• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrine’s perspective on a suggested subject. Every Friday a topic is printed inviting a response. Submissions are edited for content and
• Editor’s note: “Spiritual leaders answer” is a weekly column inviting Kaua‘i’s religious and spiritual leaders to share their doctrine’s perspective on a suggested subject. Every Friday a topic is printed inviting a response. Submissions are edited for content and length. Thoughts or suggestions for future topics are always welcome. Next week’s topic is acceptance. The topic at the end of the column is for the following week.
The Baha’is of Kaua‘i
Animals, though without an immortal soul, are innocent and should be treated with kindness and love. We must take great care to show tenderness to animals for they cannot talk or complain to better their plight. Parents should train their children from an early age to show compassion and care for animals. The exception, however, are vicious and harmful animals who cannot be allowed to harm other animals or human beings.
In a talk given in London in 1911, Abdu’l-Baha was asked what happens to an animal’s personality after death. He replied “Even the most developed dog has not the immortal soul of the man; yet the dog is perfect in its own place. You do not quarrel with a rose-tree because it cannot sing!” He further explained the relationship of humans to animals.
“Most human beings are sinners, but the beasts are innocent. Surely those without sin should receive the most kindness and love — all except animals which are harmful … the reason being that kindness to these is an injustice to human beings and to other animals as well.”
This is an excerpt from guidance given by Abdu’l-Baha on kindness to animals. “O ye friends of God! Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living creature. The physical sensibilities and instincts are common to animal and man. Man is, however, negligent of this reality and imagines that sensibility is peculiar to mankind, therefore he practices cruelty to the animal. In reality what difference is there in physical sensations! Sensibility is the same whether you harm man or animal: there is no difference. Nay, rather, cruelty to the animal is more painful because man has a tongue and he sighs, complains and groans when he receives an injury and complains to the government and the government protects him from cruelty; but the poor animal cannot speak, it can neither show its suffering nor is it able to appeal to the government. If it is harmed a thousand times by man it is not able to defend itself in words nor can it seek justice or retaliate. Therefore one must be very considerate towards animals and show greater kindness to them than to man. Educate the children in their infancy in such a way that they may become exceedingly kind and merciful to the animals. If an animal is sick they should endeavor to cure it; if it is hungry, they should feed it; if it is thirsty, they should satisfy its thirst; if it is tired, they should give it rest.”
Pastor Wayne Patton
Anahola Baptist Church
The Lord God with a flair of creative brilliance delighted in creating animals on this planet. If you live on Kaua‘i, you know that one of those animals is the rooster. The crow of the rooster, supposedly, is to remind us that it is time to get up and be about the day’s activities. There was a disciple of Jesus named Peter who on one occasion was reminded of a number of things by the crowing of a rooster (Luke 22:31-62).
One reminder the proud and carelessly bold Peter heard is that to “say” is one thing, to “do” is another. He told Jesus that he would never let Him down. Yet, within hours, Peter denied Jesus three times and refused to be identified with Him.
The rooster’s crow also reminded Peter that it is “hard to hide” who you are. People knew that Peter was a Galilean and a disciple of Christ. He tried to deny it three times. It never worked. We need to remember who we are all the time. Others most certainly will remember who we “say” we are. We need to always be careful about our influence, realizing that someone is always watching us.
As the rooster crowed, Peter must have been reminded that when Jesus says something, it is the truth. This memory caused Peter to weep bitterly. When we deny the truth Jesus reveals to us, we need to follow Peter’s example of weeping. Peter could have avoided this painful situation by being more careful with his bold statements and by being truly brave enough to admit he was a disciple of Christ.
The crowing rooster could have also caused Peter to remember the dangers of foolish pride. As Proverbs 29:23 says, “A man’s pride will bring him low.”
It is important to remember that Peter was indeed sorrowful for the pride he displayed. Peter and Jesus were able to talk about Peter’s future before the Lord ascended back into heaven. Peter went on to become a great apostle. The lesson for us is that though we make mistakes, like Peter did, we can overcome them and go ahead to do great things for God. The roosters of Kaua‘i certainly do a good job of reminding us of Peter’s experience.
Kahu James Fung
Lihu‘e Christian Church
A little boy, whose puppy died, asked me if there were animals in heaven. I said to him, “Of course. Why do you think they call it heaven? What would life be and what would heaven be if there were no animals, no pets?”
God created the animals and all living things as part of God’s beautiful plan. And he asked us to take care of the animals and the gardens of the world. That’s part of our stewardship — our responsibility to take care of life, in all of its forms on the planet and beyond when we get to those new worlds.
May we never forget that, as human beings, we too, are animals. Like the other animals we share the earth, the seas, and the sky. And we all need to find a balance in life so that we exist in harmony within God’s creation.
One of the animals I have known the best, my cat Dodger, who died a few years ago, taught me a lot about life. He lived a life of appreciation for all of life’s blessings large and small; he thrived on giving and receiving affection; he was quick to forgive; he listened attentively, ate with gusto, played with enthusiasm and purred most of the time.
O yes, I know that there are animals in God’s heaven. And I look forward to catching up with Dodger some day.
Lama Tashi Dundrup
Kaua‘i Dharma Center
Animals, like humans, are incarnate beings. But unlike humans, they can only act instinctively. They are intellectually dull or stupid, have no “self” awareness, and are subject to the whims of nature and humans. This is their karma from past lives of not developing spiritually and from intentionally being harmful to others and nature in their previous rebirth as human beings. They have Buddha nature, but cannot develop it until they rebirth again in the human condition. They are worthy of love, compassion and respect as being a part of the natural world, also an aspect of our life support system. Since everything is interconnected, like a family, treat all living beings, animals, humans and spirits as you would treat your self. You offer them loving kindness, compassion and respect, like a mother for her only child.
Topic for two weeks from today
• Will you speak to us on gluttony?
• Spiritual leaders are invited to e-mail responses of three to five paragraphs to afrainier@thegardenisland.com.
• Deadline each week is 5 p.m. Tuesday.