Search Buddhist Channel

Pets receive Buddhist blessing in Penfield

by Alan Morrell, Democrat & Chronicle, October 15, 2007

Penfield, NY (USA) -- Marie and Jay Albano-Yanick of Rochester brought their dog, their cat and their fish. Peggy Weston Byrd of Brighton brought her dog, Willie.

They were among 20 or so people who brought their pets to Ellison Park on Sunday to have the animals blessed by a Buddhist teacher, Lama Gursam.

After the ceremony, Byrd said she noticed a difference in Willie, a standard schnauzer breed, who was situated near a feline for the blessing.

"He's normally aggressive around cats," she said. "But I'm so happy — he was sharing his calm, assertive energy with the cat."

The event was sponsored by Amitabha Foundation, a Buddhist organization, based at 11 S. Goodman St., which is dedicated to preserving the culture of Tibet. The animal blessings stemmed from basic Buddhist beliefs, said Lama Gursam.

"Every life is equally precious, equally important," he said. "We all have this Buddhist potential. It doesn't matter what form, human form or other forms."

Gursam said prayers, then used sacred objects to bless the animals.

Marie Albano-Yanick said she has been a member of Amitabha Foundation for a year and a half. The pet blessing, she said, was spiritual and important for her and her pets: Ursula, a pit bull breed dog, Sabosh the cat and Harold, a Betta fish.

"I just want (my pets) to be blessed with the energy," she said. "We all have the Buddhist seed."

"They're all members of our family," said her husband, Jay Albano-Yanick.

Sunday's event, at the Old Meadow shelter in Ellison, was the first pet blessing sponsored by the Amitabha Foundation, said Frank Howard of Brighton, the organization's executive director.

"To honor the Buddhist nature in another creature is to honor the nature in ourselves, and to strengthen those qualities in ourselves," Howard said.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Omniscient Robotic-Being for Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians who wants to donate in MYR, please use the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB
Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

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 who wants to donate in MYR, please use the following account:

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