Watch this: Chinese man buys a small bag of freshwater catfish for 放生 (fàngshēng) — the traditional Buddhist practice of ‘releasing life’ to accumulate merit (功德), gain good karma, blessings, health or luck.

He casually dumps them straight into the sea.

These fish, raised in freshwater, hit the saltwater and immediately go into shock — gills burning, bodies swelling, slow painful death as they flop and sink.

This is 放生 in action. People buy animals (often from markets that breed them specifically for release), recite prayers, then set them “free.” Sounds merciful, right?
In reality, it’s frequently performative ignorance: wrong species, wrong habitat, mass die-offs, water pollution, or invasive species spreading chaos.

This reflects a deeper Chinese psychology — ritual shortcut over real results. Feeling pious and “doing good” matters more than actual knowledge or welfare. Easier to buy a bag for cosmic points than learn basic ecology or change daily habits.

Buddhism says compassion must come with wisdom. Without it, mercy becomes manslaughter.

Is this harmless tradition or a practice that urgently needs reform?

Video tells the truth. What’s your take?

#放生 #Fangsheng #ChineseCulture #Superstition #Ecology