Le Dalai Lama invite l'humanité à devenir végétarienne pour les animaux

Hier, le Dalai Lama en visite au zoo de Crocodile Hunter en Australie a exhorté la foule venue l’entendre – 5000 personnes – à devenir végétarienne. « La chasse, l’élevage… Ces pratiques entraînent la mort de milliards d’animaux », a-t-il dit, critiquant également les compagnies pharmaceutiques indifférentes aux droits des animaux et expérimentant sur eux. « Nous pouvons être tellement cruels envers les animaux », conclut-il.

Crikey: Buddhism comes to the animals -- Dalai Lama visits Australian Croc Hunter's zoo

BEERWAH, Australia -- One of the world's most famous animal lovers visited the former stomping ground of another on Wednesday when the Dalai Lama toured the family zoo of late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin.

Delicately handling a Burmese python and gingerly petting a frisky koala, the spiritual head of the world's Buddhists visited Australia Zoo and spoke to a sold-out crowd at its open-air, arena-style "Crocoseum."

The last time the place was this full was nearly nine months ago during a memorial service for Irwin, the late host of the TV wildlife show "Crocodile Hunter" who died last September when the barb from a stingray pierced his chest while he was diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Dalai Lama thanked Irwin's family for their dedication to wildlife. At the same time, he used the occasion to criticize experimentation on animals and encouraged the 5,000-capacity crowd to become vegetarians.

"Hunting, beef, sheep farms, piggeries, millions, billions, die," said the Dalai Lama. "We can be so cruel to animals."

The hour-long tour of the zoo was a change for the Dalai Lama, whose 11-day Australian trip has been politicized, as it often is when he is abroad, by lawmakers concerned about meeting the man China considers an exiled troublemaker.

After weeks of hedging, Prime Minister John Howard agreed to meet with the Dalai Lama on Friday. Howard is anxious not to offend Beijing too much because Australia's economy is closely tied to China's booming demand for natural resources and Australia's ability to supply them, but his government also staunchly defends free speech.

China, which rules Tibet with military force, has used diplomatic pressure to discourage governments from meeting with the Dalai Lama or otherwise showing him support. It immediately criticized Howard's decision to meet with the Tibetan.

On a sunny, but crisp winter morning, the Dalai Lama, with his long traditional red robe flapping in the wind, received a standing ovation as took the stage at the Crocoseum.

Some of the crowd -- who had paid up to 50 Australian dollars (US$42) a ticket -- waved Buddhist prayer flags, and about a dozen Australian native birds, including black cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets, unexpectedly flew into the stadium just as he started his speech.

Although at times the Dalai Lama's remarks sparked laughter among the crowd, much of his 30-minute address, officially to open "Kindness Week" to animals, took a more serious note as he criticized companies and organizations that "remain indifferent" to the rights of animals by experimenting on them.

He also spoke of the benefits of vegetarianism, and said he often used to buy animals to save them from slaughterhouses when he was a young man in Tibet.

Asked by an audience member to speak about the importance of family, the Dalai Lama urged parents to show as much compassion as possible to their children, and suggested that children be taught "warmheartedness" as part of the curriculum.

The 71-year old also admitted that he's not sure how he'd cope as a parent.

"I'm a monk, so I have no children ... but I may lose my temper," he said with a laugh.

The Dalai Lama's visit ended when American-born Terri Irwin, Steve's widow, and their children, Bindi and Bob, came on stage, with Bindi carrying a koala.

"He looks lazy, just like myself," the Dalai Lama said before presenting the Irwin family with Buddhist scarves. (AP)

Australian PM says he'll meet Dalai Lama this week

June 13, 2007

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