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The barks and yelps of a national conscience

30 May 2008

dogs.jpgThe stray dog problem has now evolved into the most inconvenient social issue in recent times. As the issue garners continued highlight in the media and evokes discomforting reactions by our foreign guests here, it tugs furiously
at our collective consciousness.

Despite the government’s best intentions, with just money, limited measures and without a broad societal participation, it is little wonder that the sorry plight of the dogs persists. The governmental bodies are seriously constrained to deal with the problem alone as a comprehensive solution entails a consistency of conviction, energy, time and most importantly, a crucial ingredient called wisdom.

So I rushed to Jangsa Animal Saving Trust (JAST) office, located in the first floor of Kunzang Complex (next to Norling Complex) and sought Lama Kunzang Dorjee, the founder of JAST (www.animalsavingtrust.org). As I listened to Lama extensively, it increasingly awned on me that the dog problem is more than just a social issue about dogs. It is a kaleidoscope f our essence reflected in the many values that defines us as a nation. In urgent appeal, I share the wisdom of Lama Kunzang’s words here.

Karma: The truth of karma is intrinsic to our culture of ‘tendrel’ or creation of ‘auspicious coincidences’.
Our cultivated ‘tendrel’ has resulted in many auspicious coincidences in our journey as a nation: we have not faced any major natural calamities caused by the four elements, have had amazing success in overcoming national problems such as militancy and recently we had a smooth transition to democracy. Everything in life is fashioned by ‘tendrel’. For example, when a bomb goes off in Israel, security is tightened in the USA.

The year, 2008, is a very momentous one in the history of Bhutan with the coronation of the fifth Druk Gyalpo and the birth of democracy. The continued auspiciousness of these epochal events demands that we accumulate only meritorious acts this year.

To cite an example lamented by many Buddhist masters: Nepal is a country of great natural resources and a noble land where Buddha Sakyamuni and great many saints and maha-siddhis were born and lived down the ages. However, the fact that Nepal is today struggling with frequent and ongoing natural and political calamities is believed to the result of the accumulations of many inauspicious acts – such as the practice of animal sacrifice in the name of religion.

Values: The popular saying “Jimba tangna khila tang, khi ne pang gi tsa mi za” indicates that dogs are most deserving of our charity. Also, if we are compassionate to animals as a society isn’t it is only logical that compassion would naturally extend towards humans and ultimately result in the creation of a humane society?

Practice: The spine of the practice of Buddhism is compassion towards all sentient beings. People of all religious orientation should practice compassion. More so, it becomes imperative that we uphold the practice vigorously as we are indeed the only Vajrayana kingdom in the world.

Foreign: The plight of the impounded stray dogs in ‘Shangri-La’ evoked profound anguish, sadness and distress from visiting foreign guests. Though a small nation, we have punched above our weight in terms of inspiring the world with the wholesomeness of our values and wisdom culture. However, the continuity of our stray dogs’ problem is infecting the accumulated merits of our national essence considerably like an open wound.

If we cannot meet even the humane international standards of organizations like the ‘Bridget Bardot Foundations’ and ‘Vets Beyond Boundaries’ in our treatment of animals, then it is an issue of national shame and an affront to our national consciousness.

GNH: Our governance philosophy is famous for a holistic approach towards development. The inhumane condition of our dogs would be a sacrilege to the holistic and expansive principles of GNH in defining our moral fibre as a society. When our actions do not meet our stated ideals, everything else rings hollow.

Some tourists have even suggested euthanasia as an effective solution. Besides being completely contrary to our values and practiced beliefs, there is ample evidence to prove that euthanasia is a futile exercise. According to Indian research study in the 19th century, the British started mass killing of dogs as a population control measure, which continued even after independence on a large scale (about 50,000 dogs killed every year). However by 1993, it was admitted to be a complete failure, with rabies death actually increasing and dog population perceptibly growing.

JAST advocates the tested solution of Catch/Neuter/Vaccinate & Release programs as the most holistic and effective solution Government: The present socio-political institutions must take note of the acquired experiences
of other countries where tackling profound social issues is driven from the grassroots of NGOs, civil society and the like, adequately supported and facilitated by the government. Only the government displaying deep consciousness and political will can facilitate and materialise the multi-sectoral teamwork required to effectively deal with the problem in a comprehensive and holistic manner. This political will has to be borne from the realization that this issue is not simply about the resolution of a stray dog problem. It is a reflection of Bhutan in the mirror of our essence, in practical, simple, direct and raw terms.

Guru Padmasambhava proclaimed, “When compassion gets old, it becomes the seed of anger.” Compassion for dogs should be imbued with the timeless wisdom of equanimity and interdependence so that it never gets ‘old’ and erodes into the aggressive impatience of a condescending, self-centered, crude and inhumane society. In essence, we should care for dogs for the sake of wisdom itself. Conditions now dictate that the wisdom that has defined our essence and nourished
us till now is in crucial need of perpetuation. This is a clarion call for broad-based societal and governmental action led by organizations like JAST to realize the true strength and depth of our national consciousness.

By Phuntsok Rabten

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Comments

3 Responses to “The barks and yelps of a national conscience”

  1. hardtruth on June 1st, 2008 10:42 am

    Why does eveything have to be interpreted from a Buddhist point of view. I am tired and sick of the hypocrisy. Why can’t we just accept that the dog problem arosed because of the same buddhist sentiments. If People would go for mass culling like they are suppose to then this problem wouldn’d have come up. (The British experiment was not a failure. If they hadnt done what they did then the figure would have been worse). I say kill the damn dogs and our problems are solved.

  2. Linda Allen Clifton on June 2nd, 2008 11:22 pm

    Oh my it is so hard to read the words from hardtruth above much less what the Bhutan Observer printed. We, the supposed ‘humans’ of questionable superior intelligence must be good stewards of this earth and it’s occupants, be them man or animal or we shall all perish ~ forever in shame.

    It is extremely sad there are such shallow, mean spirited ‘people’ walking this earth. I shall pray for them.

  3. hardtruth on June 3rd, 2008 9:39 pm

    Thanks but no thanks Linda Allen Clifton. I don’t need your prayers. I suppose you’re one of those people who sits at a distant passing judgments on what others do. But it is all right because you have the right to pass judgments on random strangers in the net you haven’t even met let alone know as a “supposed human of superior intelligence”

    You called me mean spirited, I was only giving a practical solution to our very real problem . What do you suppose we do? Spend our limited resources on building dog compounds? There are places in Bhutan where people walk for days just to get to the nearest motorable road. There are places in Bhutan where school children under five have to walk for hours through jungles just to get to a school. As “humans of superior intelligence” you want us to build dog shelters instead of roads, schools, hospitals?. ..Yeah that would be super intelligent.

    Sure I agree that we have to look after other species on this earth and “all will perish” if we don’t. But this is stray dogs we are talking about not some endangered wild geese. Killing a few hundred would hardly make a difference to the dog population.

    If you think it over it is best for the dogs too. They would die a painless instant death rather than being tortured for life in an enclosed cage.

    So I still believe that we should kill the dogs.

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