by Stephanie Jones**
December 26, 2007 Bodh Gaya, India: During December 2007, Tibetan Volunteers for Animals (TVA) organized a pro-vegetarian campaign in Boudh Gaya, in-coordination with Kagyu Monlam Organizers during Kagyu Monlam a Buddhist prayer festival for World Peace. The five activists of TVA involved in the project traveled from Dharamsala and TCV School Suja.
The campaign involved a photo exhibition, movie screenings, literature distribution, signature collection, and fund-raising through donations for the organization’s activities. The photo exhibition, titled “Hell on Earth,” featured full color photo collages of animal torture and abuse around the world. In addition to banner-size posters to draw the crowd, TVA also distributed smaller posters of “Hell on Earth,” as well as a family-friendly version with smiling happy animals.
All three years of TVA’s annual journals were freely distributed in Tibetan and English. Tibetan and Chinese language DVDs, VCDs, and audio CDs were also distributed. These included the teachings of Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche and His Holiness the 17thGayalwa Karmapa, who presided over the Monlam. TVA’s latest Tibetan language documentary, “Love for All” was released on the first day of Kagyu Monlam. “Love for all” features His Holiness’s speech on vegetarianism and heart-breaking video footage of animal slaughter in Western factory farms.
TVA also organized a “Pledge to be Veg” signature campaign with three options: life-long commitment, 10 years, or 1 year commitment to try to give up meat. Many people, mostly monks, came from Bhutan, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim and other Himalayan people gave up eating meat. The auspicious location in front of the Mahabodhi Stupa made the promise sincere and lasting. Over 300 pledged to be lifelong vegetarians, and the amount for the lesser times was beyond count. TVA presented the signatures to His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa for his kind blessings.
For each night of Kagyu Monlam, TVA exhibited a different 2-hour documentary films along with explanations at Nyingma Gompa (the monastery where the whole Buddhist sangha resides for the festival) and Namgyal Monastery. More than 800 people filled the audience each night. This great success was made possible by the kind assistance of the organizers of Kagyu Monlam.
On 21st December, TVA organized a large candle-light offering, distributing thousands of candles so people could circumambulate Mahabodhi in commemoration of dead animals across the world. That day, they also lit candles at Nyingma Gompa during the film showing.
In cooperation with Dr. Catherine of Vets Beyond Borders, TVA and Western volunteers gave treatment to stray sick and injured dogs in the greater Bodh-Gaya area. Treatment began in mid-December with Kagyu Monlam, and will be finished on 18th January 2008. This allowed adequate time for treatment of severe mange and other such cases.
Being in the enlightened place at an auspicious time allowed TVA to renew compassion in the minds of many people, destroying much of the ignorance which so often leads to the destruction of lives. TVA gave many people the hope of vegetarianism and the accompanying physically and spiritually healthy life.
* Report submitted by Stephanie Jones, student of the intersection of compassion and medical science.