劝君莫打三春鸟,子在巢中望母归。
【中英文连载】
The Right View 149
LIBERATING LIVING BEINGS
To liberate lives is a common practice frequently performed by many Buddhists. When conducted properly, the resulting merit is boundless. Otherwise, the merit will be greatly diminished. It is therefore very important for us to know the proper way of liberating living beings.
作为佛教徒，我们经常放生。如果如法地放生，功德是不可思议的；如果不够如理如法，功德就要大打折扣。所以，了知如何如法地放生，这对我们来说非常重要。
All the activities of a bodhisattva can be put into six different categories, that is, the six paramitas or the six perfections. In other words, the bodhisattva’s view, conduct, practice and activities of benefiting and delivering sentient beings are vast like the ocean, but all can be summed up in the six paramitas.
大乘菩萨所有的行为，可以归纳为六种，这就是六度—六波罗蜜多。本来，大乘菩萨的见解、行为、修法和利益众生、度化众生的事业浩如烟海，但所有这些方便，均可以归纳为六度。
If it is performed properly every time, liberating lives can have all the remarkable qualities of the six paramitas as well, even to liberate just a single life. Now let us see how this can be done.
如果我们能如法放生，即使是放一条生命，也有办法具足六度。如何具足呢？下面我们分别讲述。
I. The Perfection of Generosity
一、布施
There are three kinds of generous offering practiced by the bodhisattvas: fearless offering, offering of Dharma and of material items.
大乘菩萨的布施有三种：无畏布施、法布施和财布施。
◆ Fearless offering:
（一）无畏布施
To liberate living beings is already a form of fearless offering. Still, certain conditions need to be present to make it true to the spirit of such offering.
放生本身就是无畏布施，但要成为真正的无畏布施，还需要一些条件。
未完待续
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