Don't Forget the Animals in Burma.

I received an email from Lauren of Animal Voices about making sure we help the animals caught up in the cyclone devastation in Burma. Animal Voices has a great interview with Buddhist scholar and advocate of ecological balance, Dr. Joanna Macy.

Often our animal brothers and sisters are over-looked in the aftermath of natural disasters. I remember seeing animals stranded on rooftops, stair cases and car tops in the flood after Hurricane Katrina inundated New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. It was heart breaking to see.

Fortunately there were many people and organizations who fought to rescue those animals and if needed find them new homes across the country.

As Buddhists we can not over look the needs of all sentient beings who suffer just as much during natural disasters as human beings. We are interconnected with all living beings and as nature goes, so goes man. Our survival is inextricably linked to the well-being of animals and especially in agricultural societies such as in Burma. When animals get sick with disease it can easily spread to humans. So with that in mind, I found a great organization that is working to help the animals of Burma.

The IWAF (International Fund for Animal Welfare) is waiting final approval to enter Burma and get to work bringing relief aid to hurt, hungry and stray animals. So I hope that we can all give a little (or a lot if you can) amount of money to help these silent and most vulnerable victims of this disaster. They need our help immediately.

In other News: The junta in Burma is now ordering many monks to kick out survivors of the storm from the shelter of their monasteries. Such an order is causing extreme anxiety amonst the monks because such actions are utterly opposite of the Buddhist creed of compassion. The government doesn't want too many people gathered together in one place for "security reasons."

~Peace to all beings~