ISSN 1076-9005
Volume 25, 2018
Foxes, Yetis, and Bulls as
Lamas: Human-Animal Interactions as a Resource for Exploring Buddhist
Ethics in Sikkim
Kalzang Dorjee
Bhutia
Occidental College
Sikkimese Bhutia
language oral traditions feature an abundance of stories related to
human-animal interactions. In order to begin to critically consider
the significance of these interactions, this article will engage with
these oral traditions and what they can tell us about local
traditions of Buddhist ethics. Although some of these tales seem
anthropocentric because humans overpower and outwit animals, others
are more ambiguous. In this ethical universe, foxes, yetis, and
magical bulls all act as agents and, at times, religious teachers,
reminding humans of the Buddhist theme of interconnectedness in their
interactions with the environment. This article is a starting point
for considering how such tales can act as a rich resource for negotiating
ambiguous forms of ecocentrism in local Buddhist practice and
narrative in the Eastern Himalayas.
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