Buddhist Animal Release Practices: Historic, Environmental, Public Health And Economic Concerns
Abstract
Animal release has long been a component of Buddhist practice, although it is little studied contemporarily. This paper examines the historical roots of these rituals, arguing that they may ultimately have been adopted into Chinese Buddhist practices. A short survey of contemporary Buddhist practice in various traditions is given, including references to important scriptural authority. Practices involving large-scale, ritualized animal release is then argued to have a number of unintended negative environmental repercussions, resulting in potential new, non-native invasive species. These practices are also considered from contemporary economic and public health perspectives, culminating in the argument that their compassionate intentions are often lost in the act.
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The Storehouse amassed such wealth that it began to rival the government.
“The Storehouse was, by some measures, a wild success -it amassed such wealth that it began to rival the government.”
From Lessons from the Sanjie: merit economies as catalysts for social change (2019) · cites this paper as [10]
The Storehouse's state-like functions of relief for the needy and redistribution of wealth may have contributed to its eventual demise at the hands of the ruling elite.
“it ' abrogated state-like functions: relief for the needy and redistribution of wealth, ' 10 which may have been a factor in its eventual demise at the hands of the ruling elite. 11”
From Lessons from the Sanjie: merit economies as catalysts for social change (2019) · cites this paper as [10]
Cites
(1990) · doi:10.1515/9780824842611 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Liberating Animals in Ming-Qing China: Buddhist Inspiration and Elite Imagination
Smith, J. F. H. (1999) · The Journal of Asian Studies · doi:10.2307/2658389 · Cited by 82 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Handlin Smith also concluded in her article that ‘the twin activities—the liberating of animals and the avoidance of killing—had acquired layers of meanings, many of which were not essentially Buddhist’ (Smith 1999 , 78).”
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Guidelines for Addressing Invasive Species in Protected Areas
Genovesi, P., & Monaco, A. (2013) · Plant Invasions in Protected Areas · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7750-7_22 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Animals in Japanese Buddhism: The Third Path of Existence
Ambros, B. (2014) · Religion Compass · doi:10.1111/rec3.12118 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
How to Deal with Dangerous and Annoying Animals: A Vinaya Perspective
Heirman, A. (2019) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel10020113 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“35 It should be added that, while the animal release is discussed in some Indian monastic texts (contra Shiu and Stokes 2008, pp. 182–85, who argue for a Chinese origin of the practice), the vinaya texts offer no guidance on collective animal release.”
BackgroundLessons from the Sanjie: merit economies as catalysts for social change
Kalmanson, L. (2019) · Studies in Chinese Religions · doi:10.1080/23729988.2019.1639456 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Untitled work
Darshani, A. (2021) · Journal of Chinese Religions
- Authors
- Shiu, H., & Stokes, L.
- Venue
- Contemporary Buddhism
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2008-11
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 181-196
- ISSN
- 1463-9947 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-7953
- OpenAlex
- W2050542835
- Cited by
- 76
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Contemporary Buddhism (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Toronto
- University of Hong Kong
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion, Ecology, and Ethics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Indian and Buddhist Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Study and Philosophy of Religion
- Keywords
- animal release, Buddhist ritual, Chinese Buddhism, environmental impact, invasive species, public health, economic costs, compassion
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