Although
every life is precious, the process of living inevitably causes us to take the
lives of other living beings. We cannot completely prevent this situation because
as long as we walk, breathe, eat, and so forth, we cause the deaths of many creatures.
However we can cultivate mindfulness, and try to reduce taking lives to the best
of our ability. We can also offer a gift of life and protection through the practice
of Life Release. No matter what our lifestyle, we can do this practice. It benefits
those who offer the gift of life as well as those who receive it. And regardless
of the religion we practice, its results will be strengthened if the practice
is conducted with an aspiration that all beings without exception enjoy happiness
and a life free from any harm.
In Buddhism the practice has two aspects: 1.
The act of saving lives, 2. The blessing of the prayers that accompany life release.
Specific practice instructions can be found at Kagyu.org, source of the above text.