By Lincoln Tan of 
Venerable Master Shi Hui Siong, secretary general of the World Buddhist Sangha Council. Photo: NZ Herald / Dean Purcell
A clash between ancient rituals and environmentalism is on the agenda this weekend as more than 500 Buddhist monks and delegates from 28 countries gather in Auckland for a global Buddhist summit.
The 11th World Buddhist Sanga Council Conference is focusing on how to navigate environmental restoration and climate challenges within the Buddhist faith.
The council is an international non-government organisation founded in 1966 with members across Asia, Oceania, the UK and the US, with the objective of developing exchanges of Buddhist religious and monastic communities of different traditions around the world.
The conference in Auckland is expected to be its largest global gathering to date and also the first one to be held outside Asia.
Among matters discussed will be whether the ancient ritual of "fang shen" - the "mercy release" of live animals - should be prohibited.
Venerable Master Shi Hui Siong, secretary general of the World Buddhist Sangha Council (WBSC), said the practice of animal release can be traced back to when the Buddha praised a monk for releasing an animal caught in a trap - and his teaching of compassion to all creatures.
But many of those who practice the ritual today - including here in New Zealand - risk creating more harm than good.
In Auckland, Buddhists are reported to have released turtles into Western Springs, and exotic fish into coastal waters - far from their natural environments.
"The original practice was about releasing animals that were trapped back into the natural environment where they are from. It is not about releasing them in places where they can wreak havoc on the ecosystem," Shi said.
"It is not what Buddhism teaches, and this is something that we will need to emphasise."
Shi, who is from Singapore, said the council supported a move by the Singapore Government to clamp down on the religious practice of releasing captive animals in Singapore.
Shi is among the speakers addressing the monks and delegates gathered in Auckland for the two-day event.
The summit, themed "Returning to Nature, Living in Harmony", will open at the Quan Am Buddhist Monastery in the Bombay Hills on Sunday and then continue at the Oneness Buddhist Temple in Pakuranga Heights on Monday.
Shi said the event will seek collective solutions in the face of global challenges and will be open to the public.
"It is an opportunity for us to explore our shared responsibility to address urgent global challenges, and seek ways to foster a symbiotic relationship between humanity and the environment," Shi said.
Shi said humanistic Buddhism encourages environmental activism, and the conference would serve as a platform for Buddhists and non-Buddhists to collaborate in tackling environmental challenges.
Abbess Yi Shuen of Oneness Buddhist Temple in Auckland said it was timely for the council to convene.
"It is of heightened significance against the backdrop of escalating global conflicts and ongoing impacts of climate change," Yi said.
