Finding Peter Singer’s Sentientist Ethics in the Buffalo Suukhwan Rite

Abstract

The Maung people are indigenous people living in the Northern part of Thailand. Important cultural religious rites and rituals performed by them annually depicts of their sensitiveness and moral responsibility towards the nature or environmental surroundings. Buffalo suukhwan rite is one of them. In this rite, we see the recognition of other sentient beings’ sentiments, sufferings and even the belief in the power to either bless the crops’ yield and curse is expressed. The buffalo, being a sentient being, is not to be harmed or inducing sufferings has to be minimized as is found in the philosophical ethics of Peter Singer in his notable work Animal Ethics. The buffalo here, is being thanked, revered, given a good feast and most importantly invoke the mystical power that is believed to be present in the buffalo, not to leave but to inhabit and bless the people with good crops.