Pet & Animal Blessing with Khentrul Rinpoche

In-person only at the Tibetan Buddhist Rime Institute.

In Buddhist practice, we don’t just care for ourselves as humans to understand our own true nature and attain everlasting peace and happiness, but that all those around us, seen and unseen, experience the same thing. This includes pets and animals. In our modern times some people love their pet’s as much as their family members so it is easy to see why we would also want the best for them in this life and in future lives.

There are practices for blessing animals, freeing them and extending their life. Rooted in compassion and a respect for all forms of life, Buddhist animal blessings reflect the core values of the Bodhisattva, loving kindness, and interconnectedness.

For Buddhists, animals are regarded as sentient beings, and even the most pampered pets still suffer more than most humans because they are unable to develop themselves spiritually. It is, therefore, very important that we help them.

We can do this with animal blessing ceremonies, reciting mantras to animal companions and exposing them to sacred objects such as images of the Buddha. The animal blessings can have a calming effect on them and help put vast amounts of positive imprints in their minds, ensuring their future happiness and well-being.

Animal Blessing at the Rime Institute

On Sunday, January 19th, Khentrul Rinpoche, the resident Buddhist master at our temple has agreed to host a blessing for pet’s and animals. The temple is particularly powerful because we have a structure on the property called a Stupa. It creates positive Karma for the animal and the owner to walk in a circle around a stupa. There are many stories in Tibet of even a fly circling a stupa and that alone created a condition for their enlightenment in the future. The stupa is full of relics and has been infused with all the blessings of the power of Buddha’s mind.

What to expect?

The Buddhist animal blessing contains a variety of rituals, each designed to express reverence and create conditions for the animals better future rebirth and purification of karma. This may include chanting, circumambulating our stupa, sprinkling water infused with holy blessings to create peace and harmony..

Benefit for Your Pet  Ultimately Includes Enlightenment but it starts smaller:

1. Increases your practice of Compassion: Remembering that not just you but all sentient beings want peace and happiness is a first step for ourselves towards enlightenment
2. Blessing for Health and Happiness: Even in this life your pet wants health and happiness. The blessing helps to increase their karmic conditions for this. Nothing is guaranteed but every thing helps. 
3. A Better Future Rebirth:  In Buddhism we believe in reincarnation. We also believe that to have a chance to realize our own sacred truth we need a human rebirth. So this is praying for the animal to have a better human rebirth. 
4. Free the Animal From Negative Rebirths: No one wants a lower rebirth but all of us have done something in the beginningless cycle of existence that was unwise. The prayers help to prevent your pet from a lower rebirth.

Questions?
Please email [email protected].