snakes in the river

This is kind of weird one... Last week, members from a New York sect of Amitabha Buddhists—devout vegetarians who believe in the sanctity of all living creatures—purchased hundreds of live reptiles and released them into the Passaic River as part of a Buddhist rite. The group apparently believed in letting the reptiles complete their natural life cycle and realize their full karmic potential. However, state environmental authorities say that the practice was illegal, a civil offense punishable by a fines: Authorities find a lot wrong with Buddhist reptile rite