【賺良心錢 - 懺悔才免業來攻】
Meet 蓮花 Happy.
It was one of the rare times I engaged in a conversation with the cab driver.
As usual, I was under instruction to continue the conversation with the driver, after Shifu hopped off the cab.
I asked if he was born in XXX.
Slightly surprised, the driver asked how I knew.
I explained to him why he got into driving taxis for a living, and preferred to operate on a particular shift.
He peered at me through the rear view mirror, and exclaimed,
"You and the gentleman are Feng Shui masters?!"
"He is the Feng Shui master, I am his disciple, a Feng Shui practitioner."
I went on to mention about his affinity with dogs.
The driver paused, before saying, "You're right. I used to look after many dogs."
I was about to continue rattling, and then something struck me.
"Wait...many dogs? Do you mean you used to run a puppy mill?"
"Yes, about 3-4 years ago."
"Oh my goodness! Why did you do that? That is killing!"
"The opportunity came by at that time, and I thought, why not?"
"To have affinity with dogs is one thing. Based on your Bazi, your money isn't going to come from dogs. You got into the wrong industry. Even if your puppy mill was initially profitable, you would eventually run into a lot of problems and have difficulties operating the business. 這一點點錢賺得很辛苦。"
He nodded his head.
"Yes, the first 1-2 years were still okay. But along the way, problems and expenses just kept increasing. So I eventually closed it down."
"You shouldn't have gotten greedy in the first place. A puppy mill is inhumane. Dogs are forcefully kept captive in poor conditions to be money making machines. That is a sin in itself. Who likes to be locked up like that? When dogs or puppies die due to your negligence or put down due to illness, you are committing the sin of killing. Do you know how heavy the price to pay for killing is?"
"I have indeed caused a number of dogs to die at that time..."
"You're too naive and shortsighted. One consequence of killing is your children will either fall sick very often or be very hard to teach. No matter what you say or do, they do not listen to you."
"My children are okay, health wise. The first two are born before my puppy mill business. Only thing is my third child...he is extremely naughty and very hard to teach...We sometimes also don't know what to do with him."
Before getting off the cab, I asked for a piece of paper from him and wrote the short Mantra for Rebirth to Pureland:
往生淨土，超生出苦，
南無阿彌陀佛，
南無阿彌陀佛，
南無阿彌陀佛。
If he knows the full Rebirth to Pureland Mantra 《拔一切業障根本得生淨土陀羅尼》(commonly known as 往生咒), he can also recite that everyday 7, 21, 49 or 108 times.
Imagine the people who buy cute puppies from the taxi driver...
There are many adorable puppies who turned out to be sickly dogs like Happy, either with genetic skin issues, or due to poor breeding/a sickly mother dog that has overproduced. You know, things that only the vet tells you, but not the puppy seller.
I see more pet owners being poor caretakers than responsible ones.
Sometimes they do not have the time and patience.
When the dog outgrows its cuteness and becomes more susceptible to diseases, many owners would choose to put it down.
They find taking care of a temperamental and sickly dog expensive and tiring.
That is how the negative karma of puppy mill owners snowballs, for every puppy that is mistreated due to its poor breeding. They commit the sins of killing, lying to the consumers and stealing from the consumer.
There is an affinity reason why such a dog will end up in your family, and you having to foot its increasing medical bills. 前世怨親債主，這世來你家中住，祂慢慢討，你慢慢還。
If you make the decision to terminate its life prematurely, on the pretext of ending its suffering, it is still killing.
The dog has its own karmic reasons why it is infested with diseases.
If it finishes its run this lifetime naturally, that's one karmic consequence done and dealt with. And perhaps it will enjoy a better rebirth next life.
However, when you play God and cut short its illness suffering, this unpaid karmic debt will likely be carried forward to its next rebirth. The pet may also bear hatred towards you and its continued invisible presence will affect your family.
Same goes for people who commit suicide, because they do not wish to suffer from their illness anymore.
I hate to break this to you, but there's no such thing as doggy heaven. That is merely a term of self-solace and self-deception.
Dogs belong to the animal realm in the Six Realms of Reincarnation. In some cases, people who have been disloyal or unfaithful are reborn as dogs in the Animal Realm. Once banished into the Animal Realm, it is extremely hard for them to achieve the human form again.
If you believe in Buddhism, one way you can help your dog is let it take refuge in the Three Jewels.
Happy is a blind toy poodle born with genetic disorder. Its owners had spent about $10K on its surgery and other medical bills.
(Pet insurance is always a good idea...you never know what kind of dog you are getting...)
Its owner has helped it taken refuge in my Grandmaster Living Buddha Lian Sheng, 聖尊蓮生活佛 since it was a puppy.
When the pet takes refuge in Buddhism, a seed of Dharma is planted in its consciousness, and there will be a chance for it to hear the wondrous teachings of the Dharma. As it learns the teachings of the Buddha in subsequent rebirths, it will awaken its Buddha nature and veer towards the virtuous path.
Consistent repentance and accumulating merits is still key to helping Happy break out from the Animal Realm this lifetime and resolving the karmic debt between the owner and the puppy.
If the owner is devoted and diligent, let the love for your dog extend beyond superficial belly rubs and pats. Recite more mantras and/or sutras and dedicate to its next rebirth in a better realm. Reverse its tragic destiny of being born as animal that humans make use of as a money tree.
Also, for good Feng Shui, I don't recommend keeping dogs. I have seen how a client's business got pulled down when he decided, against my word, to keep dogs as pets.
Not every Bazi is suitable to live with dogs, cats, hamsters or fishes.
A home with an altar should not keep pets either, as the filth from pets will affect the energies of the altar.
As a Buddhist, a secular responsibility like this will rob you of precious time and life that you should have spent on your spiritual cultivation.
Don't casually buy pets as gifts. A dog lover does not always equal to a responsible caretaker.
If you aren't good at taking care of them, all the more you shouldn't have them, least you contribute to its death.
But if you already do, I do not recommend putting them down or throwing them to SPCA, in the name of good Feng Shui.
Nor should you chuck the heavy burden of pet care to your parents. It is already tough to repay the debt of gratitude to our parents. This will just compound the debt of interest payable and take a toil on our parents, especially when certain breeds are more needy in nature.
Responsibility is still important, after all, to you, it is just a pet. But to the pet, you are its whole world. #護生
Resolve the debt of karma this lifetime. Don't let it escalate to another unimaginable debt of enemity next lifetime.
