On Tuesday August 28th, 2012 the Venerable Acharya Lama Gursam Rinpoche  came to Boston’s MSPCA shelter to bestow blessings on to the homeless animals and those undergoing medical treatments there. Living as a Tibetan monk in exile in India, Lama Gursam travels yearly from East to West sharing his wisdom and teachings of Buddhist philosophies and practices to the global community. And stopping by to bless these innocent animals were no exception to his busy schedule. Buddhism, practiced by over 300 million people worldwide, comes from the word budhi —  “to awaken” — and focuses more on practice rather than belief. Put as simply as possible: by leading a compassionate-filled life caring for the well being of all other sentient beings will bring about one’s own happiness and bliss.

Over the years, Lama Gursam has made many trips to the Boston shelter and witnessing him go from animal to animal – from barking homeless dogs and anesthetized cats in the surgical ward to the chirping exotic birds and one little curious ferret who was fascinated by his spinning prayer wheel – proved to be both endearing and inspirational for all. For over an hour he slowly walked from room to room and cage to cage softly repeating mantras and often a warm smile would light up his face as he interacted with each animal along the way.

It’s always an honor to be in the presence of a Living Buddha — someone completely devoid of anger or hate. And, as he passed on these eternal thoughts of good will and compassion throughout the shelter, one could not help but be moved. Including the little kittens who cheekily played with his mala beads as he passed by.

“Every life is precious, no matter what” ~ Lama Gursam Rinpoche

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” ~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” ~  Buddha

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” ~ Buddha

With MSPCA Director of Public Relations, Rob Halpin:

A final last spin of the Prayer Wheel as he prepares to leave:

“If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.” ~ H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

For more information on adopting any of these animals seen here or supporting the MSPCA, contact the shelter directly. Prints and other items (including canvas wraps, cards and tee shirts) from Lama Gursam’s blessing with the animals are available for purchase here. A portion of the proceeds from the sales in this gallery will be donated to the MSPCA.

Note for those in the Boston Area:

The Drikung Meditation Center in Arlington, MA will be hosting a Tibetan Cultural Concert on September 22, 2012 from 6 – 9PM. This is a fundraiser to help raise money to build a Tibetan temple in the Boston area.

Also, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will be Cambridge, MA in October for public talks and teachings. For more info click here.

Tashi Delek is a Tibetan greeting. Difficult to translate it loosely means: “May all auspicious signs come to this environment.”

©Kerry Hook of Kiki Larouge Photography. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Play nice.

Timeline 8/30/12