How to Help the Turkeys at Thanksgiving
Rinpoche offered this advice on how to help the tens of millions of turkeys being killed for the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA. For more advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on prayers to do for turkeys, see the FPMT website.
My dear students and dear friends, who want to help all sentient beings and in particular, want to help the animals that are killed, and specifically, all the turkeys killed during Thanksgiving.
Approximately 46 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving and then also approximately 22 million turkeys are killed for Christmas.
My suggestion on how we can benefit the turkeys is to recite the Five Powerful Mantras:
- Kunrig mantra
- Stainless Pinnacle Lotus mantra
- Stainless Beam mantra (recite one mala of this main mantra)
- Mitrugpa mantra
- Lotus Pinnacle of Amoghapasha mantra
Extra mantras you can recite:
- Chenrezig mantra (short)
- Namgyalma mantra (short)
If you can, recite each mantra twenty-one times, or as many times as you like. You can recite these mantras for a number of days, like five or ten days, or as long as you like.
You can also recite OM MANI PADME HUM (Chenrezig mantra), which, of course, contains the entire Buddhadharma. If you can, recite one mala of OM MANI PADME HUM—or if you want to recite more, that is even better. Then, as well as the Five Powerful Mantras, you can also recite the Namgyalma mantra.
I checked many mantras to see what would benefit the turkeys, but the other mantras did not come out. According to my observation, the main mantra to recite is Stainless Beam mantra. This is what comes out most beneficial for the turkeys. It says in the Kangyur that if you recite the Stainless Beam mantra seventy times, if a being has been born in the lower realms, they will definitely get liberated from there.
So, please, if you can, recite one mala of Stainless Beam mantra dedicated to the turkeys killed for Thanksgiving and also for Christmas.
You can visualize that nectar beams, like sunbeams, are emitted from the deity to you and to every sentient being, and in particular to the turkeys. The beams totally illuminate you, your family and all sentient beings, and in particular the turkeys. Keep reciting the mantra with this visualization.
Recite it with strong concentration and an undistracted mind. Don’t recite the mantra with your mind thinking about the beach or sightseeing in the mountains, such as Mount Everest.
You can also recite the mantras and dedicate for the people who kill the turkeys.
You can think that you are the turkey that is going to be killed. Think of yourself in that situation. How would you feel? From that, you will then understand the incredible urgency to have someone help you and pray for you. You will then understand how important that is.
Feel this need for the prayers very strongly. And not only for all the turkeys killed this year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also, in general, for all animals that are killed. So many animals are killed—an unbelievable, unbelievable amount. The need for prayers for them is so urgent.
Also you can dedicate for pigs that have died due to swine flu, as well as animals that died during Dashain [religious festival] in Nepal.
You can also use these mantras in your everyday life when you want to pray for people or animals who have died. It’s very important to know and become familiar with these mantras.
Please recite the mantras with strong bodhicitta.
Thank you very much. Sorry for making my noise, like buzzing in your ear. Thank you very much for your patience.
With much love and prayers,
Lama Zopa
Scribed by Ven. Holly Ansett, Singapore, 26 November 2019. Edited by Ven. Ailsa Cameron; second light edit by Sandra Smith. A downloadable PDF of these mantras is available through the FPMT Catalogue.