Author Topic: Insects  (Read 9927 times)

Wayne

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Insects
« on: April 11, 2011, 09:32:43 PM »
Is it a violation of karma when you kill an insect? Where is the line drawn?

Thanks!

John Roth

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Re: Insects
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2011, 05:06:28 AM »
Karma is owed to a human being, that is, an Essence that is incarnating as a member of Homo Sapiens.

That doesn't mean that the ant hive mind may not get pissed at you, but that's a different issue that they'll probably work out on your next picnic.

HTH

John Roth

Chiara DB

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Re: Insects
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2011, 02:33:53 AM »
If you felt super-awful about killing an insect to the point where you berate yourself and forever think of yourself as an evil and senseless silencer of innocent life, you could create self-karma.

Drury

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Re: Insects
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2011, 08:27:37 PM »
Kinship With All Life, by J. Allen Boone, is an interesting book to read.  I don't know for sure if he really could communicate with flies, but since reading the book I look at flies as miniture packets of very intricate life.  I will kill insects if necessary, but I prefer to put most of them outside.  If there is karma involved with killing insects, I'd think it would be either more or less depending on the attitude involved with the killing.

Chiara DB

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Re: Insects
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2011, 09:29:15 PM »
Drury, I'm the same way. The only bugs I kill are the ones that want to suck my blood and give me a disease, or the ones that want to invade my cupboard and spoil my food. Other than that, they are all taken outside unharmed.

Betty

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Re: Insects
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2011, 09:49:50 PM »
Wow.  If any bugs get in my way, I kill them.  Period.

Dave

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Re: Insects
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2011, 07:29:22 AM »
I've always wanted to invent a handy device that would harmlessly suck bugs (especially spiders) into a canister that could be detached to easily release the bugs outside. Yeah, it sounds like a vacuum cleaner, but this would be a hand-held device specifically created not to harm the insect. There's probably something like that on the market already.

I do occasionally squash mosquitos and wish them better luck in the next lifetime, and poisonous spiders like black widows that get into the house are generally dispatched quickly. Though, I always feel bad about it. And I've trapped my share of spiders in glasses that I slide an index card underneath to trap them and release outdoors.

Best,
Dave

Drury

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Re: Insects
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2011, 08:03:34 PM »
I googled “non-lethal insect sucking machine” and it came up with some interesting ideas.

We all kill things, from eating garlic and killing bacteria in our bodies to accidentally stepping on insects.  I don’t think even someone who has mastered this world could avoid killing, unless their body is made of light rather than flesh.

I have a spider phobia, so my husband either takes them outside or squishes them for me, and I ask to take on the karma.  One time my husband and I were sitting Zen with many others, each side of the room lined up against the wall and facing inward.  A medium-large spider on the wood floor started way across the room and made a straight line right toward me.  I had plenty of time to sigh and realize it was likely my karma, and decided to finish my meditation standing up as soon as the spider reached my cushion.  When it was about a foot away, my husband, knowing my spider phobia, reached over and squashed the spider with his hand.  Discussing it afterward, the entire room had to deal with different emotions for the rest of the meditation, from my husband breaking a social/zendo rule for me to others’ shock over the breaking of the rule.  We all thought it gave us good practice in letting go.  I’m not sure what the spider thought about it.  ;)

« Last Edit: April 20, 2011, 08:05:44 PM by Drury »

Jondalf

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Re: Karma, Dharma and Samshara
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2011, 02:45:59 AM »
From western interpretations (fairly unbiased) of the basic principles of Jainism. If you wish to learn about Karma, from the most rigorously definitive students of that concept, who have been researching the ramifications appurtenant thereunto for 8.4 MILLION YEARS - since the first "Jina" (a representative of one of the ancient "Custodial God Races" that bioengineered Humanity, said to be 'giants') appeared on the subcontinent - longer than ANY current religious tradition has been practiced - these are the experts.

Believe them or not, I avow that their religious practices are capable of freeing all mankind from the oppression of 'false personalities' by Essence, a revolution capable of destroying the very architecture of "Dharma" a system of enforced reincarnation to serve the cruel and unusual desires of the 'True Personality', and Essence - that forces false personalities to murder, and be murdered; rape, and be raped; abuse children, and be abused as children - the sickest most degraded experiences known to sentient beings are forced on us EACH lifetime, just 'grist for the mill', till we have satisfied the evil intents of Essence:

NEVER FORGET: THE MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL ABOUT JOAN OF ARC "BURNING IN AGONY, WHICH MADE HER ESSENCE ECSTATIC"!!!!!

"Everyone is bound within the universe by one's karma -- the accumulated evil deeds that one has done. (The Jainist definition of karma differs from the Hindu and Buddhist meaning. To a follower of Jainism, all karma is bad. To Hindus and Buddhists, karma can result from a good or a bad deed.)
 
Moksha (liberation from an endless succession of lives through reincarnation) is achieved by enlightenment, which can be attained only through asceticism.
 
Jainism is based on three general principles called the three Ratnas (jewels).

They are:

Right faith.
Right knowledge.
Right action.

They are expected to follow five principles of living:

Ahimsa: "non violence in all parts of a person -- mental, verbal and physical."

Committing an act of violence against a human, animal, or even a vegetable generates negative karma which in turn adversely affects one's next life.

 
Satya: speaking truth; avoiding falsehood

 
Asteya: to not steal from others

 
Brahma-charya: (soul conduct); remaining sexually monogamous to one's spouse only

 
 Aparigraha: detach from people, places and material things. Avoiding the collection of excessive material possessions, abstaining from over-indulgence, restricting one's needs, etc."

- from http://www.religioustolerance.org/jainism.htm
 
 
"Jainism Sacred Narratives


Ahimsa Paramo Dharma: non-violence is the highest religion. Violence and attachment attract karma, a sticky physical substance that clings to human souls, binding them to samsara. Jains can attain liberation by burning off these karmas through strict adherence to non-violence.

Jainism Ultimate Reality and Divine Beings


Jainism postulates no creator god. The unfortunate union of soul and matter propels the cycle of samsara. Tirthankaras are enlightened human teachers attributed with supernatural characteristics. The universe consists of three realms: hellish; earthly/heavenly; and that of siddhas (liberated souls).

Jainism Human Nature and the Purpose of Existence


Every sentient being has a soul mired in material karmic particles that block its spiritual path. Action, particularly action with attachment, attracts karma to the soul throughout successive reincarnations. Karma must be burned off in order to reach liberation.

Jainism Suffering and the Problem of Evil


All sentient beings do harm simply by existing. This harmful action and the karmas it generates are at the root of all suffering. The evil and violence inherent to this existence prove to Jains the absence of a creator god.

Jainism Afterlife and Salvation


Following liberation one's jiva ascends to the apex of the universe to join other siddhas. One can ascend to a heavenly realm due to good karmas accrued, but must return to a human incarnation in order to achieve final liberation."

- from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Jainism/Beliefs.html