The benefit and virtue of saving and releasing animals

[gregkavarnos]

My lama here in Greece practices releasing animals in order to save their lives. A powerful practice that accrues imense virtue and benefit. This practice works best for animals that are to be killed (not that releasing animals destined as pets is not a beneficial practice). It doesn't have to be a cow, it can be a much smaller animal (for example snails, quails and frogs that are being raised and sold for consumption). Smaller animals are easier for those living in cities. Live marine animals (fish, shellfish, prawns and crabs) is another option. Many fishing shops sell live bait which you can buy and release.

For those who want the practice I have made an electronic copy of The Essence of Benefit and Joy: A Method for the Saving of Lives written by Jamgon Kongtrul and Loro Thaye. It's a 20mb zip file. Those who want a copy can PM me with their email address.

There are some other pracitces available on the net based on Avalokitesvaras six syllable mantra.

[gregkavarnos]

Here's a video of the 17th Karmapa doing the practice, releasing fish, destined for consumption, back into the sea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzbNaqrKvS0

[LastLegend]

You posted something right by my standards.

[gregkavarnos]

Here's a link to the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra site which outlines a practice based on Chenrezig and one on Green Tara https://www.kagyu.org/ktd/liferelease.php

[Karma Yeshe]

My Monastery, Kaygu Thublen Choiling, does live bait releases on a regular basis. Anytime you can save a sentient Being is a good thing.

[xylem]

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[PadmaVonSamba]

Please make sure that you research what you release, where you release it. For example, frogs bred in captivity and sold in grocery stores may carry viruses and releasing them into rivers and ponds may be harmful to other frogs.

[Dhondrub]

This relatively short Tsethar text by the great Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo comes with a recommendation of Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche

http://www.mangalashribhuti.org/pdf/stu ... 6_2009.pdf

[arisaema81]

Please make sure that you research what you release, where you release it. For example, frogs bred in captivity and sold in grocery stores may carry viruses and releasing them into rivers and ponds may be harmful to other frogs.

This is an important point. You should also be careful not to release alien species which may upset the local eco-system e.g. the release of mink into the wild in the UK by animal rights activists some years ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/148420.stm

The practise is great though!!

Arisaema

[LastLegend]

If are in countries such as Vietnam, please buy live animals and release them. These animals are locally captured like birds and aquatic animals, and these animals will be killed and eaten if not saved.

[gregkavarnos]

Excellent to see people taking an interest. Did the practice last week with my lama who I was visiting in Athens, we do it with snails.

Also sat down with my lama and another vajra bro and translated the practice into Greek along with Tibetan transliteration.

Decided to upload them (the english and tibetan texts) to my dropbox public folder so now all people have to do is follow these links to download the practice as a docx and/or rar file:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14604585/Essenc ... it.rar.exe
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/14604585/The%20 ... 20Joy.docx