A Karmic Boost: Capture and Release

An older woman and her daughter walked ahead of me on the foot bridge alongside two adolescent monks. The novitiate monks wear the classic saffron robes which expose one shoulder. The woman carried what I thought was dinner-- two live fish in a plastic bag and a frog. I followed this quartet across the bridge...we were headed the same way after all. Off the bridge, I walked on the footpath by the river to avoid the heavily trafficked street, and so apparently did they. They, however, stopped by the river, releasing the fish and frog back into the river. One of the monks smiled at me, and the older woman also smiled, gesturing to make certain I understood that they were freeing the creatures, performing a positive act.

It is common to see little birds in tiny bamboo cages for sale in markets.  Other animals can be purchased as well, each type of animal representing a different type of karmic release. The buyer is to take the caged animal and release it into the wild to improve karma, heal illness, and so on.

Scientific American published an article about this practice in 2012, looking at the environmental impact. They counted 600,000 birds purchased and released in a year from only two markets! They also pointed out that the animals rarely survive. Almost as disturbing, birds are sometimes kissed before release, a practice that horrified the authors because many of the birds carry H1N1.

Scientific American Article

It is such a lovely idea, isn't it? But when examined in light of increased human populations and diminishing animals and habitats, the practice is undesirable. Scientific American, appreciating the cultural tradition, proposes that scientists work with Buddhist communities to maintain the practices while decreasing the environmental impact.