Seeds of Humility from Thailand (Part III)

Continuing on from Part I and Part II, where we explored how  people can dedicate themselves to the well-being of others (monks and nuns) and how a whole community can choose to prioritize safety and kindness (transportation in Thailand), the final seed of humility I experienced in our recent trip to Thailand was the treatment of elephants and other animals so that tourists like myself can be entertained.

I was the youngest of six kids in our rowdy Italian family. As much as I liked to tease my siblings that Mom and Dad stopped having kids after me because "they finally reached perfection," the reality was we were all invariably at the brunt of a lot of jokes and put downs.

Plus, we grew up in the generation where it was believed that in order to lift ourselves to the top, others had to be on the bottom--in other words, competition led to pushing others down to make us superior. So, as siblings, part of our entertainment was trying to one up the last put down. But, it would eventually go so far as to actually be hurtful and someone would end up in tears (usually me) crying to Mom and Dad.

Monkey seated upon elephant statue, Hua Hin, Thailand

Tired of the "game," I found myself crying inwardly, "I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to be around others that get their kicks bullying or stomping on me. Nobody's winning here. This isn't what I'm here for."

Another significant memory was riding in the backseat with my mother on the busiest highway of our hometown. A yellow Labrador Retriever was weaving in and out of the fast moving traffic causing a stir. I pleaded for my mom to stop and not understanding that her stopping would create more havoc, she said there was nothing we could do. My heart was broken because I thought for sure the dog would get hit and killed.

Fast forward 30+ years with many life experiences in nature with my dog, Shyla, as well as many other creatures of the forest.  Moments of connection and awe helped it become increasingly clear that animals have a sacred purpose on Earth--and most likely it is NOT about entertaining me. There certainly is much to learn about living with dignity and group behavior from them.

It's not like I didn't laugh at Shyla or other animals when they fumbled in some silly or endearing way, or sought out wildlife while hiking and exploring--entertainment for sure--but I slowly grew out of the belief that animals were here for my purposes--as beasts of burdens, entertainment, or otherwise.

A real turning point for me was on my first trip to Yellowstone National Park. About 150 miles before the park stood a massive billboard with a large bear advertising some grand bear experience. Something hit me in the moment I saw it--to have taken these distinguished and magnificent sacred beings and turned them into a sideshow rocked every sense in my being. I was dumbstruck and burst out in uncontrollable tears that continued for the next 20 or so miles.

"What have we done? What have we become when we capture and reduce these magnificent and dignified sentient beings for the purposes of our amusement?"

Later, while driving through the park, we came upon a line of cars stopped for a herd of bison crossing the road. Loudly and excitedly people craned their necks out windows, sunroofs and doors with cameras, as if it were the red carpet at the Academy Awards. I could tell the bison were uncomfortable and getting confused and I remember thinking, "These poor beings are just trying to live their life--go through their day. What a fiasco to have to fight their way through the throngs of unruly tourists."

It's one thing to be famous as a human--we choose to live in a culture that puts high value on fame and entertainment. We put entertainers on a pedestal. We choose it. It's another thing to have it imposed on you without your consent or desire, as is the case with animals.

I found myself becoming too embarrassed to look as I thought about how it would feel if the same thing happened to me while I was just going to the grocery store.

But, I was curious too; I'd never been this close to bison. The inner struggle of wanting to witness and be in their majestic presence while at the same time not intrude was excruciating.  A ranger finally came and instructed everyone to stay in their vehicles while she pushed and prodded the giant beasts out of the road.

The veil was fully lifted on this trip and I found myself refusing to attend zoos and other animal related tourist attractions that obviously forced animals against their will into captivity and performance. I started using an analogy with children who had plucked a lizard or a bug out of their daily activities and curiously poked and prodded them to death. I would interject, "How would it feel if you were plucked out of your classroom or your chair at the dinner table, placed into someone's large hand and pushed around and pulled apart?" They usually caught on and respectfully put the creature back.

My education around the abusive treatment of elephants and tigers started when Jim and I began traveling to Thailand a few years back.

 
To see these animals embedded in their native culture, you would think they were treated like royalty, given their adornments and status.

Still image taken from a recent video post on Saengduean Lek Chailert's Facebook page. This is some of the torture that elephants endure for wildlife tourism.

But, looking at the treatment forced upon them from an early age, it doesn't look like reverence at all. It looks like harsh and torturous treatment against their will.

And to think that this harm happens so people can make a living while myself and others are entertained, well, this is humbling.

THIS IS HUMBLING and humiliating. What are we doing?!

It brings me back to my early upbringing--entertainment at the expense of harm to another is painful at best and abuse at worst.

What are we doing?!?

~JoAnn Saccato, MA, is a mindfulness teacher, life coach, author and consultant. Mindfulness is a popular health and wellness practice based on purposefully paying kind, non-judgmental attention to direct experience. It is a scientifically proven approach that helps reduce stress and stress-related illnesses, increase focus and attention, decrease incidences of and relapses with depression, reduce anxiety, reduce relapses in addiction, and aids in sleep and digestive disorders. It has also been shown to increase well being, life satisfaction and happiness, as well as improved social relationships. You can reach her at [email protected] . To follow JoAnn and receive a free guided loving kindness meditation and webinar to help you sleep better, visit: www.MindfulAndIntentionalLiving.com

A portion of proceeds from Ms. Saccato's work are donated to efforts to rescue Asian elephants in the entertainment field from abusive treatment.