The unexpected protector of Snow Leopards

[Q]

I just came across this news that Tibetan monks in China has been protecting the endangered Snow Leopards from being poached!

The monks actually go around villages, educating the people that killing the Leopards is against Buddhist practice. They also patrol the area to make sure these endangered cats are not hunted.

I think this is a wonderful news to share with everyone... Buddhism has always been very gentle and protects the environment and nature, which is why practitioners live a simple life, cutting attachments to material objects. It is truly nice to see that the monks are actively involved in protecting these endangered snow leopards. Hope that there will be an increase of leopard population with their great effort.

http://www.livescience.com/39449-tibetan-monks-protect-snow-leopards.html

[cookie]

Action speaks louder then words. Glad that the monks are actually patrolling and taking physical measures to ensure the safety of the snow leopards from the poachers. Boddhicitta involves action out of compassion and wisdom . Rejoice for the monks and leopards !

[diablo1974]

Nice move by the sangha. Rejoice their act of compassion. Snow leopards is an endangered species and there is a Snow leopard Trust organisation working solely to protect the endangered snow leopard and its habitat in 12 countries of Central Asia. The Trust is a non-profit organization with its headquarters in Seattle, Washington.  The acts by the sangha would help illegal killing of the endangered animal, but humans are killing it for money and a trade for business which i personally think it needs mass education to the public in order to stop the cruel act of killing leopards.

[kris]

Monks in China have been said that they didn't interact much with the society and many lay person don't understand the "need" of monks.

It is certainly very good to see that monks are interacting with the society in a good way.. No only stopping the people from killing (and collect negative karma), they also protect the villagers..

Another news I read about monks being contributing to society is this story, where he blessed the soul of an elder who passed away in the station.. such touching story!

http://news.163.com/photoview/00AP0001/18986.html

[Rihanna]

Conservations efforts has always been on going in all parts of the globe. One such act is in Cambodia and Thailand where endangered wildlife animals such as tigers are kept well saved from the hunters and efforts being made to educate the local people from further destroying the ailing ecosystem of our planet.

It is certainly nice to see holy Sanghas coming out to put in their effort to help endangered animals. I am not too sure about patrolling though as the forest is huge where enforcement can be difficult compared to the educating the villagers to stop hunting endangered species. Results might be slow as money greedy hunters are at large but at least there is some efforts being made to help encounter illegal hunting of endangered species. Perhaps a heavy penalty is an option?

[Pilgrim]

Penalty is only a temporary deterrent at best. And if it's applied only where poaching is taking place but not where the buyers are, the demand and supply theory will continue to serve their sick purpose.

Education is still the best and most sustainable way to ensure that the world at large will gradually stop doing the wrong things. But education takes time. Can the endangered species afford the necessary time? Can we allow it?

Penalty and education, you can't have one without the other.

[Freyr Aesiragnorak]

Pilgrim is right. Both penalty and education need to be implemented together. On the education side, however we MUST concentrate on the fact that animals DO have feeling and have a RIGHT to live at the same time breaking socio-cultural norms such as using animal fur for clothing, eating their flesh or even using their parts in 'traditional' medicine. It's only when education is given with both these elements will conservation efforts be successful. It is admirable, compassionate and truly Buddhist for the holy monks to be doing this, living examples of what the Buddhas taught.

[pgdharma]

This is indeed good news that the monks patrol wild landscapes surrounding monasteries to enforce strict edicts against killing wildlife. Buddhism has as a basic tenet - the love, respect, and compassion for all living beings. Buddhism values non-violence and respect for nature and support animal and environmental conservation.

After hearing about the success the Buddhist monks have had in educating locals to not harm the snow leopards or other wildlife, I hope similar approaches could work in places like India, Africa and Southeast Asia, where poaching remains a major crisis.

Here's an interesting article that Buddhist monks are practicing the basic tenet of love, respect and compassion for all living beings. http://www.wildlife1.org/news/460-thai-buddhist-monks-share-temple-with-endangered-tigers

[Aurore]

I think this is a wonderful news to share with everyone... Buddhism has always been very gentle and protects the environment and nature, which is why practitioners live a simple life, cutting attachments to material objects. It is truly nice to see that the monks are actively involved in protecting these endangered snow leopards. Hope that there will be an increase of leopard population with their great effort.

The holy sangha definitely represents more than just living a simple life, praying, cutting attachments, giving blessings and being at peace. They gave up worldly attachments, wears the robe and shave their head so that they can use those extra hours to do more such as taking more drastic actions and using different methods to benefit all sentient beings. Nowadays, you hear more and more monks pursuing an activist role. Another example is the Theravadan monks in Cambodia protesting against the environmental destruction of one of the country's few remaining pristine rainforests.

[bambi]

Such wonderful news! Besides protecting the snow leopards, maybe the monks would also like to look at the bears that are being tortured and caged for their bile. They suffer tremendous pain and suffering compared to the snow leopards. There are so many type of animals that suffer because of their meat, fur, internal organs and many more. I hope that Buddhism and the Sanghas will continue to educate them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bile_bear

Bile bears or battery bears are bears kept in captivity to harvest bile, a digestive juice produced by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. The Asiatic black bear is the species most commonly farmed, however, the sun bear and the brown bear are also used. Both the Asiatic black bear and the sun bear are listed as Vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals. When extracted, the bears’ bile is a valuable commodity for sale as an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine.

[RedLantern]

Being a snow leopard in the high,rugged mountains of Western China is a tough rebirth.They're rare,so their gorgeous pelts are even more coveted by those who covet such things,a few of their organs are highly sought after in traditional Chinese Medical circles,and some herders would rather they weren't around,to ensure the safety of their live stocks.They're on the endangered list,and their numbers are dropping alarmingly
Buddhism has a basic tenet-the love,respect and compassion for all beings.
Science and the spiritual values of Tibetan Buddhism combine their visions and wisdom to help protect China's natural heritage.It is great to know that many Buddhist monks actively patrolled areas to prevent the killing of snow leopards which were taught to local people that killing the majestic creatures was wrong.
A greater proportion of the Snow Leopard were being protected in regions around monasteries than in the core nature reserve set aside for the big cats and promote  snow leopard conservation.

[Tenzin K]

This is how the monks take extra steps to make sure the snow leopard is not being harm instead of just telling them that killing is not good. The actions of the monks definitely make a different and show the effort to save and protect lives. This makes a huge impact for the action of the teaching that they walk the talk and the power of compassion through action. 

With this act the Buddha’s teaching is something practical to the people and more people convince with the teaching.

[Dondrup Shugden]

Basically China is a Buddhism nation and now having recovered her previous position on the world stage as the Middle Kingdom, it not a surprise that China may wish to regain its spiritual leadership in Buddhism.

As Tibet is part of China, Buddhism in Mahayana and Varjayana doctrines will grow.

I am so glad to note that Monks are educating Chinese people to stop killing and protect the Snow Lions.  May more animals be taken care of by the Sangha.

It is very heart warming to see the Monk giving prayers for the person who died in a public space.

[cookie]

In the Buddhists nation of Bhutan , there is an overlap of the extensive protected lands with populated areas has led to mutual habitat encroachment. Protected wildlife has entered agricultural areas, trampling crops and killing livestock. In response, Bhutan has implemented an insurance scheme, begun constructing solar powered alarm fences, watch towers, and search lights, and has provided fodder and salt licks outside human settlement areas to encourage animals to stay away. This may be a modern approach to protect the animals in Bhutan. This will discourage the farmers from killing the animals that enroach into their lands and destroy their lands.

[vajrastorm]

It is great to know that Buddhism’s  basic tenet -- the love, respect, and compassion for all living beings- is being practiced and preserved by the monks in this region (the Sanjiangyuan region of China’s Qinghai Province, which is on the Tibetan plateau)  in their protection of  the snow leopards that roam freely in this region, their natural habitat. These monks come from the monasteries on the Tibetan plateau. Monks also teach the lay people in this region to show respect and compassion for this rare and endangered species of wildlife. It is easy to teach the lay people because they are mostly practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.
Nonetheless, the population of snow leopards has been sadly depleted at a rate of 20% in the last 20 years. Poachers and shepherds(whose flocks had been attacked by the snow leopards) are the main culprits. It could have been much worse though without the kind and compassionate intervention of the monks. Yes, the monks’ gentle and yet firm ways of teaching the people in that region to respect and be compassionate towards these rare beings, ought to be emulated in other parts of the world where endangered species of wildlife continue to be hunted down and killed to the point of extinction.
Poaching ought to be severely penalized so that it acts as an effective deterrent. Monks being vigilant and guarding against the stealing and poaching of these snow leopards, are another way of reducing the poaching. The farmers, whose farm animals have been attacked and killed by the snow leopards, ought to use other methods of prevention, rather than kill them. Methods, like electric fencing, to fence off their animals from attack, ought to be employed. By far the most effective deterrent is to educate the people in this region not to abuse and hunt and kill these animals and all other forms of wildlife. Dharma is the best education to give, Dharma that teaches us that all life is precious. Education may be a slow process, but a more effective long-term solution to the mindless killing of wild life. Dharma reaches the depths of the mind and will have effects of lifetimes.