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Interesting....

 

Elephants show compassion

 

Elephants pay their respects to lost loved ones and venerated leaders in a way that suggests a human-like capacity for compassion, scientists say.

 

In a paper to appear in a scientific journal this month, researchers said they came to this conclusion after watching how elephants on a Kenyan game reserve behaved towards a matriarch who fell ill and died.

The dying elephant - named Eleanor by the researchers from Britain and the United States - was first assisted by an unrelated matriarch from another family.

At one point the helper, called Grace, was observed lifting the collapsed animal to her feet using her tusks.

 

When Eleanor fell again, Grace tried again to lift her up - this time without success.

Eleanor died where she fell, and was subsequently visited by elephants not only from her own family, but from four other families as well.

All the animals showed a distinct interest in the body, the scientists discovered, sniffing it with their trunks, hovering a foot over it, or nudging it with their tusks.

"It leads to the conclusion that elephants have a generalised response to suffering and death... and that this is not restricted to kin," they wrote in a paper for the August issue of Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

 

Like humans

 

The research was led by Iain Douglas-Hamilton, from the zoology department at Oxford University, who founded the charity Save the Elephants.

With colleagues from the University of California, his team monitored 50 animals on the Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya, tracking them with GPS collars and taking automatically dated and timed photos.

Most animals, apart from humans, seem to show little interest in the dead bodies of their own species - but chimpanzees, dolphins and elephants are all known to show concern for the sick and dead, the scientists said.

"This behaviour in an animal species can be compared to human behaviour, and indicates that such feelings as compassion may not be restricted to our species alone," Douglas-Hamilton said.

From Aljazeera.net

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Guest Felix

Tashi Delek.

 

Interesting article. It reminds me of dolphins. I've read that an encounter with dolphins brings up to sensations of joy, happiness, and lightness and has a strong therapeutic effect. :levitation:

 

Scientific researches indicate that “dolphin supported therapies†can help people with disabilities such as Down's syndrome, autism, depression, attention deficit disorder, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injuries. The therapeutic programs (mostly for children) obviously have a positive effect: they make children smile, they become calmer, able to sit, to accept the answer “no“, to open up and to improve communication, attention and concentration span.

 

Some believe that the sounds that dolphins make when they communicate underwater improve a person's immune system and stimulate the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, which are responsible for sensations such as peacefulness, happiness, self-awareness, and high self-esteem. But it could be much more, as someone wrote: “I believe that the dolphin's smile opens us, that their sounds attract us, their harmony of movement is touching, their sense of humor is amusing, and that their love to touch is a mutual desire in dolphins and in humans alike.†(It sounds almost like a quotation from a Bodhisattva training manual, doesn't it? Just joking. ;) )

 

What I find most interesting about these stories, is the fact that dolphins are wild animals, not domesticated like dogs or horses. The interactions in the water do not involve feeding, which is also not necessary as dolphins are friendly and seek to approach people by themselves. They cooperate because they choose to cooperate. There is a certain mutual respect in those encounters and palpable joy. :))

 

Respectfully,

Felix

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Tashi Delek all !

 

Wow what articles here !!

 

It asks now the question of evolution of Karma from the lowest form to emptiness (nirvana). It's like we could see what will become the "spirit" of an animal at the time of his death to the next life regarding his karma during his life and the opportunity to become more conscious in his next life and why not admit he will grow in an human body !!

We could also be more attentive to our present life and the acts we do in taking exemple on the evolution of karma regarding to the defferent species and then be more compassionate to them and offer the opportunity to "boost" their spiritual path in paying attention and praying for them !

 

What do you think about this ?

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Guest Ani.Chödrön

Tashi Delek!

 

We could also be more attentive to our present life and the acts we do in taking exemple on the evolution of karma regarding to the defferent species and then be more compassionate to them and offer the opportunity to "boost" their spiritual path in paying attention and praying for them !
I completely agree. There are many ways to help the animals to get a better rebirth, to get a contact with Dharma in the future and to develop good heart. Here are some ideas that came to my mind:

 

Educating animals so that they are more helpful, the relationships are more smooth and they trigger less (possible) annoyance. This way an animal also makes some effort in “study†(which is good, since ignorance or stupidity is a cause for being born in an animal realm).

Helping them to rejoice kindness.

Taking care that they do not behave disrespectfully to the holy objects... (like stepping on a Dharma text, drinking water from an altar, stretching paws towards holy objects...). Helping them to circumambulate holy objects (a stupa, a Buddha statue...).

Blessing the food they eat and reciting mantras while they enjoy eating. You can also “decorate†their eating corner with a picture of a Buddha (this way they bow in front of it when they eat).

Bringing them to a Lama for a blessing.

Praying for them. Reciting prayers or mantras aloud, letting them join our meditation or to sleep in our lap when we meditate. Playing them CD's with prayers, mantras and recitations of sutras...

Being kind to the mother sentient being, trying to create an atmosphere that will support calmness and joyfulness of her mind, while taking a good care for our Dharma practice and praying that we will be able to help the being to reach Enlightenment.

Did you find some other beneficial ideas for your pet? You are most welcome to share them. ;)

 

All the very best,

chödrön

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Tashi Delek,

to all that was already said, I have nothing special really to add, only maybe to expose the importnance of also children, still finding their ways how to interact with this world, being able to see the described kind and supportive attitude. Being the example, we can also explain them in what ways animals are no different than our closest human being friends. Maybe in time, the minds will change and animals won't feel so threatened and therefore fearfull.

When we go for a walk to a forest for example, we can recite mantras with a dedication and wish that all beings living inthere soon find ways to survive without harming one another. That they all soon find Dharma and reach Enlightenment. Wherever we meet an animal, be it in a shop for sale or in a supermarket toilet, we can recite mantras and blow it on them. Maybe even save it from detergents or liberate it ;-)

Best regards,

Pamo

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I always found elephants so beautiful. I wished one at 2-3 years old, but it was too big for our appartement my father said :). I did not take meassure into consideration, hihi. I also met elephants in Kenya that were letf alone without their parents. Actually in order for the elephant to be able to live in wild again they needed one person to live with an elephant for 6 or even more years.

 

Elephants are very tender and take a human being for their mother. In first years usually person needed to sleep together with the elephant...through years they slowly enlarge the distance between the place where elephant is sleeping and the keeper. After some time (3-4 years) they needed to train the elephant to not trust human beings and eventually the elephant could go in wild.

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Dear all,

Elephants show compassion

"It leads to the conclusion that elephants have a generalised response to suffering and death..

:-( ...deers too, it seems...there was an accident and a deer was hit, killed; his herd wouldn't part, seemed confused and in wish to stay around. Until they felt too threatened by other cars passing by and a man that hit the deer stepping out of the car; only then they ran away...

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