Buddhism and compassion for animals
Holly Gayley
Research Summary
Traditionally, Buddhism has emphasised compassion for animals, without always giving clear messages on vegetarianism (e.g. monks have been permitted to eat the meat of animals not killed on their behalf). This research is about speeches and writings by one of the most influential Buddhist cleric-scholars in Tibet today, Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö of Larung Buddhist Academy. The article surveys the Khenpo’s broad-based advocacy for animal welfare and details his discrete appeals to nomads in eastern Tibet to forgo selling livestock for slaughter, to eat a vegetarian diet when possible, to relinquish wearing animal fur, to protect wildlife habitat, and to liberate the lives of animals. Tsultrim Lodrö goes beyond traditional scare tactics that emphasize the karmic effects of negative deeds in future lives and instead invokes compassion by attending to the lived experience and suffering of animals. In doing so, he promotes Buddhism as a civilizing force, in order to reform certain Tibetan customs and to control the influence of China on Tibet. RE teachers’ subject knowledge will be increased through this example of contemporary Buddhist ethical commitment. Moreover, we can use parts of the research’s material as teaching points (see below, Relevance to RE).
Researcher
Holly Gayley
Research Institution
University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
What is this about?
- What are Buddhist attitudes to animal welfare and vegetarianism?
- Who is Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö, and why does he have a considerable influence on Buddhist attitudes to animal welfare and vegetarianism in contemporary Tibet?
- What does Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö teach about animal welfare and vegetarianism?
- How does he communicate his teachings?
What was done?
The research methodology involves analysis of Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö’s writings and speeches, and the researcher also appears to have carried out fieldwork in Eastern Tibet, though without giving details of this.
Main findings and outputs
- Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö is an influential Buddhist teacher in today’s Tibet, known particularly for his teachings on animal welfare and social reform.
- Buddhism, over time, has failed to emphasise vegetarianism consistently, despite teachings on non-injury, compassion and reincarnation. Monks and nuns have been permitted to eat meat offered to them provided the animals had not been slaughtered for them.
- Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö teaches a set of ten precepts: not to sell livestock for slaughter, not to steal, not to fight with weapons, not to consort with prostitutes, not to sell weapons or drugs, not to smoke, not to drink, not to gamble, not to hunt, and not to wear animal fur on the trim of traditional Tibetan coats. The precepts have spread widely through mass vow-taking ceremonies.
- He encourages vegetarianism amongst monks and nuns and asks lay Buddhists to refrain from meat-eating as much as they possibly can. If they have to kill livestock for economic reasons they should do it humanely.
- Rather than threatening those who are cruel to animals with bad karma or bad reincarnation, Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö tries to use compassion. Asking people to give up the practice of slaughter by suffocation (it can take fifteen minutes), he says:
“You can see for yourself by covering your mouth and nose with your hand. Without the breath coming in and out, it doesn’t take much time. Just remain like that for a minute, and you understand what the experience is like.”
Relevance to RE
Knowledge of the research will increase RE teachers’ specialist subject knowledge of Buddhism and ethics. Moreover, parts of the research’s findings can be used as teaching points. Teachers can provide an outline of Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö’s life and teachings – see (http://www.luminouswisdom.org/ . Pupils could carry out follow-up research of their own. Classroom activities could be focused on some celebrated aspects of Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö’s teaching, e.g. persuading Tibetans to give up the practice of suffocating animals by asking them to imagine being suffocated (i.e. going without breath for one minute). We need to stress that we are not recommending or suggesting that colleagues ask pupils to simulate this. However, questions for discussion and debate arise from it: what is Khenpo Tsultrim Lodrö trying to achieve through this exercise? How effective do you think it would be? Is it right to apply the ‘Golden Rule’ to animals as well as people? What differences would it make to people’s lives in the UK? What advantages and disadvantages would it bring?
Find out more
The Compassionate Treatment of Animals: a Contemporary Buddhist Approach in Eastern Tibet Journal of Religious Ethics 45.1 pages 29-57 (published online 18 February 2017)