台灣佛教的放生與不放生：宗教信念、動物風險與生態風險的考量=To Do and Not to Do Animal Release in Taiwanese Buddhism: The Intertwining of Religious Ideas, Animal Risk, and Ecological Risk
This paper attempts to clarify the reasons why certain Taiwanese Buddhist groups do animal release, whereas others do not. Based on the actors' viewpoints, this research tries to identify the religious ideas and to categorize the ways that the evaluation of animal risk and ecological risk in the events of animal release relate to the attitudes and behaviors of Taiwanese Buddhist groups. The results show that religious thoughts not only convey the ethics of animal release, but serve as antidotes to dissolve the paradox of animal release. The practices of animal release among Taiwanese Buddhist groups are also quite diversified. The reasons and ways of both doing and not doing animal release have various patterns that imply different religious assessments. Some releasers modified the ways of animal releasing with better control of animal risk and/or ecological risk. Some releasers maintain that ecological risk is manageable; some releasers treat ecological risk as an irrelevant or external issue to Buddhism. Although animal release could be a strategy to mobilize followers, religious ideas and interpretations are critical to the rationalization and justification of animal release.
