On Tet holiday as well as full moon and Buddhist festivals, many people buy fish and birds to release. For birds, people buy them in iron cages, usually sold in front of the temple gate, then open the cages to let the birds fly away. For fish, most people choose temples by the river to release them. Some people also have a ritual of worship at the temple before releasing them.
What is release?
Releasing animals means releasing the bondage, releasing the bird or fish to be free. A bird locked in a cage or a fish in a basin of water loses its freedom, is bound, and will be very tormented and miserable. Therefore, releasing the bird or fish to its habitat is to bring happiness to it.
Venerable Thich Tri Chon guides how to release animals
However, there is a situation where when someone releases birds, there will be a group of people who specialize in catching birds to sell in front of the temple gate or specialize in catching or raising fish to sell to people who release them. Even when someone releases fish into the river, there are people right there guarding the nets and electrocuting the fish; similarly, the released birds do not have enough strength to fly far, still perch lazily around the temple and are caught again.
According to Venerable Thich Tri Chon, abbot of Khanh An Monastery (District 12, Ho Chi Minh City), the meaning of releasing animals is humane, but if it falls into the above situation, the value of releasing animals is not high. Therefore, each person needs to understand correctly about releasing animals.
On big Buddhist full moon days, fish and bird sellers are bustling.
PHOTO: VU PHUONG
That is, when we suddenly pass by the market and see a fish gasping for breath in a basin or a bird lying listlessly in a cage, we have a compassionate heart and want to release the bird or fish back to its habitat, then we should buy it and quickly go to the place where it is released.
"There is no need to go to the temple to worship or do anything, because with the extra time of worship and moving around, it might die before you release it. Therefore, when you want to release it, release it back to its habitat as soon as it is dying, that is meaningful. But calling to order 100 - 200 kg or a few dozen birds to release forces people to go catch them. Just like that, the cycle of catching and releasing... invisibly makes those living beings become commodities, sometimes dying before being released," the monk shared.
Open your heart to love
In Ho Chi Minh City, in front of some pagodas, although there are signs prohibiting trading or selling birds for release, Buddhists and people going to pagodas can still easily see many sellers sitting close together. Especially on big full moon occasions such as the full moon of January, April, July, etc., the scene of selling birds and fish for release in front of the pagoda gate becomes even more bustling.
Venerable Tri Chon believes that the seller may think that people who go to the temple are kind-hearted and like to release animals, so they catch them and leave them in front of the temple. That way, people who go to the temple will have a compassionate heart, buy them and release them.
Monks greatly appreciate the merit of releasing animals from people, but need to know how to open their hearts to love properly.
PHOTO: VU PHUONG
"People who release animals are moved by compassion and kindness when something becomes difficult and painful, then they start to feel compassion. But if people are forced to buy, sometimes the meaning of releasing animals is no longer valuable. The bird then becomes a commercial item, no different from catching birds or fish to eat in restaurants. Sometimes it will die before being released," said the abbot.
Therefore, monks highly appreciate the merit of Buddhists and philanthropists who buy fish and birds to release; but if we do not have a thorough understanding of releasing animals, we can "help" those who always catch and then fish for business purposes, going around in circles of catch - sell - release, causing suffering to the animals.
Finally, Venerable Tri Chon reminded us that we need to have a new awareness of how to release animals in a meaningful way, protect the environment, ensure compassion for people and animals, open our hearts of compassion to build a good society, always open our hearts of love for all fellow human beings, and protect the environment well, which will be more beneficial than releasing animals subjectively and emotionally, leaving many consequences in the inherent beauty.
Thanhnien.vn
Comment (0)