the buddha nature of any sentient being is nothing or lacking or different from me, so every life is equal and precious. in releasing animals, we realize that all sentient beings know that they are greedy for life and fear of death, they all know that they are seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortunes, and they all have joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, which is exactly the same as me. all sentient beings have the true buddha nature. once their karma is exhausted, they can all become buddhas in the future. therefore, saving a sentient being is like saving a buddha's son, which is also equivalent to saving a future buddha.