
PRAYER ANIMAL RELEASE
OVERVIEW
The Buddhist and Daoist practice of mercy release (fang sheng in Chinese) is one in which fish, snakes, turtles, birds, and other terrestrial and aquatic animals are ritually released into the natural environment by devotees as an act of compassion and kindness in order to receive good merit. Merit can take many forms including health, wealth, and long life for practitioners and their families, and favour for deceased relatives.
It has several different names reflecting the various local and regional traditions, with mercy release, merit release, and religious release being just a few of these. It is most common in Asia, but is practiced all over the world, and globally contributes to the capture and release of millions of animals and involves the turnover of millions of dollars in revenue.
Ceremonies can now involve the release of thousands of animals at one time. One study in Hong Kong found that up to a million birds were sold each year for prayer release. The Economist reported that in China 'officials estimate around 200m fish, snakes, turtles, birds, and even ants are released each year—though no one really has a clue'. A Cambodian study found almost 700,000 birds are released each year. It is also an important ritual amongst Tibetan Buddhist communities in India.
'However innumerable beings are, I vow to save them.'
One of the Four Vows of the Bodhisattva
The impacts of
BUDDHIST PRAYER ANIMAL RELEASE
At the scale at which it is now practiced, prayer animal release is having unintended negative impacts that are in direct conflict with core Buddhist principles such as ending suffering and doing no harm to living beings. Practitioners believe that the animals themselves and the ecosystems into which they are released also benefit. But much of the time it is causing great suffering for affected species and threatening biodiversity both in the sourcing and release areas.
Mercy release is now resulting in:
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The illegal capture and sale of wild animals
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Intense suffering and high mortality of animals throughout the process of capture to holding in cages in terrible conditions, until their release at auspicious times
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The introduction of invasive species into non-native habitats, threatening already vulnerable animal populations and ecosystems. Animals may also be released into unsuitable environments, such as wild animals released into urban situations or marine fish released into freshwater
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Genetic swamping/ contamination by alien species of local biodiversity area
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The spread of disease to other species as well as to humans
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High costs of damage to property and of control measures

Caged birds in Jakarta, Indonesia, by Creative Commons photographer Mike W
Merit release:
COMPASSIONATE ALTERNATIVES

With the increasing awareness about the impact of merit release, there has been demand for alternative practices to earn good merit. With many Buddhist leaders wanting to teach and promote these alternative practices. In Taiwan, these alternative practices have gained popularity after a big awareness campaign of merit release. The awareness campaign resulted in 25% of the 500 (targeted) temples stopping with prayer release and shifting to an alternative way to earn good merit.
Examples of alternatives to prayer release (that have been adopted by Taiwanese temples) include:
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Advocating & promoting vegetarianism
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Caring for stray animals
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Offering free lunches for school children from poor families
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Rescuing cattle from slaughter houses and offering them to poor families in Southeast Asia as working/ milk animals
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Donations to hospitals for those unable to pay their medical bill
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Donations to lighting dark country roads (lighting the way forward)

Thailand, video in Thai entitled: Bird release - merit or sin?
ภาพยนตร์สั้น "ปล่อยนกบุญหรือบาป?"

Singapore/Buddhism
Releasing animals is not always a good deed

Be inspired
FURTHER ACADEMIC READING

Find partners
Groups working on prayer animal release
Dr Kit Maglellan is a researcher at the University of Battambang, Cambodia, and focuses on Behavioural Ecology, Invasion Research, and Aquatic Ecology.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kit-Magellan
The Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) – Taiwan
Humane Society International – Global
Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) – Thailand
Ankor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB) – Cambodia