I think the drawback of this ritual is that it encourage people to catch animals to free and it becomes a trade.
Anyway, on the other hand you help some one to make a living.
It is also important that you release them to a protected place.
Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
There are few perspectives to look at your question.
In my opinion:
If you wish to help life (fish in this case) in an ultimate way.
Probably I would say we should help ourselves first (we are also life that currently suffering in samsara), then help others if you can, to free from samsara. Any beings that continue to be in samsara, will suffer death eventually.
If you wish to perform good deed, you can. However, there are also many ways to perform good deed. If this method made you feel uncomfortable and confuse, choosing a clear cut way for dana could be easier way e.g. dana to sangha, work at monastery, etc. for Sangha being the Unsurpassed Field of Merit for the World.
If you wish to perform metta and/or cultivate your own metta, then intention is most important, as responded by many of our group friends here. Still there is risk of released fishes do not survive, but at least you do not have intention to let them die, you at least safe them for one time (wholesome deed). If you found that, many of the released fishes die after that, you may need to re-think if this is a good way, because now you know, you also contributed partly to their death (unwholesome deed).
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
In my opinion:
If you wish to help life (fish in this case) in an ultimate way.
Probably I would say we should help ourselves first (we are also life that currently suffering in samsara), then help others if you can, to free from samsara. Any beings that continue to be in samsara, will suffer death eventually.
If you wish to perform good deed, you can. However, there are also many ways to perform good deed. If this method made you feel uncomfortable and confuse, choosing a clear cut way for dana could be easier way e.g. dana to sangha, work at monastery, etc. for Sangha being the Unsurpassed Field of Merit for the World.
If you wish to perform metta and/or cultivate your own metta, then intention is most important, as responded by many of our group friends here. Still there is risk of released fishes do not survive, but at least you do not have intention to let them die, you at least safe them for one time (wholesome deed). If you found that, many of the released fishes die after that, you may need to re-think if this is a good way, because now you know, you also contributed partly to their death (unwholesome deed).
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
Mudita1 wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 4:17 am There are few perspectives to look at your question.
In my opinion:
If you wish to help life (fish in this case) in an ultimate way.
Probably I would say we should help ourselves first (we are also life that currently suffering in samsara), then help others if you can, to free from samsara. Any beings that continue to be in samsara, will suffer death eventually.
If you wish to perform good deed, you can. However, there are also many ways to perform good deed. If this method made you feel uncomfortable and confuse, choosing a clear cut way for dana could be easier way e.g. dana to sangha, work at monastery, etc. for Sangha being the Unsurpassed Field of Merit for the World.
If you wish to perform metta and/or cultivate your own metta, then intention is most important, as responded by many of our group friends here. Still there is risk of released fishes do not survive, but at least you do not have intention to let them die, you at least safe them for one time (wholesome deed). If you found that, many of the released fishes die after that, you may need to re-think if this is a good way, because now you know, you also contributed partly to their death (unwholesome deed).
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
I think Dana to an animal has the lowest merits.
Freeing up animals should not be developed to a point that it amount to a Clinging to rites and rituals.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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justindesilva
- Posts: 2607
- Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2016 12:38 pm
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
Pls.read and understand karaniya metta sutta to understand the value of metta. One can develop ones citta to a height of brahma vihara. By releasing fish or any otherSarathW wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 4:32 amMudita1 wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 4:17 am There are few perspectives to look at your question.
In my opinion:
If you wish to help life (fish in this case) in an ultimate way.
Probably I would say we should help ourselves first (we are also life that currently suffering in samsara), then help others if you can, to free from samsara. Any beings that continue to be in samsara, will suffer death eventually.
If you wish to perform good deed, you can. However, there are also many ways to perform good deed. If this method made you feel uncomfortable and confuse, choosing a clear cut way for dana could be easier way e.g. dana to sangha, work at monastery, etc. for Sangha being the Unsurpassed Field of Merit for the World.
If you wish to perform metta and/or cultivate your own metta, then intention is most important, as responded by many of our group friends here. Still there is risk of released fishes do not survive, but at least you do not have intention to let them die, you at least safe them for one time (wholesome deed). If you found that, many of the released fishes die after that, you may need to re-think if this is a good way, because now you know, you also contributed partly to their death (unwholesome deed).
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu
I think Dana to an animal has the lowest merits.
Freeing up animals should not be developed to a point that it amount to a Clinging to rites and rituals.
creature the common action of abayadana is developed. The purpose of any dana is to give up any form of tanha. Give and forget is dana.
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
Here are the questions we can ask :
Say you are a vegan and if goes to the market to buy some vegetables , and you found that everyday they would slaughter the live fishes irrespect of whether you buy or not buy from them . So once a while you buy some of those fishes in waiting list to be chopped up soon and release them because you want to save them from being chop up out of good intention .
But if we think by releasing few of them into the rivers would cause the habitats and environments inbalance or indirectly killing them or get eaten by other larger fish or animal , then we are over concern !
Why not think over human beings never stop chopping down all the trees in the forests to build our houses that causes all animals being kills and loses their shelters then shouldnt we pay more attention to this sort of urgency ?
Do you think all fish farming would stops because minority of peoples adopt vegetarian diet ? (You can opt for vege diet
i am not opposing . I was once on vege diet for many years ).
Say you are a vegan and if goes to the market to buy some vegetables , and you found that everyday they would slaughter the live fishes irrespect of whether you buy or not buy from them . So once a while you buy some of those fishes in waiting list to be chopped up soon and release them because you want to save them from being chop up out of good intention .
But if we think by releasing few of them into the rivers would cause the habitats and environments inbalance or indirectly killing them or get eaten by other larger fish or animal , then we are over concern !
Why not think over human beings never stop chopping down all the trees in the forests to build our houses that causes all animals being kills and loses their shelters then shouldnt we pay more attention to this sort of urgency ?
Do you think all fish farming would stops because minority of peoples adopt vegetarian diet ? (You can opt for vege diet
i am not opposing . I was once on vege diet for many years ).
No bashing No gossiping
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
The way I understand that Abhayadana means you are not involved with killing.By releasing fish or any other creature the common action of abayadana is developed.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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justindesilva
- Posts: 2607
- Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2016 12:38 pm
Re: Buying alive fishes to leave them in the river.
An6.37 & An7.49 are two suttas about giving called dana suttas. It shows the value of donating. Doating without expecting profit or returns. A little insight can show dana then is more sharing than giving or donating because we can give what we own. As popularly known dana is not only giving alms to sangha. Dana I have read classified as damma dana ( the most valuable dana), saukya dana ( sharing health), sramadana ( sharing services) and abayadana ( sharing life) . Abayadana is not donating life but sharing release from losing the most valuable prana (life) which is essential. This is where we take our first precept, Panathipata veramani sikkapadam samadiyami. It is about more sharing life.