Mantra for liberating animals.

[Sanggay]

Is there a specific mantra to recite for this purpose?

[Ivy]

Maybe this will help you:
http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=213
http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=333

Ivy

[SharpPudding]

 I don't know of a specific mantra. You can incorporate various beings into many practices though, and each practice has it's own method, maybe you visualize the being with you while making offerings to the Buddhas and lights come to them, maybe you visualize a cord coming from the Buddha and tying them to the lineage of liberated beings, maybe you take the first letter of their name and include it in your mandala in a particular way. It depends on the practice and you should do it in accordance with the practice instructions.

 Medicine Buddha is sutra, and so you don't need any empowerment to do his sadhana as long as you aren't doing the part where you become Medicine Buddha. In that case you visualize the beings with you, doing the practice with you.

[Sanggay]

Thanks for your quick response.

I am confused here. Are liberating animals and releasing lives of animals the same?
My dharma knowledge is very shallow.

[SharpPudding]

Yes.
 Letting loose animals bought from people who would cause them to suffer as food or tortured in fights is called liberating animals,  also releasing animals.

 Doing just that, no mantra, is a great benefit and the purpose. The mantra is extra, and adds to the merit because you are not just concerned with their welfare in this life, but you are concerned with their welfare in future lives.

[wmw111]

Welcome Sanggay to our boards : )
Liberating animals is more to helping the animal gain a better rebirth.

Releasing animals or also animal liberation sometimes means if those animals are about to be killed as human food for example, and we buy them over and release them this is known as Animal liberation. 

[WayBackHome83]

Hi Sanggay,

To answer your question, there is a video of Rinpoche showing his giving blessings to fish in a pond, where he recites a few mantras for them. He uses one of the more famous mantras, "Om mani padme hum", which is said to invoke the blessings of the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. He also recites the mantra of Medicine Buddha, "Tayata Om Bekanze Bekanze Maha Bekanze Radza Samudgate Soha".

You can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQvvT4TfHrE Rinpoche begins his blessings around 30 seconds into the video - just after the audio for the video kicks in.

I hope this of help to you.

Kind regards,
Sandy

[Sanggay]

Thanks for the info and the video link. They are very helpful.

I have a few more questions. My dad passed away sometimes last year. According to a Thai monk, thru his meditation he saw my dad took rebirth in the realms of ghost. Assuming my dad is still a preta, what are the best mantras to recite to help liberate him when I visit his grave. Mantras that I know are Vajrasattva's 100 syllables mantra and short mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, and Guru Rinpoche's long and short mantra. We had done danas and dedicated the merits to him. I had donated on behalf my late dad. These are the things we had done.

2nd question, just say a person who died was not a believer of Buddhism, would a Buddhist funeral rite be helpful?

[SharpPudding]

 I see fault in what that Thai monk has said because it doesn't seem to fit with the ethical discipline of a full monastic.

 But if your dad is a preta then I would do Ksitigarbha's prayers. If you find a lama who knows ritual you can do a scent offering called sur.

 There are many many practices for the dead. If your father was a practitioner then recite his prayers.

[wmw111]

Doing dharma work and dedicating would benefit your dad too. But typically prayers and merits when the person has passed they get a fraction of what they would have gotten compared to them when they are alive. Hence cherish those who are alive now.  If we become good people and benefit others it will help our parents alive or passed away.
if we do negative actions it brings negativity to our parents as our parents are the cause for us to be here, it works both ways basically.

What is sur? 

In Kechara we have the Setrap puja during the hungry ghost month. yes I believe a buddhist funeral rite will help more effective if done by monks and nuns who hold their vows well.