Rescuing animals for good karma

[Klein]

The following is an article from www.nytimes.com. When we all practise compassion by saving all sentient beings, we eventually develop a mind of love, kindness, acceptance and care. Violence will never be in the equation. With this state of mind, there will be no wars and violence. This is what the world needs so badly.





YUSHU, China — With a set of chopsticks in her hands and a Tibetan prayer spilling from her lips, Gelazomo, a 32-year-old yak herder, hunched over the rocky banks of the river that cuts through this city and hunted for the quarry that she hoped would bring salvation.

Every few minutes, she would tease out a tiny river shrimp that had become stranded in the mud, and then dropping it into a bucket of water. Beside her, dozens of other Tibetans toiled in the noonday sun, among them small children and old people who, from afar, appeared to be panning for gold.

“Buddha has taught us that treating others with love and compassion is the right thing to do, no matter how tiny that life is,” she explained, as the newly revived crustaceans darted through the water of her bucket.

Buddhists are encouraged to demonstrate a reverence for all sentient beings; some believers spurn meat while others buy animals destined for slaughter and then set them free. Here in Yushu, a largely Tibetan city where more than 3,000 people died in an earthquake four years ago, the faithful have been flocking to the Batang River to rescue a minuscule aquatic crustacean that would hardly seem deserving of such attention.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/26/world/asia/in-scarred-chinese-tibetan-city-of-yushu-devotion-to-sanctity-of-life-even-a-tiny-river-shrimp.html?_r=0 

[Galen]

Every life is valuable and we cannot take it for granted. Every sentient being has a right to live and if we are in a position to help a living to live longer then, it creates merits for us. We help them to help ourselves. Even a tiny ant we save is a life spared. Most animals are taken for granted because human beings see it as invaluable. Imagine if we are reborn in the animal realm, don't we want all the help we need to live? If we apply this, then a harmonious living condition can be created. Any small difference makes a huge difference. When we think that all beings were our mothers before, then we will not have the heart to kill but to help. We will help our mother in any situation and if all living being were our mothers in our previous lives, then it makes sense to help.

[cookie]

It is very rare to find people having the thought of "rescuing animals". Especially animals destined for the dining table or insects/small rodents which create fear in people's minds.
Animals reared for consumption are naturally seen as deserving by most people because they are categorised as a necessity to living; though we can certainly argue otherwise in today's time. Hence, how many good samaritans actually go to the farms and butchers to "rescue" these animals.
As for insects and small rodents, they are seen to be" irritating creatures" which bring dirt and diseases with them. How many people will "let them scoot free" ?
Hence it is heartwarming to read stories as that posted by NYTIMES that in Yushu China, there is a community of people who focus on rescuing a minuscule aquatic crustacean that would hardly seem deserving of such attention.

[RedLantern]

Based on Buddhist belief,freeing a captured animal creates good karma and fortune,causes the suffering of millions of animals every year,as well as serious environmental damage.
In Buddhism ,the highest and universal ideal is to continually work for a permanent end to the suffering of all creatures,not just the human and animal,but all animals,all beings without exception.

[yontenjamyang]

It is taught by the Lamas that in practicing the 3 principal aspect of the paths of renunciation, boddhicitta and correct view of emptiness, one need to practice the accumulation of merits and wisdom and in addition to that, practice purifications to clear obstacles to our practice. In this scheme, we need to practice with a combination of method and wisdom and further through this scheme, practice through compassionate activities and study and contemplation of the Dharma.
The compassionate activities can be rescuing of animals also. But do bear in mind that the best motivation would be compassion or to create merits ie with the reason being to lessen the suffering of the animals and NOT to generated positive karma, because the latter is still a self cherishing act that will exhaust in this or future lives, where else the supreme motivation of compassion will lead to Buddhahood.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

It is true with good motivation to help save the "tiny beings" goes a longer way towards our practice of compassion and act of kindness with the wish to benefit, instead of counting the amount of good "karma" generated in such acts.

Good karma without good motivation will be exhausted over time and get used up. But with good motivation, the good karma will be stored in the vault of the bank like interest rate that grows.

[maricisun]

Animals have feelings too. Therefore to rescue even a tiny being is also saving a life. To safe these beings and animals from being slaughtered or eaten is also a way to be able to accumulate merits for oneself.
This is also good karma created. Buddhism taught us to be kind and compassionate to all sentient beings.

[vajrastorm]

The sight of young and old Tibetans working in the hot sun to free tiny shrimps caught in the mud of a receding river and then releasing them into the river , reinforces a conviction in me that the Buddha nature is indeed present in everyone, and we only have to keep finding our way back to it.

Perhaps it took the trauma of an earthquake to kindle the feelings of kindness and compassion in the people of Yushu. Whatever it may be, insights of being reborn as a tiny prawn make these people realize that they can have the same feelings and experience as them. They can feel their pain and fears.They can empathize with them. Such contemplations lead to such states of anguish as not being able to bear with the suffering and the pain of these beings , as well as being driven to free them from suffering. The compassion thus generated becomes the driving force and motivation to rescue these animals.Such motivations are more powerful than the mere wish to collect good karma, and is the engine that propels us towards enlightenment.

[angelica]

Whether our action produce good or bad karma, it depend on our motivation. 2 people doing the same action, but they might be getting different karmic effect. Therefore it is very important that we set the right motivation for each and every action.

Gelazomo has showed us that we need to have compassion for all beings, even for tiny creatures like the shrimp. If more people in the world have compassion like Gelazomo, our world will be very peaceful.

[pinecone]

Buddhism affirms that  all living beings do equally possess the ability of being a Buddha. All living beings on this earth  strive to live and even a small insect will struggle to free itself from being harm. As per a sub -section in Day 14 of  the “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand”,...Once a family's old father always used to eat fish from the pool behind the house. He died and was reborn as a fish in the pool. The mother was attached to the house, so she was reborn as the family's dog. The son's enemy had been killed for raping the son's wife ; because the enemy was so attached to her , he was reborn as her son. The son caught his father, the fish and killed it. While he ate its meat, the dog , his mother, ate fish bones.....If we truly understand the law of cause and effect and also karmic link, we will refrain from harming and killing all living beings .

[gbds3jewels]

To see all sentient beings as equal, to see all life as valuable is not easy at all. We are all inherently selfish and see ourselves as more important and valuable first and foremost. Then we categorize people we meet as those we like, those we see as deserving and those we don't like and those who are not worthy. When we look at animals, then more categories arouse. The cute, obedient and/or loyal ones like dogs, cats, horses, etc are kept as pets and treated more nicely. Cows, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and fish are food. Insects are pests and a nuisance. There is no equality in the way the world treat all living beings. Buddha taught compassion but very few can truly grasp and practice compassion because very few can truly treat all sentient beings as equal to the self.

[Q]

Yes, releasing captive animals is truly a good deed. It is something that many Mahayana Buddhists take seriously. Many Tibetan Buddhist Lamas have also shown us good examples to release animals, so, just follow their great example.

Just remember that we also need to use our heads when releasing animals. For example, there is a chinese woman that released poisonous snakes into a public park.... that puts people's lives in danger!

http://www.chinasmack.com/2014/pictures/chinese-woman-does-good-sets-poisonous-snakes-free-in-park.html

[Midakpa]

When we rescue animals, we are saving their lives. This act will prolong our own lives. This is the law of cause and effect. I rejoice for these kind people who take the trouble to rescue the shrimps. It is because they know that saving lives is a meritorious deed and their kindness will be repaid in this or in future lives. They will be reborn in a good place and continue to practise the Dharma.