Month: November 2011

Plea for the Safety of the Troy Parrots

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The following is a plea written by Rigdzin Zeoli, caretaker of the Garuda Aviary Parrot Rescue and Sanctuary:

Doug Ratcliff of Union Township was not an animal hoarder. He is trying to start a parrot mill. The horrific photos that brought the world’s attention to Union Township were not unfamiliar to me. The sight of parrots living and dying in filth and squalor is often what you find in a parrot mill.
As an experienced parrot handler and primary caretaker for Garuda Aviary parrot rescue and sanctuary, I recognized Doug Ratcliff’s methods as being consistent with other inhumane parrot breeding “facilities” deemed parrot mills. An associate of mine who was on the scene in Union Township during the rescue phase of the horrific “Troy Parrots” story confirmed my suspicions by reporting the presence of rows of “breeding boxes” where the parrots were kept on Ratcliff’s property.
Parrot mills are very similar to puppy mills in that the breeding animals are denied basic health care in an attempt to increase profits. If one of the breeding animals get sick or injured, the breeder will often let it die rather then pay for it’s medical care.
Doug Ratcliff is trying to regain custody of the 10 parrots currently under the care of Dr Brauer at the South Dayton Veterinary Clinic in Kettering. It is no surprise he wants these birds returned as they represent the core of his breeding population.
Returning these parrots to Mr. Ratcliff would be a unconscionable crime. He has multiple animal cruelty and neglect violations in his history of parrot keeping.
I have seen parrots kept in inhumane negligence. The conditions seen on Doug Ratcliff’s property were probably the worst conditions I’ve ever encountered. It has been extremely difficult for Dr. Brauer to keep some of these birds alive and to get them to some semblance of a healthy state.
With all of the negative press Ohio has received recently regarding the inhumane treatment of animals, the LAST thing the people of Ohio would want in their area is a parrot mill. Anybody with even a vague interest in the humane care of animals would regard this as proof that Ohio’s perspective on animal welfare is cruel and archaic.
I am sending this plea out to anybody who might have relevant authority regarding this issue.
Dr. Brauer is filing an injunction to gain ownership of these 10 parrots still under his care so that he may find the proper rescue facilities to continue their recovery.
On my hands and knees, I beg, BEG you to help Dr. Brauer gain ownership and deny Mr. Ratcliff these very special exotic birds.
If these parrots are returned to Ratcliff, they will suffer in filth and illness and many will die. There is NO reason to believe otherwise when one sees his past record of criminal negligence.
PLEASE do the right thing and help see these exotic birds to safety.

Thank you
Christopher Zeoli
Garuda Aviary

If you would like to add your voice to the call for protecting these precious lives here is some contact information:

Send a letter via http://governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx

HSUS Ohio State Director
web form: http://www.humanesociety.o​rg/forms/states/contact_oh​io_director.html

Prosecutor Gary Nasal
email: [email protected]

Mayor Michael L. Beamish
email: [email protected]

Attn: Caren Golden
Melody Vallieu Troy Daily News

Impartiality

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The following is a full length video teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo given at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

Video streaming by Ustream

Jetsunma describes how to use the natural love and responsibility we feel towards those we love as a window to recognizing the suffering of all beings, and taking responsibility for relieving the suffering of all beings without partiality.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.  All rights reserved

21 Homages to Tara: Verse 18 Commentary Khenpo Tenzin Norgay

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Thupten Shedrub Gyatso, who was a Tulku in one of the Palyul Monasteries, wrote this commentary. His present incarnation, Rago Chogtrul currently lives in Tibet.

Translation by Khenpo Tenzin Norgey ~ Spring, 2004,
Palyul Retreat Center, Mc Donough, NY USA ~Wood Monkey Year 2131

Homage to you, holding a hare-marked full moon,
Shaped like the god’s ocean of nectar
By uttering TARE twice and PHAT
You dispel all poison without exception.

The eighteenth homage is to Maja Chenmo,Tib the “Great Peahen”, who averts and pacifies poison.  She is as white as the moon, and sits on a blue lotus.  In her left hand, she holds a full moon marked with a rabbit, which is the shape of the ocean of nectar of the god realm.  With her radiance and her chanting of the mantra, OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SARVA VETRA TARA PHAT SVA HA, which has two TARES and a PHAT syllable, she clears all poisons, both animate and inanimate, without a trace.  Generally, all obstacles arise from poisons, and the base of all the animate and inanimate poisons is our afflictions.  She clears all the poisons of sentient beings without a trace with the medicine of the truth of reality.

Astrology

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Two sides emerge. One side is generous and giving. The other side is looking at the bottom line and thinking “can we afford this?”  If you make a financial appeal, expect to meet surprising resistance. It’s a good time for you to give, but it’s not a good time to ask someone else to give. These are two different things. Forced “generosity” is an oxymoron. Don’t try to pressure or guilt trip others into giving, just go ahead and give yourself. Charles Spurgeon said “Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin.” Once this issue is resolved, be aware that something is leaving the environment. A last minute “ego trip” can appear. If you feel proud of what you’ve accomplished, this isn’t the day to speak of it. A happy mental energy is still present. Enjoy it.

The daily astrology post affects everyone. Because individual charts vary, the circumstances outlined in the post will affect people differently. Some will feel this energy in the personal arena, some in finances, some with children or family, some in work and so forth. There are many departments of life. Look to see where the dynamic affects you!

21 Homages to Tara: Verse 17 Commentary Khenpo Tenzin Norgay

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Thupten Shedrub Gyatso, who was a Tulku in one of the Palyul Monasteries, wrote this commentary. His present incarnation, Rago Chogtrul currently lives in Tibet.

Translation by Khenpo Tenzin Norgey ~ Spring, 2004,
Palyul Retreat Center, Mc Donough, NY USA ~Wood Monkey Year 2131

Homage to you whose seed syllable is HUNG
Who utters TURE and stamps your feet.
Causing Meru, Mandhara and Vindhya mountains
And the three worlds to tremble.

The seventeenth homage is to Dolma Pagmed Nonma,Tib the “Unfathomable Suppressor”, who averts harm from hunters, thieves, robbers and enemies.  She is orange like saffron, sits on a blue lotus and holds a stupa[i].  By saying TURE, stamping on the ground, and the radiating seed syllables from the HUNG at her heart, she shakes all the abodes of the great gods, including Mount Meru, Mandhara and Vindhya.  The effect of her actions extends beyond the three thousand worlds.  Her stamping causes the three realms: desire, form and formless, on the subterranean, terrestrial and celestial worlds, to quake and quiver.  By the power of her frightening forces, she crushes butchers, thieves, and other enemies under her feet and gives peace to all beings.  The ultimate meaning is that the quavering of the three worlds is purification of the three doors, (body, speech and mind).


[i] stupa skt ~ Buddhist sacred monument and reliquary, built to represent the enlightened mind.

Astrology

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Happy day! Cheerfulness and optimism permeate everything. For heaven’s sake, don’t think up something to be bothered about. Financial matters are steaming ahead successfully, and long distance travel is good as are the messages you receive. A joyful time is here. Use your goodwill to help others in whatever way you can. Any excess in your life, no matter how small, is well offered to those who can use it. This is not the time to save for a rainy day; it’s good to cast your net of generosity far and wide. It’s a time to give. Of course if someone wants to give to you, accept gracefully. St. Augustine said “If we live good lives, the times are also good. As we are, such are the times.”  You are making “the times” right now.

The daily astrology post affects everyone. Because individual charts vary, the circumstances outlined in the post will affect people differently. Some will feel this energy in the personal arena, some in finances, some with children or family, some in work and so forth. There are many departments of life. Look to see where the dynamic affects you!

Peace

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The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I would rather have infrastructure here repaired and built than war overseas.

I would rather have human services than war.

I would much rather have an excellent school system than another war.

I would rather better health care and hospitals than a war.

I would rather we respect our indigenous natives than have another stupid war.

I would rather protect our treasured and needed wild forests than have yet another war.

I would rather rid ourselves of all nuclear power rather than have another phony “weapons of mass destruction” war.

I would rather give women total control of their own wombs, spend money on prevention-planning than another killing war.

I would rather be pro-life by stopping all killing, including execution, and killing war. These are actually the living.

I would rather see our governments stop lying to us about nuclear poisoning than distract us with another useless war.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.  All rights reserved

21 Homages to Tara: Verse 16 Commentary Khenpo Tenzin Norgay

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Thupten Shedrub Gyatso, who was a Tulku in one of the Palyul Monasteries, wrote this commentary. His present incarnation, Rago Chogtrul currently lives in Tibet.

Translation by Khenpo Tenzin Norgey ~ Spring, 2004,
Palyul Retreat Center, Mc Donough, NY USA ~Wood Monkey Year 2131

Homage to you, who is surrounded by joyous ones
Who completely scatter the bodies of enemies.
You liberate all with your speech, adorned with ten syllables
And HUNG: your pristine awareness.

The sixteenth homage is to Drolma Barvai Odcan,Tib the “Tara Who Averts the Enemies and Mantra’s Spell,” who is red like the fire at the end of eon, sits on blue lotus, and holds a crossed vajra.  She is surrounded by a host of vidyadharas and mendicants who have accomplished the practice of mantra and power of truthful speech and are endowed with perfect joy of samadhi.  Their radiance scatters the bodies of the foes and overcomes the power of magical spells and the power of sorcery, destroying them without a trace.  By reciting her mantra arrangement of the ten syllables, OM TARE and so on, she At the heart of the wrathful lady, awareness rests in the form of a HUNG radiating light that clears the outer, inner, and secret obscurations of the beings to be tamed.  The ultimate meaning is that by subduing the foe of the impure appearance of our body, the awareness body of the Mother of the Victorious Ones is accomplished: the unchanging great blissful body endowed with the ten powers.

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