October 5 is World Animal Day and as they’ve done for the past 14 years, the Nalandra Buddhist Institute in Healsville, north east of Melbourne, will mark the occasion by holding its annual animal blessing.
But this year organisers are bringing their Buddhist blessings to the Quang Minh Temple in Braybrook for the first time.
And as the temple’s Abbot, Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan OAM explained, they’ll be blessing a much broader range of animals too.
“Vietnamese people have a tradition of blessing animals before releasing them, but we do not bless our domestic animals,” said Venerable Tan, who has decided to change that for this year’s event.
“We think they’re closer to us so we should start,” he said of the decision to break with tradition and bless household pets.
“It’s a missing part in our relationship with domestic animals.”
Blessings involve animals being brought into the temple where they receive some gifts while prayers are read and chants are made.
Whether they’re cats, dogs, birds, goldfish or even turtles, Venerable Tan said blessings would be offered to all domestic animals, even dead ones.
“We read their names like we do for a member of the family,” he said of the blessings given to pets that have passed.
“It’s just to recognise that they’re an important part of our spiritual life as well.”
All pet owners are welcome and entry is by donation, with proceeds going to Animal Aid, Coldstream; Macclesfield CFA Large Animal Rescue and WWF-Australia.
Details: https://shorturl.at/IgJHF
