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Releasing life

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The Buddha not only taught his followers to protect life, but also acted as an example. One famous anecdote describes an incident when, as the young prince Siddhartha, he saved the life of a swan. In addition to strongly opposing the idea that animals exist merely to serve and feed man, Buddhism also recognizes that every sentient being has the capacity to feel pain. Furthermore, as sentient beings are reborn according to their karmic propensities, all beings have transmigrated through the various animal realms. As the Buddha stated, (Over the repetition of rebirths since beginningless time,) "it is not easy to find a being who has not at one time been our mother, father, brother, or sister." So, when saving the life of another being, Buddhism believes that we are not just saving a fish or

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The Buddha not only taught his followers to protect life, but also acted as an example. One famous anecdote describes an incident when, as the young prince Siddhartha, he saved the life of a swan. In addition to strongly opposing the idea that animals exist merely to serve and feed man, Buddhism also recognizes that every sentient being has the capacity to feel pain. Furthermore, as sentient beings are reborn according to their karmic propensities, all beings have transmigrated through the various animal realms. As the Buddha stated, (Over the repetition of rebirths since beginningless time,) "it is not easy to find a being who has not at one time been our mother, father, brother, or sister." So, when saving the life of another being, Buddhism believes that we are not just saving a fish or a rabbit, but the life of one of our mothers in the past. The Jataka Tales confirm the flow of karmic traces through the various realms. They tell of animals exhibiting a great variety of personalities and traits, and in many instances continue their stories into a future human rebirth. They inform us of the courage and loyalty as well as the fears and suffering of the animal world and, in this way, break down the narrow interpretation that society is composed only of humans, offering instead a fabric composed of all life forms. According to Buddhism, whether it be an ant or a human, all possess potential to attain Buddhahood. Although Buddhism recognizes that animals can display qualities that are even superior to many humans, it refutes that they possess the mental capacity to attain enlightenment directly. Only humans are considered capable of this. As a result, Buddhism does consider animals to be lower in status than humans, but at the same time, it totally rejects the idea that inferior ability or wisdom are reasons to enslave, kill or to treat beings cruelly. If this were the case, it contends, then children or people with learning disabilities would also be candidates for ill treatment. In contrast, the Buddha Dharma teaches that beings of less ability or with afflictions deserve kindness, not cruelty. The following quote from H.H. Dalai Lama emphasises the spirit that all Buddhists should possess when considering the lives of others: "In our approach to life, be it pragmatic or otherwise, a basic fact that confronts us squarely and unmistakably is the desire for peace, security, and happiness. Different forms of life at different levels of existence make up the teeming denizens of this earth of ours. And, no matter whether they belong to the higher groups such as humans, all beings primarily seek peace, comfort, and security. Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Even the lowliest insect strives for protection against dangers that threaten its life. Just as each one of us wants happiness and fear pain, just as each one of us wants to live and not die, so do all other creatures."