In front of Jin De Yuan, there were birdcages filled with small birds that were used to release birds

Little birds used for the Buddhist ritual

While walking in the Glodok district of Jakarta, I came to a place I have been before. I came in front of a Chinese temple called Jin De Yuan, which I had visited a few days ago.

When I walked in front of the temple grounds, I saw a birdcage on the side of the road. I hadn't seen it before. There were too many small birds to be counted inside the cage, which was made of a wooden frame with wire mesh. They all looked like the same kind of bird. What kind of birds were they?

I don't know what kind of birds they are, but I do know what they are used for. They are small birds that are used to release birds. The birds are used in a Buddhist ritual to gain virtue by releasing living things into the wild.

Speaking of which, the last time I visited this temple, there was a bird releasing event taking place on the grounds of this temple. A group of worshippers was releasing birds from the baskets and taking photos of each other. I wasn't sure if it was for virtue or just to capture a photo-worthy moment, but it's true that a number of small birds were released into the sky.

I'm sure these birds will be released into the sky soon too. However, when I think about it, the act of releasing the birds into the sky is a kind of emotional pornography, because it was a deliberate act to capture them. After all, it seems to be something that is done only for human self-gratification.

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