On a Sunday in November and after breakfast, we went to the outskirt of town to purchase crabs and kepah/lala for fang seng. We paid about RM200, but not before much haggling and persuading with the vendors, hoping with the same amount of money, more lives could be freed.
With the purchases, my brother then drove us to Tanjung Lipat and seeked a section of the beach that was not occupied by weekend picnickers. After reciting prayers and mantras, the ropes used to hold the crabs tight were slowly cut loose, allowing the animals to hurriedly crawl back to the salt water to welcome freedom. Cutting the ropes required some patience and skill for if you were not attentive enough the crabs after struggling itself loose and mistaking you as an intimitading invader, would raise its craws against you. As if to vent out its anger and frustration against humans for their betrayal.
My brother once had fallen prey to its aggressive attack.
Seeing the kepah/lala were still wandering on the shallow water which I have earlier released them to, I had to go down the rocky shore and waded myself knee-high in the water to scoup them up one by one and throw each of them into a deeper part of the water, in a bid to prevent the creatures from being recaptured by some immigrant kids prying at the other part of the beach who were seen wading into the water to hunt for sea products.
As the waves travelled and beat against the shore, my jeans became soaking wet due to the salt water and I have had a taste of saltiness in my mouth as the splashing water landed on my face and lips.
Releasing life is such a meaningful activity which I have made an obligation on my part to undertake. Not only does it help to accumulate merits but we derive a sense of spiritual fulfillment knowing that we have helped to save the life of beings facing imminent deaths. Buddhist teachings value the sanctity of life and espouse that we should be kind to all creatures that have life and endeavour to give protection to all life forms. Even the life of an intruding ant should be mercifully and compassionately spared in this regard, for all creatures from higher groups such as humans to the lowliest such as insects strive for protection against dangers which would threaten its life.
Some fang seng photos:
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