2017 Launch of DVA Sri Lanka Project
Dharma Voices for Animals is happy to announce the launch of our latest and biggest campaign – The Sri Lanka Project. The Project will focus on the 15 million Sri Lankan Buddhists, encouraging them to transition toward a compassionate plant-based diet.
In October DVA President Bob Isaacson and fellow Board member Bhante Sathi traveled to Sri Lanka to officially launch DVA’s Sri Lanka Project. Click here to read more…
DVA’s Second Annual Asian Buddhist Animal Rights/Advocacy
Conference in Sri Lanka on October 26, 2017
More than 600 people filled the auditorium in the Buddhist Cultural Center in Colombo, Sri Lanka for DVA’s second annual Asian Buddhist Animal Rights Conference. Speakers, panel discussions, and outstanding plant-based food highlighted our event. The main goal of our Conference is to launch DVA’s Sri Lanka Project which plans to move Sri Lankans to a plant-based diet by: 1) growing our Facebook “likes” in that country to one million and 2) by organizing our team to make personal contact with all Sri Lankans through countless in person public talks, workshops, and forums throughout the island nation. Our other goal is to convince the Government to finally pass the Animal Rights/Welfare bill which has been languishing in the system for a number of years.
The photo on the left shows DVA President/CEO Bob Isaacson giving the keynote address, while the photo on the right shows the Honorable Karu Jayasuriya, the Speaker of the Sri Lanka Parliament, telling the 600 in attendance and a national audience via television and newspaper coverage that he doesn’t eat animals and fully supports DVA’s Sri Lanka Project. Bob’s keynote address can be seen and heard on our Facebook page:
DVA welcomes Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, one of the most respected and recognized Buddhist nuns in the world, as the newest member of our Advisory Council!
Tenzin Palmo spent 12 years meditating in a cave, inspiring the book, Cave in the Snow. Jetsunma also appears prominently in DVA’s widely-acclaimed film, Animals and the Buddha. Read her bio.
DVA Responds to Recent Article in Lion’s Roar Magazine
In a recent article in Lion’s Roar magazine, a number of prominent Buddhist teachers discussed the current political situation in this country and made a call for action, asking us to stand up against social injustice in whatever form it takes. While the goal of skillful interaction with the world is certainly laudable, the message did not go far enough. In pointing to racism, gender- and sexual orientation-based violence, xenophobia, economic injustice, war, and environmental degradation, it neglected the one area where as individuals we have the greatest power to effect positive change – our treatment of animals. Read DVA’s Article
Letter to Spirit Rock Meditation Center about food policy for Community Dharma Leaders program
In 2016 it came to our attention that during a Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leader retreat at Garrison, New York, fish and steak were served during meals. Since we were very concerned we wrote a letter to Spirit Rock teachers and leaders asking them to reconsider this policy. We are happy to report that we heard back from Spirit Rock that moving forward only vegetarian food will be served at CDL (Community Dharma Leader) retreats. Read letter.
Animals and the Buddha
A film by Dharma Voices for Animals
Watch now
Subtitles available in: Chinese, Spanish, German, Sinhalese, Portugese, Hindi, Burmese, Vietnamese, Korean and Indonesian
附中文字幕
Disponible con subtítulos en español
Untertitel in Deutsch verfügbar
සිංහල උපසිරැසි සහිතයි
Disponível com legendas em Português
हिंदी में उपलब्ध उपशीर्षक।
ျမန္မာဘာသာျဖင့္
Có phụ đề Tiếng Việt
한국어 자막 있습니다
Teks bahasa Indonesia tersedia
Featuring interviews with world-renowned monastics and lay teachers including Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Jetsuma (Ven. Master) Tenzin Palmo, Ven. Bhante Gunaratana (Bhante G), Christopher Titmuss, Ven. Geshe Phelgye, teachers from Spirit Rock Meditation Center and many others.
In addition to watching the film on YouTube, it can be downloaded here.
If you are interested in screening the film for your sangha or local community, please see our information sheet. If you have any questions, please contact us at friends@dharmavoicesforanimals.org.
In keeping with Buddhist tradition, Animals and the Buddha is presented at no charge. If you are able to help support Dharma Voices for Animals and the important work we do on behalf of animals, your donation is greatly appreciated. Donations are tax-deductible in the USA.
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