Drikung Kagyu Institute (India)
Today’s Date: 3 January 2008
1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?
Every interaction with animals and nature has a biggest impact on my life, I believe this world is like a container and the living beings are the contents in it. These two components have an inseparable relationship. All beings are the same whether animal, insect or human beings, in wishing to be happy and in disliking suffering, but we are different in that human beings have brilliant intellects and other beings have lower intellects. However all the sentient beings have the same Buddha nature, and in this respect all the beings are same, so it is our duty to respect each other.
2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?
My favorite place during my childhood was the pastures of the Drikung Monastery area in Tibet. I liked them very much, and every holiday I rode a horse, an ox and also some time a goat throughout that landscape. There I also had a rabbit, dog, cat, and a parrot that could speak the Tibetan language and also was able to chant the mantras. I had a very beautiful mule which was offered to me by my grand mother, I always cared for it and often rode over that landscape and I still remember it well.
Now? Now, I have visited many countries and especially like to see the zoos. I was fascinated by the biggest exhibited Zoo in New York and a great adventure with a biggest private nature Zoo in New Jersey. Two years ago I visited South Africa, and I was really impressed by the wildlife there and I still wish to visit many more places with unique wildlife.
3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is and why?
My favorite animal is Tibetan mastiff, the reason why is that, this dog is very sincere and always playful and helpful for its owner even in a difficult situation.
4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?
The greatest environmental challenge we face now is that of the pollution of air and water and ecological imbalance in nature. This unfavorable condition depends on the bad actions of beings in this world and as a result much turbulence like tsunamis, earthquakes and the ozone hole and so forth come about. These days the experts have come to know the dangers of global warming. The glaciers are melting down and whole snow mountains have collapsed into the ocean and there is a big danger to cities which are situated near the sea coast. All of this is because of the degradation of the natural environment around us. When I look to the Western world I don't see many animals and birds, but a lot of industry and so on. In the East I see lots of birds and animals and I think it is because of nature. If there are good environmental surroundings and rich of plant life, then there will be lots of food for animals and insects, and animals in those areas will look healthy and happy, if there are no good environments, then animals will look gloomy and skinny.
So, it is almost late, and if we don't restore Mother Nature right now, it will be too late. In the near future we will face insurmountable problems and will be unable to control the disastrous effects for all sentient beings and the whole world.
5. If you could give one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?
In such conditions each and every individual should respect nature and work towards the preservation of Mother Nature. From the Buddhist point of view if you plant a tree with a heart of benefiting other sentient beings, it is called the bodhichitta and it is also the practice of morality and generosity; if you bear the difficulties during the planting then it is the practice of patience and effort, and if you see the interdependency and the coexistent relationship of plants and sentient beings, then it is called meditation and wisdom. So, planting one tree can become what we call in Buddhism the practice of the six-perfections.
May Peace prevail on Earth!
To learn more about His Holiness, you can visit http://www.drikung.org/bio1.html
To learn more about the Drikung Kagyu Institute, visit http://www.dkinstitute.org
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