We confront moral issues and ethical dilemmas, we run out of patience and confidence, and we also look for short-cuts for success and instant gratification in life. And often we find ourselves comparing our life and successes with others and do course correction and tamper with our value system to catch up with the rest. But does it pay-off in the end is a big question mark.
Here is a worthy experience - 108 Yaks: A Journey Of Love And Freedom narrated on film by Thubten Jinpa, a Buddhist monk. Thubten Jinpa was given a task by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) of Buddhism.
The Context: The nomads in Nepal were selling the yaks because of the lack of manpower to look after them. The sold yaks were killed for meat and Mahayana tradition condemns killing of animals. Thubten Jinpa did some research and found out where they were sold. The act of freeing the animals falls under the category of animal liberation, a traditional practice in Tibetan Buddhism. But simply buying them was not enough, Thubten Jinpa had to find a safe place for them to be looked after.
The Task: To take 108 yaks through the mountains crossing over at around 18,000 feet, to reach their destination, the Rolwaling valley, where the animals were safely deposited with villagers.
The Journey: “Taking such a large group of yaks across the treacherous, uninhabited lands at such high altitudes is something a few would venture to do. And what gave me faith to put me life and so many lives at risk was the courage that came from years of study,” says Thubten Jinpa .
Pearls of Wisdom from the Journey:
1. “The more I learn, the more I connect to the teachings. Now I am able to understand the principles and put them into practice. So whenever a conflict arises, I am able to discern the methods that I can apply to deal with it. I have grown deeper in my faith, my connection and my commitment to continue the practices,” says Thubten Jinpa.
2.“All negativity arises from the mind, from having a wrong perspective about life. Suffering is in the mind. One becomes free when one understands this.”
3. Death is a certainty for every living being, so what matters is to ensure that life itself is wholesome not just physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well.
4. One has to find a way to treat the life state that caused the being to be born as an animal. It is not possible to save all the animals, but benefiting one animal is better than doing nothing.
5. The group faced its share of obstacles along the way with changing mountain paths, and rough trails. At one point they find their only train washed away by the rain. Taking the viewer across pristine mountain vistas, 108 Yaks… is a demonstration of the profound commitment that comes from a space of innocence and love.
6.The journey is as important as the destination, so choose the right destination and embark on the right journey to self- liberation. Practice generosity, one of the six perfections of the Mahayana tradition which includes morality, patience, perseverance, concentration and wisdom.
As we go through our individual journeys of life, we will be entrusted with purposeful yaks by our elders at home, superiors at work, or spiritual leaders in our faith. And on the journey you will come across changing mountain paths, high altitudes, treacherous trails, trials and tribulations, and when you do, remember this story on 108 Yaks: A Journey Of Love And Freedom.
Here is the detailed coverage about this journey on The Hindu: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article3620678.ece
Here is where you can get the DVD - http://shop.fpmt.org/108-Yaks--A-Journey-of-Love-Freedom-DVD_p_1674.html
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