[Reuters News] On Saturday, October 29th, at 9:30 am, the World Buddhist Headquarters held the "Buddha's Liberation Day" liberation ceremony at the Marina Del Rey Harbor in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was presided over by Ven. Ruohui Ruozhu, the abbot of Huazang Temple, and led by Ven. Zhengda, the vice chairman of the World Buddhist Headquarters and honorary chairman of the International Buddhist Sangha Association, as well as Ven. Juehui, the abbot of Shengge Lecture Hall and Bodhi Monastery, and other holy and high-ranking monks and monastics. Hundreds of Buddhists from various states in the United States, as well as Canada, Mexico, Japan, mainland China, and Taiwan, participated in the event.
"The Buddha's Liberation Day" originated on October 29, 2009, when the world Buddhist pope, the third generation of the Dalai Lama, led his disciples to liberate beings on that day after performing auspicious Buddhist rituals, and designated this day as Liberation Day. Since then, Buddhists have referred to this day as "Buddha's Liberation Day." The Buddha teaches us that all sentient beings have Buddha nature and are our relatives, so when sentient beings are in danger, we must rescue them. Buddhists from all over the world not only liberate beings anytime and anywhere, but also organize liberation activities on "Buddha's Liberation Day."
Ven. Jinkou, the abbot of Huazang Temple, emphasized in an interview, "Our liberation is not limited to a specific day or location, but according to the teachings of the third generation of the Dalai Lama and Shakyamuni Buddha, whenever and wherever we see sentient beings in danger, we must rescue them. Therefore, for any living being, we must buy them from the imminent danger of being hurt or killed and release them into a suitable ecological environment, allowing them to regain their freedom and be free from fear. The so-called 'seeing their birth, unable to bear seeing their death' is based on our compassion and empathy, giving sentient beings happiness and relieving their suffering."
Uboldi, a couple from Las Vegas, also expressed, "We have participated in several liberation activities organized by the World Buddhist Headquarters, and the headquarters always confirms compliance with local government regulations for liberation. It is meaningful for life to return to the ocean, especially when we personally release fish into the ocean and see them swimming freely, we truly feel the compassion of Buddhism and appreciate the value of freedom and life."
Ms. Yang, a local resident who has participated in multiple liberation ceremonies, said in an interview, "The World Buddhist Headquarters holds liberation ceremonies based on the principle of cherishing life, rescuing fish that are about to be slaughtered and allowing them to regain their freedom. We all know that the Buddha and Bodhisattvas love and cherish all life and sentient beings equally, so we must learn from their compassion. Through liberation, we can cultivate a sense of love and care for life, avoiding cruel killings and becoming kinder ourselves, and also wishing for world peace."
The World Buddhist Headquarters is a non-profit religious organization based in the United States, with numerous Buddhist branches, associations, Buddhist learning centers, temples, dharma centers, and places of Buddhist teachings worldwide. The World Buddhist Headquarters specifically calls on the public to comply with local government regulations and pay attention to liberating beings in accordance with the Dharma. There are many details to consider in order to achieve a successful and desired outcome. In summary, the focus is on cherishing and benefiting sentient beings, so it is important to have the correct approach in order to avoid counterproductive results and lose the meaning of liberation.
Professor Hayashi from the University of Tokyo, who came from Japan to participate in the liberation ceremony, also emphasized, "When I was visiting Silicon Valley, I happened to see the news about the liberation ceremony on 'Buddha's Liberation Day' and came to participate. Modern liberation is not just about buying and releasing beings on the spot, but also considering whether the liberated species will affect the local ecological environment and have negative impacts on native species, and so on. I have read some reports on the liberation activities organized by the World Buddhist Headquarters before, which specifically explained these aspects, and I was very interested at that time. This time, I happened to encounter such a grand event in the United States, so I came specifically to participate. Liberating and cherishing life is very good, and this time the World Buddhist Headquarters directly released the fish back into the ocean, which I believe is true liberation."
The World Buddhist Headquarters organized the liberation ceremony not only to allow life to return to nature through liberation activities but also to inspire the concept of "equality of life, compassion without killing" among the public. The merit of liberation is dedicated to all sentient beings, wishing them to be free from suffering, to hear the true Dharma, to eliminate disasters and difficulties, to attain complete blessings and wisdom, and to achieve national peace and world peace!