The following was a spontaneous comment by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo upon hearing that the birds at Garuda Aviary have come to love her “bird stew.” She refers to some birds who came from a terrible situation and have healed under the care of the aviary’s caretaker Rigdzin Zeoli to the point where they not only enjoy freshly prepared food, but now enjoy the freedom of the aviary’s outdoor flight cage.
Some people think “love” is most important – “I’ll just cuddle you and love you.” But when I was little I was hungry, and I know what it’s like for a growing body to be hungry, and it’s agony. Your body is screaming for something, and you don’t know what it is.
Just imagine these little birds, watching their flock die all around them. How horrible it must have been to know that they’re dying, they’re all dying, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. How hot it was in there! No clean water.
How they’re healing so well makes you understand how deeply Rigdzin understands birds. He’s never lifted his eyes to them, never scared them, never done a quick motion around them. He knows what he’s doing with the birds. He really is an expert.
Jetsunma prepares fresh “stew” for the birds at least once a week, and aspires to offering it to them twice a week. She said this is the kind of thing that really matters to her…
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