Buddhist Practice Called Life Release Was Done Also In Hindu Shrine

I came to the Erawan shrine, which is situated in the city center of Bangkok, again. I thought it was not bad to pray for the deity to start off the day. The shrine was crowded as always. So many people came here to pray to get answered. Watching them, I felt as if this big city held an enormous number of suffering. However, the golden Brahma, one of the Hindu deities, sat still in the center of the shrine even in such a situation.

At the entrance to the shrine, I found a woman sat. And a birdcage was placed beside her. She had no part in the shrine. Yet she did business related to religious practice.

Many birds were put into her birdcage. And she releases the birds by receiving money. It is a kind of Buddhist practice called Life Release. It is not uncommon in Southeast Asia to see people like this woman carrying cages of little birds at the gate of temples. It is believed that people practice charity by doing that in Buddhism.

I know about the Buddhist practice. However, this shrine is a Hindu shrine. Buddhist practice takes place in front of the Hindu shrine. It was interesting. The syncretization of Buddhism with Hinduism was seen here.