Deities and Faith
Does spiritual practice mean nobody may fish or catch shrimp?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
I have not said everyone is categorically forbidden to fish or catch shrimp. We discussed it because we were more sensitive to other beings’ suffering and wanted people to consider how they treat a life.
Seeing a fish hooked or shrimp being handled can feel distressing. Some sensitive people also feel uncomfortable after doing it. These are our feelings discussed through practice and energy, not a claim everyone doing the same thing experiences identical effects.
I have also said not every living creature carries the same resentment. One story cannot make every person and every being’s situation identical. Those distinctions must remain.
Greater respect for life is good. We ourselves also eat poultry, fish and meat. The discussion offers a way to reflect on ourselves: can we feel and cherish life more, rather than rush to one conclusion for everyone?