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A Journey to the West
A Journey to the West L56 Compassion in Action: Reciting Mantras for Captive Creatures
Continuing A Journey to the West, Khenpo Sodargye shares two profound side stories from the 1993 North American tour. The first recounts the logistical nightmare of obtaining visas for Tibetan monastics in the early '90s. At the French Consulate in San Francisco, after months of unyielding rejection by a strict visa officer, His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok's mere presence and silent transmission of blessings miraculously shifted the officer's attitude, resulting in immediate approval. The second story follows their visit to Marine World in Vallejo. Initially enjoying the sights, His Holiness's mood turned deeply sorrowful as he observed intelligent dolphins and caged animals being used solely for human amusement. Highlighting that ignorant human pursuits are fundamentally no different from the plight of these animals, His Holiness spent the remainder of the visit silently reciting mantras to bless them. Decades later, the park's bankruptcy and loss of its animals serve as a stark reminder of the impermanent, illusory nature of worldly existence.