible to say Happiness is existing. Taking the precious life of animals cannot be justified as Happiness exist.

Second, setting up our own meat Processing unit meant easily available meat in the market. Thinking critically, supply of meat is the area that we need to look into and take action. If there is no supply, people might quit. They might eat once in a month by buying from available market. If meat is abundant in the market, naturally there will be high demands. Setting up our own Meat Processing Unit mean more and new meat consumers are going to come. If government think, importing meat cause economy deficiency, why don't they come up with Meat Importing Regulation.

Third, our people should learn the disadvantages of eating meat. People need to change their notion like not eating meat will affect the healthiness of body. Meat has nothing to do with healthiness of our body. You will know more if you watch this clips. This is the video from Jangchubshing progrom of BBS2. It is about Buddhism and Vegetarianism. Click this link. Part 1. Jangchub Shing- Buddhism & Vegetarianism, Part 1  Part 2. Jangchub Shing- Buddhism & Vegetarianism, Part 2

It is very difficult to quit meat. I know how much you enjoy the taste of meat. I was once eating meat. I am now vegetarian. 

I have very simple reason for becoming vegetarian. I feel the pain and fear when somebody beat me. I sense, animals too will have same pain and fear as I do. Therefore, I don't want anyone be it animals or human being to hurt. I do believe what great Bodhisattva used to say. They say, no animals has not become our parents once in this revolving Samsara. I can’t imagine the pain and fear of my parents would have gone through just before come in front of me as meat curry.

I respect your taste bud. I respect your life. And my humble request, please let’s give happiness to our parents (animals) by minimizing the rate of eating meat and quitting one day.

Good luck for your try in minimizing the rate of eating meat and quitting one day.