拿什么拯救，无始以来所造的杀业？

We have all committed incalculable karma of killing lives since beginningless time. Even so far in this lifetime alone, we have generated enough such karma to send us to the hell realm. And the best way to counteract this karmic effect is to liberate living beings. At the same time，we must also resolve by making a pledge not to intentionally kill or hurt ANY sentient beings ever again. With such determination, all negative karma associated with killing lives will indubitably be purified. In case one’s resolution is not yet as firm, the pledge can be made on account of the selected beings of one’s choice. For example, one can vow never to kill snakes or weather loaches again from now on. When this vow is made and the beings are subsequently freed, one’s specific karma of killing snakes or weather loaches from beginningless time will then be purified, but that of killing other kinds of beings stays.

每一个人从无始以来到现在，杀生的罪过无穷无尽。不要说无始以来，就是这一世，从出生到现在，杀生的罪过也有很多，足够将我们赶向地狱，放生就是最好的对治力。同时还要发心：从此以后，决不故意去杀害众生！如果有这样的决心，则一定能够清净杀生的罪过，这一点毋庸置疑。如果不能这样下决心，也可以选择部分生命。譬如说从今天起，生生世世不杀蛇或不杀泥鳅，若能这样发誓并且放生，就可以清净我们无始以来到现在杀蛇、杀泥鳅的罪过，但杀其他生命的罪过却不能清净。

On the other hand, does it make sense to swear never to kill dinosaurs from now on? You may think that it is meaningless, since there is no dinosaur to be killed even if you want to. But it does make sense still. Dinosaurs once existed, which means we surely had the opportunity to kill some in those lifetimes. As explained above，when such vow is made, one’s karma of ever having killed dinosaurs will be purified, but not those that involved killing of other beings. If we vow not to kill any sentient beings, our karma of killing all kinds of beings can be purified. If the vow is made for the sake of particular beings，our karma of killing those particular beings can be purified.

如果我们发誓：从今天起，我不杀恐龙。这样发誓有没有意义呢？很多人都认为，恐龙你想杀也杀不了，这没什么意义。但不是这样，这也有意义。有什么意义呢？这种动物曾经存在过，所以我们以前肯定杀过。现在这样发誓，虽然其他的杀生罪过不能清净，但杀恐龙的罪过是能够清净的。如果能够发誓所有的生命都不杀，那么，杀所有生命的罪过都可以清净。如果能针对某种特殊的对境发誓不杀生，那么，杀这种对境的罪业就能够清净。

Liberating living beings is the best antidote to karma of killing lives. However, if we liberate beings simply for the purification of our karma, though karma can be purified, it is not the way to practice Mahayana. Whether to liberate beings to purify our own negative karma or, out of bodhicitta, to do it for the sake of all sentitent beings is ultimately a personal choice.

放生是清净杀生罪业最好的一种对治方法。但是，如果仅仅为了清净自己的罪障而去放生，虽然罪业可以清净，但这不属于大乘佛法。将放生作为自己清净杀生罪业的对治力，还是发大乘的菩提心，全由自己选择。