“You may not be able to solve global problems but there’s a lot you can do to make this a more peaceful world, starting in your own community.
Think about your own environmental footprint, even small actions like saving water, moving towards a plant-based diet, helping in soup kitchens or animal shelters, raising money for a charity of your choice or simply treating the people you meet with respect, treating animals with kindness. These are the kind of projects that our Roots and Shoots members are working on.
And every year, they celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace. And not only on this day, but throughout the year, working to foster respect and compassion and to make this better world.”
~Jane Goodall
I am already working on what I’ve highlighted above for many years. I used to think I was the only weird person who would like the world to become vegan. But Jane Goodall actually shared the same vision and I believe vegan activists also hope for a vegan world.
During one of the interviews, Jane Goodall spoke humorously that she wish to send Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Benjamin Netanyahu to Mars on a (Elon)Musk’s spaceship and that Trump would be the host!
I hope we can all strive to live in a way that minimises harm to animals, protects our environment and safeguards the climate for future generations.
Someone told me that I need not feed the cats in one of my feeding areas as there are feeders feeding them. As a result, I stopped feeding them for four days and on the fifth day, I decided to check on them and see if they were okay.
The grey tabby cat was waiting and looking at the direction I always come from. He leaped, made a sound and ran towards me. I was happy to see him again. I gave him his favourite kibbles and he ate it. I brought a new brand of kibbles, Soulmate, for them. He loved it. After eating the kibbles, he ate a whole can of wet food.
I went to check if there was clean water in their bowl. It was empty and I filled it up.
The black and white cat saw me and jumped down from the stacks of chairs where he had been sitting. As usual, he had to wait for his turn to eat as I didn’t want to waste too many paper plates. After the grey tabby cat finished the food, he would use the same plate and disposable bowl.
He, too, loves the new kibbles I brought for them and I kept refilling them to eat.
Next, I went to the black cat and he too dashed towards me asking for food. He only loves to eat wet food and hardly touches the kibbles. However, I would leave a small quantity of kibbles overnight, just in case they want to eat later,
He was so busy eating that he didn’t even lift his head.
I have actually been feeding them for a few years. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I decided to listen to others and stop feeding them. For years, the cats have grown used to my presence and yet….
I believe they must have been waiting for me for the past four nights, until I finally came to check on them last night.
It’s nice to be with them again. I probably wouldn’t want to skip feeding them. When cats are full, they usually won’t eat. They are quite disciplined. I am looking forward to seeing them tonight!
My heart sank when I learned that Jane Goodall had passed on. It is a great loss for humanity. To me, she was the only hope for the world. No one could argue with Jane Goodall as she had a lifetime of experience working with chimpanzees. Not the scientists nor the scholars.
I am glad that I attended her talk and got to meet her last year. She was cool, humorous and brought hope to people and to the future.
When I think of her, compassion and peace fill my mind. To me, she was an icon of compassion. A real person whom I witnessed influencing others with her kindness and who deeply understood the suffering of animals. She recognised how we have destroyed the only place we live in and she dedicated herself to bringing hope to the people who also wanted to save the earth and help animals.
Many have worshipped figures they did not even know. Many have also worshipped those who spoke endlessly of loving-kindness and compassion, yet never acted on it. I could neither find nor feel compassion in those who preached so much about it. But in Jane Goodall, she truly possessed those qualities.
I am inspired by the way she approached life. Even at the age of 91, she remained active and tirelessly committed to doing what was right. Beyond being influenced by her compassion, her relentless energy showed me that as long as we are alive, we must keep truly living. She was real! There are no gimmicks or pretences.
Here are a few quotes from Jane Goodall that I would like to share:
“I think I’d like to be remembered as someone who really helped people to have a little humility and realised that we are part of the animal kingdom not separated from it.”
“Somehow we must keep hope alive, a hope that we can find a way to educate all, alleviate poverty, assuage anger, and live in harmony with the environment, with animals, and with each other.”
“The least I can do is speak out or those who cannot speak for themselves.”
“Thousands of people who say they ‘love’ animals sit down once or twice a day to enjoy the flesh of creatures who have been utterly deprived of everything that could make their lives worth living and who endured the awful suffering and the terror of the abattoirs.”
“We need to realise we’re part of the environment, that we need the natural world. We depend on it. We can’t go on destroying. We’ve got to somehow understand that we’re not separated from it, we are all intertwined. Harm nature, harm ourselves.”
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”
“We should have respect for animals because it makes better human beings of us all.”
Below is one of my favourite quote.
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.”
~ Jane Goodall (1934 ~ 2025)
Below is a video by the Jane Goodall Institute. It shows Jane Goodall and her team releasing one of the rescued chimpanzee. I was deeply touched by the chimpanzee”s reaction.
It’s the same owner that hoarded 12 cats at her rental flat. We helped to rehome most of the cats. She is also the same owner who abandoned two mongrels. The whole experience of helping them was unpleasant. Right now, this lady has done it again. This time, she claims that Baby’s owner doesn’t want him anymore.
As a Buddhist, we don’t practise hatred. Therefore, I hardly hate anyone. I also don’t agree with feelings of like and dislike. As long as I do my best to help, I don’t want to hold on to anything.
The fosterer calls him Baby. This is my first time walking dogs. Baby is a sweet boy who gets along well with humans but not with some dogs and perhaps all cats. Someone told me that the reason Baby cannot get along with other pets is because his owner did not take him to socialise with them.
I have no experience in rehoming dogs, so I sought help from those who are experienced with dogs. Mdm Goh, who is a cat rescuer and also a stray dog feeder, recommended Purely Woof, a dog welfare group.
At first, they were hesitant to help as the dog has an owner and there might be legal complications. But after I explained the experiences I had with the fosterer, NParks and SPCA. I was glad they understood where I was coming from. Instead of leaving me out, they included me.
Today, a potential adopter came to visit Baby. I wasn’t around because I felt it would be easier for the volunteers to communicate with the fosterer and the adopters without my presence. When the meeting ended, I met the fosterer. The adopters were shopping at the supermarket, they came by to interact with Baby again. They were a mother and daughter. The daughter seemed interested in Baby, but not the mother. We knew that when the mother showed no interest, the likelihood of adopting Baby was slim.
I told the fosterer not to carry too much hope. The volunteers would continue looking for another adopter. Just a week ago, I took Baby for check-up. He had a comprehensive blood test and a 4Dx test and the result showed he was in perfect health, which is a plus point. I also had his nails clipped and ears cleaned. The total cost was $606.
I have always done what I could, but for the sterilisation, it is the adopter’s responsibility. The adopter must take responsibility for the dog they adopt, just as with cats. Purely Woof is a responsible dog welfare group, so I’ll leave to them!
I sincerely hope Baby finds a good, loving and responsible home.
Distributing Buddhist books to buddhist centres and monasteries is not easy. At first, Buddhist Fellowship agreed to help with the distribution, but when the books arrived, the person-in-charge never replied! However, I managed to contact other centres. Most of the centres that had a resident monastic wouldn’t want to take the books, probably because they have their own books to distribute. I was glad that the staff from Mangala Vihara, the temple where I took my diploma in Buddhism, warmly accepted the books and helped with the distribution.
Other temples and centres include Palelai Temple, Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society, Sinhala Buddhist Temple and Evergreen Buddhist. Two copies were donated to our national library and two copies were given to the public. Melanie gave six copies to her friend who are interested in understanding the Buddha’s teachings. Finally, Sister Foo who uses Ayya Khema’s teachings to teach at the Buddhist Library also helped with the distribution.
Melanie kept one copy for herself and I ordered another copy for public distribution which I intend to distribute one by one. I am not confident about ordering another hundred copies, as many may not want to take.
Ayya Khema spoke about her experiences in meditation that I have not heard anyone speak before and what she shared is very important to me. I guess it’s hard to come across such good teachers who not only have profound experience but are also willing to share it. In her autobiography “I give my life to you” she shared not only her personally journey but also valuable experiences – experiences rooted in the Buddha’s teachings.
It is the original teaching from the Buddha from 2500 years ago that we need to preserve. When one has experienced the Buddha’s teachings, one would know that the truth has been preserved and successfully passed down.
May the true Dhamma continue to flourish and benefit all sentient beings and lead us on the path towards liberation – that is Nibbāna.
“Bhikkhus, dwell with yourselves as an island, with yourselves as a refuge, with no other refuge; with the Dhamma as an island, with the Dhamma as a refuge, with no other refuge. ~ SN 22.43
“Enough, Vakkali! Why do you want to see this foul body? One who sees the Dhamma sees me; one who sees me sees the Dhamma. For in seeing the Dhamma,Vakkali, one sees me; and in seeing me, one sees the Dhamma.” ~ SN 22.87
A place to discover and explore the discourses of the Buddha.
I highly recommend reading the sutta translated by Piya Tan. His "Laymen Saints" has been an inspiration to many lay people.
Cats who teach me to fly... 