Record of Zhanghewan Release (1)

On a sunny weekend, I participated in a large-scale release event. As soon as the sky dawned, my fellow Buddhists and I set off, facing the warm spring breeze and watching the red sun racing through the sparse forest. Let the bus drive us out of the bustling area lined with high-rise buildings and rush towards the mysterious place together. Release land. It is said to be mysterious because no one knows the specific destination. This is a special arrangement made by the release organization to ensure the safety of animals and lives, and everyone can understand it. Faith brings these people from all over the world together. What a fate. Along the way, everyone looked out with curious eyes. Through the car window, the clear river is still there, and the grass is in full bloom: the willows are graceful, stretching their green sleeves, as if they are whispering to us; the spring is gorgeous, spreading the colors of life to the fullest, as if they are competing with the green pines . When the car drove out of Luquan and entered the Jingxing area, fellow traveler Yaowu told everyone where we were going today - Zhanghewan Reservoir.

It is a mountainous area with particularly beautiful scenery. It is the best place for these beings to live out their lives here. The overwhelming scenery was gradually replaced by a mountain shadow. Looking up, the changes in the landforms here were simply earth-shaking, with stone walls flying past and high mountains disappearing. The road has become narrower, there are fewer vehicles, and there are more terraced fields on both sides, dwarf trees with overgrown branches, and round stones of various sizes. The landscape is full of greenery, and the peaks are rolling and undulating, waving to you in the distance; the villages are scattered and scattered, and the low and dilapidated houses are leaning on the mountainside like chess pieces, sometimes above the head, sometimes crawling under the feet. It's amazing.

We continued to travel towards the hinterland of the mountains. The road was winding and circling up, like a giant dragon flying over the Luntao River; the white light on the concrete road surface was like a bright colorful train surrounding the world. between. The bus crossed a water bridge, crossed the crystal clear Luntao River, and started winding up the mountain from in front of Beihaoting Village. An ancient cypress standing proudly on the top of the mountain behind the village was like a big flag guiding the course. Looking out from the car window, the slopes on both sides of the ridge are as steep as walls, and the mountain stream is deep. The stream is trickling on one side, and the waves are like mirrors on the other. It is thrilling and refreshing to be there. Moving forward, the car shuttled through the majestic tunnels carved on the red granite mountain wall, twisting and turning to climb to the top of the mountain about 800 to 900 meters above sea level. It’s hard not to look at it, and it’s shocking to see the majestic and spectacular construction scene on the top of the mountain, which is jaw-dropping and eye-catching. The name of this mountain is Laoye Temple Mountain. A reservoir with a capacity of nearly 8 million cubic meters has been dug and filled on the backbone of the mountain. On the north side of the reservoir, the dam made of stones is 60 meters high. Pieces of granite blocks dress it up like a big carp with colorful scales, which is definitely a grand gesture. Standing on the dam and overlooking the reservoir, you can have a panoramic view of the vast pool, which makes people understand the magic power of splitting mountains and the power of jumping over ravines. Looking around, there are scattered workshops on the top of the mountain. Stone factories, steel processing plants and other auxiliary factories are guarding the top of each hill. It is truly magnificent, divine, and indescribably wonderful.

Ten green buses arrived one after another. People got off the bus in an orderly manner and consciously lined up in three rows. There was no noise or confusion. The believers silently followed the guidance of the organizers. Go to the ceremony site. The arrangement at the scene was simple and grand. Surrounded by majestic mountains, a piece of flat land suddenly appeared on the edge of the lake. If it were not at the top of the mountain, I would really doubt it was a vast wilderness. The slogan of the ceremony for releasing animals is eye-catching: Hebei Thousand-Hand Eyes Release and Protect Life Ceremony, complete with offering tables and ritual implements, and a yellow box filled with aquatic life in the middle. Everyone came to the front and divided into two columns, north and south. I noticed in the crowd that the box was full of lively loaches and eels, the water was turbid and foamy... Seeing this, I felt infinite pity in my heart. Our nursing team spent 160,000 yuan to buy these lives from the market. Without today's action, their future may be bleak: they may die miserably under the butcher's knife, or they may become delicacies on people's tables.

All living beings are equal, but ants are greedy for life, let alone them? Our rescue is just the insignificant kindness of everyone. I believe that as long as we persist, more people will join the team of rescuing sentient beings, and more people will take the initiative to curb their greed. , love and protect life, it is this kind of compassion that believers used the most beautiful voices to interpret the existence of love during the life-release ceremony. In my eyes, there are the figures of the masters of Hongyi Academy sprinkling nectar, and there are believers with bowed eyebrows and bowed heads chanting the piety of the Three Refuges. This voice, together with the silence and sincerity of the mountains, lingers in the ears, lingers... In the eyes, the peaceful light and moist tears shine into the lake. Only then did I truly realize what "one sound of the Buddha's name and one sound of the heart" means.

The release begins. I never like to see loaches, so I bought a bag full from volunteers. Watching them struggling helplessly in very little water, I quickly ran towards the lake. The edge of the lake was already crowded with people. People were standing or squatting, carefully opening and tilting the bags in their hands, and then slowly pouring them in. I myself feel that the thing in my hand is not just a bag of loaches, but a piece of fresh life. I never thought that the baton of life would be passed into my hands in this way. The moment they enter the water, it is the moment of rebirth. With blue sky, clear water and natural oxygen bar, they will live a carefree life here. When you reproduce, you no longer have to worry about being captured and slaughtered by others. The space of life has broadened from now on. We have no reason not to sing for them and not be moved by them! Watching them twisting their bodies freely in the water and disappearing into the distance, I suddenly felt that they were so happy. Without realizing it, I clasped my palms together and quietly chanted the sacred chant of "Amitabha" for them several times, with tears streaming down my face. It turns out that life and life are so intimate and connected. The act of releasing lives is a supreme honor; the merits of releasing lives benefit both humans and heaven. I am not greedy for quick success, but I understand the essence of life from the release of life itself. (To be continued)