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Vegetarianism in Buddhist Bhutan: Karma Dendup Interview with Adele Tomlin
In the first episode of Dakini Conversations, a new channel for interviews/podcasts, Adele Tomlin (Buddhist scholar-translator-practitioner and founder of Dakini Translations) interviews Karma Dendup, Bhutanese founder of Jangsem Monday (Meatless Monday Bhutan) and an advocate for a more compassionate planet. Karma Dendup is also a media producer who before becoming Head of Production at the Bhutan film and media company Reflection Films, was a TV host and producer with the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, where he was also awarded a national award for his documentary during the 2nd Annual Journalism Awards. He hosted a popular TV chat show called Bodhi Tree Bhutan.
In this interview, Karma Dendup talks about his life growing up in Bhutan, his background in Buddhist study and practice, his studies of film and cinema in India, his TV show and then about founding Jangsem Monday and the thinking behind it, as well as a more general discussion about being a Buddhist and eating animals: For the Youtube video of this interview, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQr9WCMKHE8
0:00:00 Introduction
0:03:00 Education in Bhutan and first time studying in Delhi, India
0:06:00 Return to Bhutan and studying Buddhism and Ngondro retreat
0:07:00 Back to Delhi and film school
0:08:00 Reason for studying film and cinema
0:11:00 Favourite films and directors
0:13:00 Speaking, studying and teaching English
0:17:00 the Bodhi Tree Bhutan TV show
0:21:00 Empowering youth of Bhutan with greater knowledge of Buddhism
0:24:00: What is a Buddhist?
0:26:00 Including animals and the 17th Karmapa's efforts on vegetarianism and the environment
0:27:00 Jangsem Monday (Meatless Monday)
0:30:00 Buddhist aspect of Jangsem Monday
0:34:00 17th Karmapa's statement on meat-eating in Tibetan Buddhism
0:36:00 Geography of Bhutan and Tibet and 17th Karmapa in USA
0:39:00 Meat as a status symbol in Bhutan, and the 'poor northener'
0:40:00 The karma of animals who are eaten and Buddha's advice to Ananda
0:42:44 Eating animals forbidden in Lankavatara Sutra and not allowed for monastics unless begging for alms
0:44:28 "Meat is the new tobacco" and breaking addiction to meat one day at a time
0:47:00 Toxic effects of eating meat and speaking to a more 'westernised' Bhutanese youth
0:49:00 Buddhists in Europe, America and Asia still eating animals even though Buddha forbade it
0:50:00 Being an environmentalist and eating animals, a major 'blind spot'
0:53:00 Animal welfare, adopting pets, and turning vegan
0:55:00 Buddha's three-fold rule as applied in the 21st Century, 'not seeing' is no excuse
1:00:00 No such thing as 'humane' slaughter and if 'slaughterhouses had glass walls'
1:02:00 Meatless Mondays globally - Bhutanese influences and the Jangsem Monday song
1:03:30 Deliberately not showing videos of slaughtered animals
Although the majority of vegans and vegetarians will no doubt wonder why only Monday/one day? Murdering animals for food is murder and unnecessary any day of the week, nonetheless, such initiatives are still beneficial in getting people to consider whether or not eating animals is kind, healthy and good for the environment. In any case, whatever one's diet, it is very clear that the Buddha never said it was OK to willingly murder defenceless animals for food for health, desire or pleasure.
Music? The Jangsem Monday song, Meat is Murder by the Smiths.
For more on Jamgsem Monday:
https://www.facebook.com/JangsemMonday/about/
https://www.youtube.com/@jangsemmonday3867
For original research and translations on Buddhism and Vegetarianism, see here:https://dakinitranslations.com/buddhist-vegetarianism/
For the teachings and ideas of 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje on Tibetan Buddhism and vegetarianism, see here: https://dakinitranslations.com/2021/06/26/meat-is-murder-tibetan-buddhist-vegetarianism-ancient-and-modern-17th-karmapa/
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By Dakini ConversationsIn the first episode of Dakini Conversations, a new channel for interviews/podcasts, Adele Tomlin (Buddhist scholar-translator-practitioner and founder of Dakini Translations) interviews Karma Dendup, Bhutanese founder of Jangsem Monday (Meatless Monday Bhutan) and an advocate for a more compassionate planet. Karma Dendup is also a media producer who before becoming Head of Production at the Bhutan film and media company Reflection Films, was a TV host and producer with the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, where he was also awarded a national award for his documentary during the 2nd Annual Journalism Awards. He hosted a popular TV chat show called Bodhi Tree Bhutan.
In this interview, Karma Dendup talks about his life growing up in Bhutan, his background in Buddhist study and practice, his studies of film and cinema in India, his TV show and then about founding Jangsem Monday and the thinking behind it, as well as a more general discussion about being a Buddhist and eating animals: For the Youtube video of this interview, see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQr9WCMKHE8
0:00:00 Introduction
0:03:00 Education in Bhutan and first time studying in Delhi, India
0:06:00 Return to Bhutan and studying Buddhism and Ngondro retreat
0:07:00 Back to Delhi and film school
0:08:00 Reason for studying film and cinema
0:11:00 Favourite films and directors
0:13:00 Speaking, studying and teaching English
0:17:00 the Bodhi Tree Bhutan TV show
0:21:00 Empowering youth of Bhutan with greater knowledge of Buddhism
0:24:00: What is a Buddhist?
0:26:00 Including animals and the 17th Karmapa's efforts on vegetarianism and the environment
0:27:00 Jangsem Monday (Meatless Monday)
0:30:00 Buddhist aspect of Jangsem Monday
0:34:00 17th Karmapa's statement on meat-eating in Tibetan Buddhism
0:36:00 Geography of Bhutan and Tibet and 17th Karmapa in USA
0:39:00 Meat as a status symbol in Bhutan, and the 'poor northener'
0:40:00 The karma of animals who are eaten and Buddha's advice to Ananda
0:42:44 Eating animals forbidden in Lankavatara Sutra and not allowed for monastics unless begging for alms
0:44:28 "Meat is the new tobacco" and breaking addiction to meat one day at a time
0:47:00 Toxic effects of eating meat and speaking to a more 'westernised' Bhutanese youth
0:49:00 Buddhists in Europe, America and Asia still eating animals even though Buddha forbade it
0:50:00 Being an environmentalist and eating animals, a major 'blind spot'
0:53:00 Animal welfare, adopting pets, and turning vegan
0:55:00 Buddha's three-fold rule as applied in the 21st Century, 'not seeing' is no excuse
1:00:00 No such thing as 'humane' slaughter and if 'slaughterhouses had glass walls'
1:02:00 Meatless Mondays globally - Bhutanese influences and the Jangsem Monday song
1:03:30 Deliberately not showing videos of slaughtered animals
Although the majority of vegans and vegetarians will no doubt wonder why only Monday/one day? Murdering animals for food is murder and unnecessary any day of the week, nonetheless, such initiatives are still beneficial in getting people to consider whether or not eating animals is kind, healthy and good for the environment. In any case, whatever one's diet, it is very clear that the Buddha never said it was OK to willingly murder defenceless animals for food for health, desire or pleasure.
Music? The Jangsem Monday song, Meat is Murder by the Smiths.
For more on Jamgsem Monday:
https://www.facebook.com/JangsemMonday/about/
https://www.youtube.com/@jangsemmonday3867
For original research and translations on Buddhism and Vegetarianism, see here:https://dakinitranslations.com/buddhist-vegetarianism/
For the teachings and ideas of 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje on Tibetan Buddhism and vegetarianism, see here: https://dakinitranslations.com/2021/06/26/meat-is-murder-tibetan-buddhist-vegetarianism-ancient-and-modern-17th-karmapa/