Buddhist Compassion For Sentient Beings Warrants Enactment Of Sri Lanka’s Animal

[Ensapa]

This is a step that Sri Lanka should take in order to be a more Buddhist nation.

Buddhist Compassion For Sentient Beings Warrants Enactment Of Sri Lanka’s Animal Welfare Bill Without Further Delay
by By Shenali Waduge, Eurasia Review, May 24, 2013
Colombo, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka with a Theravada Buddhist civilization that protected and fostered Buddhism has much to introspect. With over 70% of the population being Buddhists it is a national shame that we continue to forget the very basic teachings of the Buddha whose message to us was to treat non – human sentient beings with compassion and loving – kindness, as though they were no different to humans with feelings and pain.


<< Avukana Buddha statue from 5th century CE in Sri Lanka

If animals share emotions no different to ours, is it not a huge embarrassment that in this reputed Buddhist country our elected leaders fall shy of enacting the Animal Welfare Bill tabled in Parliament in 2010 as a Private Member’s Bill and which has its genesis in the Animal Welfare Bill drafted and sanctioned by the Law Commission in 2006?
We cannot be Buddhists by name

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth.

NOT GOING ALL THE WAY and NOT STARTING – Buddha

What sort of legislative reform is the Ministry of Justice supposed to be undertaking when the primary statute in Sri Lanka governing the protection and welfare of animals to this day is an antiquated statute enacted during the British colonial era in 1907 i.e. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, where the maximum punishment for a heinous crime to an animal is a mere Rs. 100 (less than one US Dollar)?.


 If the International probe on Sri Lanka’s human rights record is to be extended to cover the legislative protection given to animals in Sri Lanka and lack of interest shown by our lawmakers in improving the standard of care and treatment afforded to other living creatures, we will have nowhere to turn. It is shameful that we have stooped to this level of intolerance. We stand almost last in the queue of nations very close in this respect to several Islamic nations like Sudan, Iraq, Somalia and, Saudi Arabia, that by deliberate choice refuse to provide legislative protection to animals.
As a pre-dominant Buddhist nation is the Sri Lankan Parliament beholden to protect animals by enacting the Animal Welfare Bill already sanctioned and gathering dust since 2006? Can Sri Lanka’s Parliamentarians morally defend their silence?

The need to enact the Animal Welfare Bill is further strengthened by the international Petition gathering momentum the world over by the Dharma Voices for Animals launched in the USA.

http://dharmavoicesforanimals.org/petitions/

[dondrup]

Sri Lanka is a country that is blessed with many ancient Buddhist sites, holy Buddha relics, outdoor Buddha statutes, Buddhist temples and Theravadan Buddhism as the main religion of the country. Sri Lanka is without doubt, a perfect environment to practise and spread Dharma.

If the government of Sri Lanka is not giving its priority and attention to the enactment of laws and statutes for the protection of animals, it will cause disrepute to Buddhism.  The World will not believe a prominent Buddhist country like Sri Lanka is not concerned with animal rights and their welfare. Isn't Buddhism advocating compassion for all beings including the animals?

[Ensapa]

Sri Lanka is a country that is blessed with many ancient Buddhist sites, holy Buddha relics, outdoor Buddha statutes, Buddhist temples and Theravadan Buddhism as the main religion of the country. Sri Lanka is without doubt, a perfect environment to practise and spread Dharma.

If the government of Sri Lanka is not giving its priority and attention to the enactment of laws and statutes for the protection of animals, it will cause disrepute to Buddhism.  The World will not believe a prominent Buddhist country like Sri Lanka is not concerned with animal rights and their welfare. Isn't Buddhism advocating compassion for all beings including the animals?

However there are also religions like hinduism and islam that are in Sri Lanka that has the practice of animal sacrifice for religious purposes...so is it alright to make things difficult for them at the same time or deport them? Yes, the laws should be up but they should not infringe on the rights of others who are also residing in the country. As a Buddhist country, Sri Lanka should also demonstrate tolerance and understanding with the other religions to practice the Buddha's message of mutual respect and tolerance. They should also be fair to nonbuddhists.

[diablo1974]

Many of the Buddhist leaders in other traditions has started to advocates vegetarianism or at least no meat diet as part of their practices and also to set an example to their students and followers. If sri lanka has plan to step up to re-embrace Buddhism and to be a more Buddhist nation.  The practice of compassion towards animals is through our diet and food.  Observing vegetarianism is a method to deliver the Buddha message of compassion to everyone.

[Ensapa]

Many of the Buddhist leaders in other traditions has started to advocates vegetarianism or at least no meat diet as part of their practices and also to set an example to their students and followers. If sri lanka has plan to step up to re-embrace Buddhism and to be a more Buddhist nation.  The practice of compassion towards animals is through our diet and food.  Observing vegetarianism is a method to deliver the Buddha message of compassion to everyone.

It would be nice if the cabinet and the parliamentary members do not eat meat for starters. Then extend this to the rest of the country and outlaw Buddhists from being butchers and so forth. But all of these should only be implemented and enforced on Buddhists and not on people of other religions because it would be infringing on the rights of others. There should always be moderation and not extremism or fundamentalism in these things as it is a  fine line between applying the teachings of Buddhism and infringing on the rights of others.

[RedLantern]

Buddhism believes in after birth and the indestructability  of the human soul. The way they live now is the way society will be in future.The issue is will all Buddhist see things the way they do.Does that mean there will be no butchers because animals too tremble when afraid and bleed like human beings.
The government needs leaders who are not simply paying lip service to Buddhism as is happening now and needs to govern the nation in line with the teachings of the Buddha.