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Animals play a significant role in Taiwanese Buddhist environmental practices. This article examines two relatively well-known animal-focused organizations: the Life Conservation Association ( LCA ), founded by Shi Chao Hwei, and Sheng Ming, established by Shi Hai Tao. Our discussion illuminate the central role of animals in shaping the Buddhist understanding of suffering and the different responses it elicits within the Buddhist community, such as renewing traditional practices like fangsheng (releasing animals into the wild) in Sheng Ming and pioneering animal protection campaigns in the LCA . Disagreements among Buddhists over the euthanasia of shelter dogs are also discussed. Situated within the broader theoretical framework of environmentalism and gender, the article shows that in contrast to the decoupling of religion and the animal protection movement in Western societies, Buddhism and Buddhists, particularly several female Buddhist leaders, play a leading role in grassroots efforts for animal welfare.
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Han et al. (2024) studied this question.
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