The real blame should be accepted by the authorities who manage these prisons. Who collect innocent animals from around the country, and from around the world and who keep these animals in small cages for life. The only escape for the animals is through death. Death would be a really welcome relief for them.

These animals and birds are captured, separated from their parents and siblings and separated from their habitat, their food, their playgrounds, their hunting grounds. We bring animals who live in very cold climates and also from tropical rain forests and deserts. We bring animals who are used to changing seasons, who migrate from one place to another with the seasons, who hibernate. Then we also send our own animals to live in arid climates or permanently cold regions.

We try to train some of these animals to perform circus acts. The animals would never on their own, perform these tricks. They would have liked to play with their own friends and siblings or their parents, but would never want to perform in front of beasts who claim they are humans.

It is time to question if we really do need these concentration camps for animals. Man is always curious to see other exotic countries, animals and birds. But should it not be in their natural habitat?

But visiting them in their natural habitat by all these millions of people would not be the answer, because that would ruin the habitat and the eco-system leading to the extinction of the fauna and flora in these sanctuaries.

We really do not need to cage the animals, or visit them in their home grounds. We can still see them, perhaps study them under better conditions, see them close up, see them as they live their lives, spend hours and hours watching them. We can do this without disturbing the animals or their environment, without harming them, and we can also do this in comfort, and at very little cost.

This is possible with the available audio-visual technology. Then only a very few people have to invade the lives of these creatures, and they can bring these images to our living room, our desk or even our phone. Children can learn more about these birds and animals at their desk, than they could do by glancing at a suffering animal in a cage for a few minutes.

Let us close down all our Nazi type concentrations camps for animals. Let us give them their freedom, which is their absolute right. Let us show them loving kindness. Let us show them that we can be humane if we really want to.

Most of these 15 million Buddhists recite the Five Preceots regularly, often several times a day.

1. Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.

We kill a 100,000 cattle for a year for the meat. Slaughter of chicken is probably uncountable. On Sundays along the West cost, penly by the road side we see slaughtered pigs, hung by their legs, as their flesh is cut up for sale to the waiting slobbering customers.

We have poor animals and birds, sentenced to life imprisonment in our Zoos and Elephants in Buddhist temples, always in chains. These elephants are paraded on days of Buddhist festivals, in the name of the Buddha, who preached Ahimsa for all living things. To attract tourists, we proudly advertise elephants carrying beastly humans on their back. Farmers poison elephants who invade their farms, and then offer alms to the temples with the crop harvested from these farms.

We kill other humans, for a few thousand rupees, or just for the fun of it, or just to please another ‘human’.

2. Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.

We are placed 97th in the world corruption index. Corruption by giving and accepting bribes, in contracts, purchases, obtaining a license, getting a permit for some business, admitting a child to school. People who accepts bribes for whatever reason, are stealing from the other people, directly or indirectly. This money they steal is money that could be meant for medicine, for food or for education.

3. Kamesu micchacara veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual misconduct.

There are reports of increasing incidents of sexual abuse of children and women. The number of aids patients increasing and more and more children suffering due to the break up of families. Most novels, films and television serials depict adultery as the norm in today’s families, which further encourage people to indulge.

4. Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.

It is hard to find any ‘correct’ speech in our country today. All print and electronic media give only half truths, or gross distortions of the truth, or outright lies. All politicians utter lies. They make promises they never intend keeping. They cover their mistakes and misdeeds with more lies. Children are trained to lie as they begin their schooling, as school admissions can be made only by submitting false information. Husbands lie to their wives, children to their parents and parents to their children.

5. Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.
Probably the highest per capita consumption of alcohol is in our country. All the legal and illegal manufacturers are minting money and the government earns a big chink as taxes from the legal dealers, while officials and politicians fill their pockets from the earnings of the illegal dealers, violating the 2nd and 4th precepts too.

Those who consume alcohol violate all 5 precepts, as they hurt their children and women when they are drunk, steal when they don’t have money to drink, indulge in sexual misconduct, have to lie to their families and employers.

If all of us could keep our promises, as we recite the Five Precepts, what a beautiful and wonderful country this could be, and what an inheritance to leave our children!