Search Buddhist Channel

Cats escape cycle of suffering on the Buddhist path in North Las Vegas

By RICHARD LAKE, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, Feb 24, 2010

While not reincarnation, animals at least get to live the lives they have

Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) -- On a dusty corner in North Las Vegas, there is a Buddhist temple. On that temple's property, there are cats. Many, many cats. Dozens of cats, in fact, have been known to congregate there.

<< Cats occupy the grounds of Wat Buddhaphavana Temple on Tuesday in North Las Vegas.
JASON BEAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

These are feral cats, meaning they live wherever they darn well please. Apparently, the Buddhist property in the sparsely populated residential neighborhood at Gowan Road and Simmons Street suits them.

The Buddhists, being people to whom all life is sacred, care for the cats. They feed them, give them water, offer a gentle rub behind the ear when it seems a good idea.

After all, the Buddhists believe in reincarnation, which means they never know who that cat might once have been or might some day become.

All of which has caught the attention of the police. It is illegal in North Las Vegas to let pets run astray. It also is illegal to own more than three cats. Because the Buddhists care for the cats, which live on the temple grounds, the Buddhists could be in trouble.

"Forty cats is pretty much outside the accepted number," said Sgt. Tim Bedwell, a police spokesman.

On Friday, the animal control department visited the temple, prompted by a complaint.

The Buddhists were told to get rid of all but three of the cats, possibly by having them adopted. Traps were left, and instructions on how to use them were relayed. They were given until today to take care of the problem.

Bedwell said the group seemed ready to comply and had adopted out all but 12 of the cats by Tuesday. He said animal control will visit the property again today and will help the Buddhists figure out a solution, possibly including a variance to the city's ordinance.

He said the group will not be cited, nor will animal control round up the cats and take them to a shelter, where they probably would be killed.

Wijitbunyasarn Ruangrit , the temple's abbot, said through a translator that the cats started coming around four or five years ago. First, it was one cat, then two, then three.

By November, the nonprofit Community Cat Coalition of Clark County had rounded up 57 cats on the property.

That's what the group members do. They round up large populations of feral cats, neuter them and release them back into the wild. They favor animal preservation, not destruction.

Michael White, the cat advocacy group's president, said neutering the cats takes care of the problem. With the population not able to breed, it will naturally shrink over time.

White and several supporters were at the temple on Tuesday to raise awareness of the feral cat issue. They want North Las Vegas to adopt an ordinance similar to one in unincorporated Clark County that allows large feral cat populations to be neutered and released.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

TOP