Life release
Life release is a traditional Buddhist practise of saving the lives of animals that are destined for slaughter.[1][2] All schools of Buddhism encourage followers to not only refrain from harming beings, but also to actively save lives.[1] In Tibetan Buddhism, this practice is called tse-thar, which translates as “life liberation.”[1] In Chinese Buddhism, it is called fang-sheng (放生; "releasing animals for merit")[3][4] or fang-sheng hui (放生會).[5]
In the Tibetan tradition, life release ceremonies are often planned for auspicious dates on the Buddhist calendar, in order to multiply the merit from this activity. For a planned release, animals are often purchased directly from a slaughterhouse or a fishermen, and then released on the appropriate date. During the release, the animals are typically blessed before being returned to their natural environment.[6][7]
The Samye Institute states, "When we perform this ritual, it is best to be conscious of local conditions. We should release animals native to an area that do not cause any environmental imbalance."[1]
Ogyen Trinley Dorje has stated that the meaning of tsethar is broad and that people can use their intelligence to expand the practise beyond traditional methods. For exampele, he indicated that planting one tree may be more beneficial than carrying out tsethar for many beings.[8]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Life-Release, Samye Institute
- ↑ Tsethar - The Practice of Saving Lives, shabkar.org
- ↑ Rethinking Life Release, Buddhistdoor.net
- ↑
放生, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (to sign in, see DDB sign-in)
- ↑ 放生會, Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (to sign in, see DDB sign-in)
- ↑ The Buddhist Practice of Releasing Lives to Freedom, abuddhistlibrary.com
- ↑ In Tibet, an animal is often marked by a ribbon to indicate that the life of the animal has been liberated, with the general understanding that it will be allowed to die of natural causes. See: Shambhala Times Community News Magazine » A Yak’s Tale of Liberation
- ↑ "Life Release". Karma Triyana Dharmachakra. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03.
Further reading
Print publications:
- Thubten, Zopa, and Ailsa, Cameron. 2001. Ultimate Healing: The Power of Compassion. Boston: Wisdom Publications, chap. 17 and 18.
- Khenpo Gyaltsen. 2014. A Lamp Illuminating the Path to Liberation: An Explanation of Essential Topics for Dharma Students translated by Lhasey Lotsawa Translations, Nepal, pp. 152-55.
Web publications:
- Life-Release, Samye Institute
- Making the Buddhist practice of “life release” more environmentally sound: A birder’s view, Lion's Roar
- Rethinking Life Release, Buddhistdoor.net
Life release, Wikipedia
