KINDNESS OF JAMMU MONKS

Animal compassion which came to Sri Lanka from Jammu Kashmir

A group of bhikku-bhikshunis from Jammu-Kashmir in India are presently on a Peace Walk in Sri Lanka and were passing Sigiriya when they spotted a monkey (rilawa).
The monkey was wounded. It is reported that the group had abandoned the Walk for two days after noticing this. The monkey was actually caught in a trap in Sigiriya and was thus wounded. The group members had wanted to have the monkey treated. But because they were not in a position to get at the animal, they had put off further travelling and had resolved not to proceed any further until the monkey was brought down from the tree and treated.

    Though the Presidential Office and the Wild Life authorities were informed, none of the young people were able to catch the animal for three days (20th -- 22nd). The members of the group consisted of 25. All of them had refused to eat their lunch and had sent word that they were prepared to offer a sum of rupees one lakh  to whoever would catch the monkey.

    Subsequently, a team of workers inclusive of Veterinary Surgeon Dr.Chandana Jayasinghe of the Wild Life Department had managed to catch the animal after great effort. The group of bhikshu-bhikshunis were so overjoyed and had partaken of their lunch only after the monkey was medically treated. They had also offered the one lakh of rupees promised; but it had been refused.

    This group of Buddhist monks who were on a Peace Walk starting from Kataragama to Jaffna were residents of Landak Province in Jammu-Kashmir in India. The purpose of their Walk had been to proclaim to the world that Sri Lanka is a peaceful country.