A Fall Tradition, Annual Blessing Of The Animals At The Buddhist Center
Last month the monks of the Do Ngak Kunphen Ling Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace (DNKL) in Redding held their annual Blessing Of The Animals at the Center on Putnam Park Rd., Redding a tradition which began more than a decade ago.
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About 70-80 people ore more attend each year to seek the blessing from the monks, waiting patiently in line with a variety of dogs and cats, even several horses and even a pair of beautiful parakeets
There are various Animal Blessings held each year in Fairfield County but none are quite like the Buddhist blessing in Redding which has been held for more than a decade. Fall is the time when many Animal Blessings are held. Christian churches host theirs around October 4th which is the celebration of the Feast Of St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Catholic Franciscan Order and the Catholic Patron Saint of animals, ecology and the environment.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Horse people will look at this photo and notice something unusual. Whenever horses are standing on a nice field of grass, they will spend every minute grazing. For the last several years, as the monks begin their prayer program all of the horses simply raise their heads and stand quietly. Horse owners here notice that and cannot help wondering if the spirituality of the event has some unknown effect.
The large audience made themselves comfortable, either in seats or sitting or on the grass as the DNKL Monks spoke to describe Buddhist Animal Blessings and describe how the program would proceed.
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The monks begin the sequence of prayers with each reading different prayers. From left to right, is Lobsang Nyima, a monk from Sri Lanka, venerable Kurunegoda Dhammaloka Thero, a Theravada which is the oldest surviving school of Buddhism, visiting monk Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, holder of three major seats of highest Buddhist study, roughly equivalent to a PhD level of study, Geshe Lobsang Dhargey, Geshe Gelek Choedup and at the end, Lobsang Sherab and Geshe Gelek Choedup.
The monks and nun recite a series of prayers in Tibetan and then in English. One of those prayers say in part:
Please always bestow fortune and blessing to these animals,
and always be their protectors and saviors.
Always conquer their enemies, and always bestow liberation on them-
Liberate them from illness, untimely death, negative karma and the chain of suffering
and liberate them from the miserable circumstances that lack leisure and opportunity.
Monk Lobsang Nyima sprinkles blessed water with a peacock feather on one of the Icelandic horses who come to the Blessing each year from Jibe-iT a family farm nearby in Redding. Next, Ani Lobsang Tendrol, a Buddhist nun places a wrapped object called a a Compassion Sutra on the animal's head and prayers are placed on the head as a transmission to the animal.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Pet parents, friends and visitors at the event love capturing so many of the animals as they are blessed.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Above, left, Sara brought here 7 year old Great Dane, Krueger back for a blessing. She last brough Krueger as a puppy when he was nine months old. Several children, relatives of the Monks also received blessings. Bottom, the Monks are clearly joyful as they greet each owner and show some love for their precious pets after they have received the blessings.
Always a favorite part of the day, especially for the children is a visit with goats who come from Jibe-iT farm. This is a rare opportunity to pet and feed these charming creatures. The farm hosts goat yoga which has become very popular in the last few years.
All of the DNKL monks and visiting monks from around the area pause for photos at the conclusion of the event.