Before eating meat, Is chanting the Mantra of Purifying Food for Rebirth Effective for Animals?

(English subtitles) 吃肉前默念三皈依往生淨食咒對動物有超度的作用? By Master Chin-Kung (淨空法師) talk Dharma.
Subtitles:
I have a question. When eating meat, I silently chant the 3 Refuges and the Mantra of Purifying Food for Rebirth. Is it helpful to ferry the animals?
If you practice dharma very well, it definitely helps with the ferry. If you can't ferry yourself, how can you ferry others? You must understand this reason.
That's why in ancient times, ferry emerged very late in Buddhism. Buddhism came to China as education, and monasteries are indeed schools. At that time, it had two jobs. One was to translate sutras, that is, the translation institute. The 2nd one is to cultivate talents for the propagation of dharma to guide the public to follow the teachings, so it's pure education.
As for the ferry, it's very late. In ancient times, those eminent monks and practitioners with great virtue who carried out these ferry services, were really achieved and certified. They have capability. Ordinary people do not have this capability.
It's not just a matter of reciting according to the ritual. Then the beings get ferried.
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You must know this reason. There are a lot of these things recorded in ancient notes and novels. Those mortal monks' practices are not certified but strictly hold the precepts. The ghosts and gods also respect them. You follow the rituals and perform the ferry things. Although it's not as effective as those who have cultivated the fruition, the ghosts also get a small benefit. That is, if you are sincere, it's effective.
If you are not sincere, it isn't effective. In the ancient notes and novels, I have ever seen a story. I don't remember which book I read it in. It seems to be circulating a lot.
Jiguang Qi of the Ming Dynasty, who is a general. He was a devout Buddhist and recited the Vajra Sutra every day. Once a junior soldier under his command passed away. Send him a message in his dream, asked him to recite the Vajra Sutra and redirect the merit to him. Of course, the was joyful. When he woke up the next day, knowing that the soldier had not long passed away. He recited the Vajra Sutra for him. About halfway through the recitation, the servant brought him tea.
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Seeing servant handing tea to him, he shook a hand. Just shook a hand and didn't speak and kept on reciting his sutra, shaking his hand. That night the ghost came to his dream again, he said, “General, I am grateful to you. I only got half of the Vajra Sutra you recited.”
Why? He asked.
“Because there is a 'no need' among them, then the following is not available,” he said. And he could not get remaining merit. He shook his hand, which meant no need, he didn't utter the words, but there was intention inside. The effect below was gone.
Hence, we can see that sincerity makes it happen. What is sincerity? Not to have a single delusion. After starting to recite a sutra, you have no delusion at all. It can benefit him.
So when an elderly person passes away in the family, we ask masters to come and recite the sutras, to bow and repent, to do the Buddhist services. Is that effective? Hard to say. How do I get effects? People in the family do it with masters. We don't know how to do it, let the masters lead the way. We have a sincere heart ourselves. Masters lead the way, and we chant with them. We recite this Buddhist service without a single distracting thought, it's effective.
So you invite several masters, as long as one of them is really free of distracting thoughts, it will be effective. It's easier to do this for your own family to wish he really gets this benefit.
For 1 to 2 hours in a Buddhists service, you must be single-minded and free of thoughts. This makes perfect sense.