What are the merits and virtues of life liberation?
Performing life liberations encompasses all three types of giving: the giving of wealth, the giving of Dharma, and the giving of fearlessness. Hence, it can help us attain immeasurable merits and virtues. The greatest benefits that we can receive from performing life liberations are the elimination of disasters and extension of our lifespans. When we are faced with major adversities and we pray for protection and blessings from Guan Yin Bodhisattva by reciting Buddhist scriptures, it will be more effective if we can also perform life liberation. Performing life liberation is not about merely saving the life of a fish but also to cultivate our sense of compassion. Regardless of age or gender, whether we are Buddhist practitioners, we should all perform life liberation for ourselves and our family.
Animal to be Liberated
It is best to release animals that are commonly consumed by humans, including fish, shrimp, prawns, crabs, clams, etc. Other animals that tend to be killed or eaten would also be suitable. We should recite sutras and mantras when we perform a life liberation. This deed will help us to eliminate disasters and extend our lifespans while reciting mantras and sutras offer us the protection we need. For best results, it is better if we are able to perform both.
Time for Performing Life Liberation
In regard to the time to perform life liberation: Any time throughout the year is suitable. For people who would like to pray for longevity, it is best to do it on their birthday. Other significant dates include Chinese New Year’s Eve, when people bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, and the Birthdays of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and so forth. To achieve the best results, it is best to choose a sunny day when Yang energy is at its peak. Avoid performing life liberations at night; however, cloudy or rainy days are fine during the daytime.
The Retribution from Act of Killing
“诸余罪中，杀业最重，诸功德中，不杀第一”
“Amongst all sins, the act of killing is the most severe; Amongst all virtues, refrain from killing is foremost”
——《大智度论》Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom
The antonym of life liberation is the act of killing – its retributive effect is highly severe.When committing the act of killing, the animals will oppose greatly to being killed. This will then affect the energy field of the person committing the act, resulting in a negative impact. Even though we are not the one who killed the animals when we consume live seafood, they die because of us. Hence, this is also considered as an act of killing.
Common acts of killing include: abortion, miscarriage, eating live seafood, fishing, etc. Miscarriages often lead to an unhappy marriage, gynaecological issues, and infertility. Consuming live seafood and killing many small foreign spirits can lead to skin disorders, blood related illnesses, respiratory diseases, joint pains and insomnia. Some serious examples of the act of killing include: hunting, running farms, and having multiple miscarriages. These can lead to severe illnesses, career obstructions, infertility, shortened lifespan, etc. Hence, Buddhist practitioners abide by the precept to abstain from killing and also eliminate karmic debts from the past through performing recitation and life liberation.
GUIDE TO PERFORMING LIFE LIBERATIONS
More Queries about Life Liberation?
Shuohua20170818 19:22 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s Call-In Radio Program)
WHEN MISFORTUNE HAS BEEN PREDETERMINED, WE CAN MAKE A VOW TO PERFORM LIFE LIBERATIONS FOR 1,200 FISH – THIS IS THE CARDINAL NUMBER THAT CAN CHANGE OUR FATE AND DESTINY
Caller: Master Lu, how do you derive the number of fish to be liberated during totem readings?
Master Jun Hong Lu: The number of fish to be liberated is a figure.
Caller: Is this figure advised by Bodhisattva….?
Master Jun Hong Lu: It may be a message from Bodhisattva or from a person’s predestined condition. The amount of fish needing to be liberated will be shown. For example, the figure that appears most frequently is 1,200. Many people are required to liberate this number of fish.
In regards to fish, I think 1,200 fish is a cardinal number. For example, when misfortune has been predetermined, we should not worry, and simply begin to gradually liberate this number of fish. When we reach 1,200 fish in total, our fate and destiny will start to immediately transform.
Caller: You mention 1,200 as being a cardinal number. In that case, when a Buddhist friend encounters misfortune, he should then make a vow to liberate 1,200 fish. Am I right?
Master Jun Hong Lu: That’s right. When you are unable to call through to the Totem enquiry hotline, make a vow based on 1,200 fish.
Caller: What’s the next tier of fish going upward after 1,200?
Master Jun Hong Lu: 1,800.
Caller: What is the following amount?
Master Jun Hong Lu: What comes next is our perseverance in performing life liberations. Let me reiterate. 1,200 is a cardinal number. It means by liberating the number of fish. we can notice changes beginning to occur. The main point is, when we follow Bodhisattva’s advice of 1,200 fish, after fulfilling this amount we begin to see our fate and destiny taking a turn towards the positive.
Caller: I understand. Once again, today you have divulged some important information to everyone!
Master Jun Hong Lu: If you didn’t ask, how would others ever get to know? There are many other things I would like to share with all of you, but I just can’t recall them all. The moment you ask, I can then share them with you!
Caller: I understand. Thank you for answering my question Master.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting
Melbourne, Australia – 6 December 2019
(An Excerpt)
REQUESTING OTHERS TO PERFORM LIFE LIBERATION ON OUR BEHALF
Question: Master Lu, due to certain constraints, some overseas practitioners often request fellow practitioners in China to perform life liberation on their behalf. Therefore, it mainly encompasses the Giving of Wealth among the three forms of Giving.
Besides performing recitation, is there any other way for the overseas practitioners to perfect their merits from performing life liberation?
Answer: What makes you think that it only encompasses the Giving of Wealth? Performing life liberation is an act that is complete with the three forms of giving (Giving of Wealth, Dharma and Fearlessness). Don’t you think you are practising the Giving of Wealth when you pay for the fish you release? (Yes.)
When you show by example by performing good deeds and influence others to do the same, isn’t that the Giving of Dharma? (Yes.) When you perform life liberation in person, isn’t that the Giving of Fearlessness? (Yes.)
Ok. (Sorry for being ignorant. Is it the same when we ask others to perform life liberation on our behalf?) Yes. In this case, as the Giving of Fearlessness might be lesser, you may want to work harder to propagate Buddhism and help others. The idea behind it is the same.
Wenda20170604B 34:49 (Master Jun Hong Lu’s Call-In Radio Program)
EXTENSION OF LIFESPAN THROUGH RELEASING TURTLE
Caller: Hi Master Lu, last time, you mentioned that a Buddhist friend’s life was extended for three years after releasing 200 turtles. I was amazed. Later we found out that he only releases large turtles, each weighing more than 1 KG or having the size of a small washing bowl. You used to mention that lifespan can be extended through releasing washing bowl-sized turtles.
Master Jun Hong Lu: Releasing turtles in a smaller size will also help to extend lifespan. The difference is that smaller turtles help to extend lifespan by days or months, i.e. one may live for a few more days or months, whereas bigger turtles will extend lifespan by several years.
Read more QnA: About Life Liberation