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Showing results for tags 'rituals'.
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Is there someone out there who can give me a reasoned counter-argument? -- Walking around Sukhumvit, et al, I often see someone carrying cages with birds in them. My understanding is that releasing the bird is good luck - you're giving the bird its freedom, so good karma for you. But thinking about this practice in terms of economics, it's bad karma for the person releasing the bird. Or? -If releasing the bird is good karma, imprisoning the bird is bad. -The reason the seller imprisoned the bird is because he knows someone like you will pay him to release it. -Therefore people that pay to release birds from the cages are providing the seller an economic basis for imprisoning more birds. -Therefore people that pay to release the birds, are actually the cause for the birds being imprisoned in the first place. -The seller is an instrument of evil acting on the purchaser's behalf. He's still evil, but a lesser evil than the person that asked for the imprisonment to be performed. Restated: People that pay to release the birds from little cages seem to be committing acts of bad karma, not good karma, as they're providing the economic basis for more birds to be imprisoned. Expected responses: -"You just don't understand Thai culture." -"You're attempting to apply a logical argument to religion; don't bother." -"You've insulted our religion, get out of the country." -The post is perceived as anti-Buddhist and deleted to avoid government intervention. -Random off-topic garbage -Personal attacks Unexpected response: A well thought out counter argument that explains to me how it is that releasing the birds is actually good for one's karma. Or is it just an empty, feel-good symbol with no real meaning? :twisted: