The Young Buddhist Association of Indonesia (YBAI) organized an end-of-year life-release ceremony at the Gunung Anyar Mangrove Forest in Surabaya, Java, on 13 December. Titled “FangSheng 2025,” the ceremony was intended to bring a meaningful close to the year by blending spirituality, science, and environmental care into a unified movement for a more harmonious life.
“This event served as a concrete reflection of the YBAI’s commitment to respecting all forms of life while protecting the environment through conservation actions grounded in science, spirituality, and cross-sector collaboration,” the YBAI shared with BDG.
Life release, also widely known in Asia by the Chinese term fangsheng, is practiced by Buddhist monastics and lay followers alike in almost all schools of Buddhism. The custom traditionally involves freeing animals that would otherwise have been killed—such as fish bought from a fisherman or a seafood restaurant, or farm animals from a slaughterhouse. It is commonly viewed as an ideal way to earn spiritual merit and, through a small act of compassion, to make the world just a little bit better. However, as with many good intentions, when not practiced mindfully and with wisdom, it can result in many unanticipated and potentially negative consequences, both for the animals being released and for the environments they are entering.
The YBAI noted that the mangrove forest in Surabaya was deliberately chosen as the release site because of its suitability as a natural habitat and its protected status, ensuring the highest chance for the released animals to survive without the risk of recapture.
The Young Buddhist Association is the leading Buddhist youth organization in Indonesia. Through a deeply held conviction in the Buddha’s message of compassion, growth, and liberation, the association promotes a positive lifestyle among the young in order to cultivate a society founded on wisdom, compassion, and gratitude. The association is involved in establishing Buddhist organizations nationwide, propagating the study of the Dharma among young people, and providing leadership training.
YBAI representative David Nugraha emphasized that the life release was conducted responsibly and not indiscriminately in collaboration with ECOTON (Ecological Observation and Wetland Conservation) to ensure that every animal was released into an appropriate habitat, allowing them to contribute positively to the local ecosystem.
“This fangsheng is not merely about releasing animals, but about returning them to their rightful living space” Nugraha stated. “The mangrove forest was chosen so that the animals can truly resume life in their natural habitat, while also being legally protected.”
The following animals were released during the ceremony:
• 28 monitor lizards (total 109 kilograms)
• 1 snake (approximately three meters)
• 27 eels (total 86 kilograms)
• 1 snakehead fish (approximately four kilograms)
• 1 turtle
• 2 softshell turtles
• Mangrove snails (kol nenek; approximately 3.5 kilograms)
• 337 crabs (total 189.27 kilograms)
Each release was carefully planned to ensure that every living being was returned to an environment most conducive to its survival.
YBAI patron Venerable Bhikkhu Jayamedho Thera observed that environmental preservation was inseparable from the Buddha’s Dhamma. He added that many natural disasters in Indonesia were closely linked to human negligence toward nature, such as deforestation and environmental pollution, which ultimately resulted in widespread suffering and loss of life.
“Therefore, loving nature is the same as loving life,” Ven. Bhikkhu Jayamedho Thera shared. “What YBAI is doing through fangsheng is highly meaningful as both education and a form of mental cultivation for all of us.”
He encouraged the expansion of similar initiatives into water source conservation programs to ensure the sustainability of life: “Move forward, YBA Indonesia. Move forward, the Buddha Sasana on this beloved land.”
Meanwhile, the head of Buddhist Community Guidance (Pembimas Agama Buddha) of East Java, Ketut Panji Budiawan, remarked that fangsheng served as a vital field for practicing loving-kindness (Skt. maitri) and compassion (Skt. karuna) toward all beings. Through this activity, he noted, participants were encouraged not only to cultivate personal goodness but also to actively contribute to protecting nature as a shared living space.
The founder of ECOTON, Prigi Arisandi, also highlighted the serious issue of microplastic pollution and declining river water quality, stating that microplastic particles had been detected in many rivers across Indonesia, posing threats to both ecosystems and long-term human health.
ECOTON stressed the importance of science-based approaches to monitoring and addressing these issues. Pollution in upstream river areas caused by industrial and domestic waste remains a major challenge in ensuring safe drinking water, therefore protecting ecosystems and water resources is a shared responsibility, Arisandi said.
ECOTON has several programs aimed at supporting environmental restoration:
• Water quality testing and industrial waste monitoring
• Fruit tree seedling cultivation along the Brantas River
• Campaigns and education on the dangers of microplastics
• “River Detective” nature school programs
• Installation of trash booms in river flows to capture plastic waste and debris before reaching estuaries, as a concrete step in reducing river and marine pollution
The YBAI reported that FangSheng 2025 had successfully raised a total of 129,573,400 rupiah (US$7,750) from more than 202 donors, which will be used to help sustain conservation efforts in 2026.
“By participating in FangSheng 2025, the public was not only involved in releasing animals but also actively contributed to maintaining ecological balance,” the YBIA shared. “Through wise, science-based fangsheng practices, this initiative is expected to help prevent ecological disasters while planting wholesome karma for collective well-being.”
Although officially a secular nation, Indonesia is home to a diversity of communities and religious and spiritual traditions. Islam is the most widespread religion, observed by 87.1 per cent of the population, according to national data for 2024. Christian traditions account for a combined 10.5 per cent, Hinduism 1.7 per cent, and Confucianism, folk, and other traditions account for a combined 0.07 per cent.
Buddhism, practiced by 0.7 per cent of the population—roughly two million people—is the second-oldest spiritual tradition in Indonesia after Hinduism. According to historical accounts, Buddhism first flourished on the archipelago around the sixth century, which was followed by ascent and decline of a number of powerful Buddhist empires, including the Shailendra dynasty (c. 8th–9th centuries), the Srivijaya empire (c. 7th–12th centuries), and the Mataram empire (c. 8th–11th centuries). Today, the majority of Indonesian Buddhists are affiliated with Mahayana schools of Buddhism, although communities of Theravada and Vajrayana practitioners also exist.
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