Trixter Streetcat Posted April 21, 2009 it was daddy long legs (so i wasn't really threatened), but i couldn't sleep because of it, besides am starting to get sick so irritation levels were high... tried everything to make it leave my room, but it wouldn't, it would just keep buzzing all night long... finally swatted it with a book and went to sleep. i usually refrain from harming any living being in any way and sorely regret it each time that I do, but i just cracked up last night. did a little prayer for the thing. anything else i can do to compensate? and just how bad for the Self and one's karma do you think such momentary and seemingly petty acts of violence really are? Â may it rest in peace. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Owledge Posted April 21, 2009 Buddhist or Daoist answer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desert Eagle Posted April 21, 2009 Daddy long legs are useful creatures, I need more of them to kill those pesky mosquitoes. Couldn't you have trapped it in a cup and throw it outside? I would have some guilt over killing such a useful creature but it would go away as soon as there is a good justification, You were sick after all and not in a balanced disposition. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taomeow Posted April 22, 2009 I was in the jungle my first day and what do you know, a tarantula as big as my palm (well, almost) shows up in my cabin and promptly crawls under a hiking boot (which was lying on the side). I sit and watch the boot for a minute or so, paralyzed into inaction by the biggest bug problem ever by far. Then a local woman walks in, speaks not a word, holds a thermos in her hands. I try to explain what's going on, she understands no English. I show her a pantomime, impersonating myself, the tarantula, the boot, and -- to the best of my ability -- Buddha. Amazingly, she understands, and leaves with nods of reassurance: "wait." In another minute, she comes back, with a local man who speaks no English either. I show him the pantomime. He carefully lifts the side of the boot, nods, puts it back on the tarantula, and jumps on top of it. Stomps his feet a few times. There. Lifts the boot again, retrieves the dead monster, smiles, nods, throws it out, leaves. I'm thinking, THIS I could do myself. I thought... well, nevermind what I thought. Â The mysterious part being that the local woman had no business in my cabin as it turned out, was carrying the thermos for someone else and refused to share with me any of its contents (coffee, for which I asked explicitly), and had no idea how and why she wound up walking in on me and the tarantula at the critical moment. She looked perplexed, as though she'd just woken up. Shrugged, smiled, left. Â Was it tarantula's death wish that brought the woman there? My guardian angel? The man's karma?.. Â Mystery of mysteries! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted April 22, 2009 it was daddy long legs (so i wasn't really threatened), but i couldn't sleep because of it, besides am starting to get sick so irritation levels were high... tried everything to make it leave my room, but it wouldn't, it would just keep buzzing all night long... finally swatted it with a book and went to sleep. i usually refrain from harming any living being in any way and sorely regret it each time that I do, but i just cracked up last night. did a little prayer for the thing. anything else i can do to compensate? and just how bad for the Self and one's karma do you think such momentary and seemingly petty acts of violence really are? Â may it rest in peace. Â Tricky question Miss Trixter. First of all I'm not sure Daddy Long legs Buzz, but I'll ignore that for now. Lets see ... karmic pay back. I'll say 8 lives for the spider, one for each leg. Then there's disrespecting the book. That'll get you 2 more. I'll add another 3 for self imposed guilt. Â So thats 13 lives, say you live 72 years for each one, minus the one where spiders get you at 26. So by the year 2875 you should be karmically clean. Â Unless there is another spider ofcourse. Â Â Â Â Â Â What can you do to lessen it?? Why should you want to? Life is good. Enjoy it. Â but if you still want out, remember: In the great web of life we're all connected. A few acts of kindness, a couple of spider rescues should do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gerard Posted April 22, 2009 Keep your place clean and tidy as a mirror and no bugs will ever invade your place, as long as the area you live in is not too Yin, in which case they will get in sooner or later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Long Yun Posted April 22, 2009 Some killing is unavoidable. We do it every day, and it depends on how far you want to carry the "sentient life" argument. What about bacteria? Are they sentient? Our immune system naturally kills them all the time!  Even if you're vegetarian, you're responsible for some proxy killing because things like worms and bug larvae and probably even some small mammals get tilled into the ground during plowing.  And even sometimes, as in your case, we lose our tempers or get annoyed with a bug here and there. The important thing is that you said some prayers for it. Hopefully it was a good bug and will come back as something better  If it makes you feel better, the Dalai Lama has admitted to killing mosquitos after three chances to stop biting him... Even the effective leader of Tibetan Buddhism isn't perfect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Owledge Posted April 22, 2009 I roughly kill half of the critters, the other half I 'rescue'. Always according to the situation and my mood. Â Sometimes I feed them to my carnivorous plant; This way I always can say I did a living being a favor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seadog Posted April 22, 2009 I roughly kill half of the critters, the other half I 'rescue'. Always according to the situation and my mood. Â Sometimes I feed them to my carnivorous plant; This way I always can say I did a living being a favor. Your carnivorous plants must hated when your in a good mood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Owledge Posted April 22, 2009 Your carnivorous plants must hated when your in a good mood. Nah... it's doing great. It drinks coffee and milk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mat black Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) it was daddy long legs (so i wasn't really threatened), but i couldn't sleep because of it, besides am starting to get sick so irritation levels were high... tried everything to make it leave my room, but it wouldn't, it would just keep buzzing all night long... finally swatted it with a book and went to sleep. i usually refrain from harming any living being in any way and sorely regret it each time that I do, but i just cracked up last night. did a little prayer for the thing. anything else i can do to compensate? and just how bad for the Self and one's karma do you think such momentary and seemingly petty acts of violence really are? Â may it rest in peace. Â I don't mind jokes, but what if Trixter was serious? Given that almost everyone respoded with sarcasm, and assuming that you are genuinly remorseful, and that you were asking for advice on what to do to make up for it, I've got a suggestion. Â This is not intended as a Buddhist or Daoist answer (as some dualistic attitudes may adhere to) rather it is the method that will be of most benefit to the spider. Â You can say "Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa"- or "Namo Amitabha Buddha" 7 or more times, really mean it, and dedicate it to the spider. Edited April 23, 2009 by mat black Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mYTHmAKER Posted April 23, 2009 Â If it makes you feel better, the Dalai Lama has admitted to killing mosquitos after three chances to stop biting him... Even the effective leader of Tibetan Buddhism isn't perfect. Â Â Maybe he is Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaoChild Posted April 23, 2009 I wouldn't worry about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest paul walter Posted April 23, 2009 it was daddy long legs (so i wasn't really threatened), but i couldn't sleep because of it, besides am starting to get sick so irritation levels were high... tried everything to make it leave my room, but it wouldn't, it would just keep buzzing all night long... finally swatted it with a book and went to sleep. i usually refrain from harming any living being in any way and sorely regret it each time that I do, but i just cracked up last night. did a little prayer for the thing. anything else i can do to compensate? and just how bad for the Self and one's karma do you think such momentary and seemingly petty acts of violence really are?  may it rest in peace.    This specific question of bug squashing is a great problem for mankind and one of the most direct methods to attaining a feeling of wholeness with the self that I've felt. I say this for various reasons: we're lazy, we're disrespectful of life, we're contemptuous of things smaller than ourselves, we live by the ego's convenience, we choose not to be aware of other things.....on and on. These are all things that came up long ago when contemplating the relative merits of offing mosquitos that drive me to distraction when camping or sleeping with the window open. It would make a good official meditative/enlightenment technique to be placed in a room with one and 'battle' all the issues out that come out of it. Oh, and one of the benefits that come out of choosing not to kill bugs is that your reflexes are tested in a very subtle way-I am now an expert in the trapping-a-mosquito-in-the-palm technique which involves the whole sense being by trying to capture and retain, but not crush a mozzy, then releasing it outside and closing the door/window quick enough so that it doesn't do a ba gua on you and appear behind you again. If you generally feel remorse then:  You have done a very 'bad' thing because you went against your own knowledge not to act that way-hence the guilt. You are atoning now from acknowledging the contradictions in yourself-and perhaps suffering in a private hell of the mind too! Here's hoping you are or else you will make the same mistake again and again and expect others to answer your consciences proddings. In cases like these your own mind will tell you the way out if you are honest with yourself-it's called learning from experience and mirrors (or is?) the process people call karma. Honesty to the self is an all-or-nothing thing, you can't have 'off' days. The good news is that every moment of everyday is a chance to right the imbalances in behaviour. If you learn from this one then you may prevent the harm of many other bugs and things and save yourself confronting issues like this ever again. Genuinely, good luck with the process. Paul  [  If it makes you feel better, the Dalai Lama has admitted to killing mosquitos after three chances to stop biting him... Even the effective leader of Tibetan Buddhism isn't perfect.   Couldn't resist: the lama is also a vegetarian who eats meat, as well as eating in the evening (biscuits) against his own sects precepts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mak_Tin_Si Posted April 23, 2009 Just to share,  In Taoism training, depending on how high level you go, when you reach a high level, you will be very sensitive to anything that pass-away ---  for example, if a squirrel was just dead on the street within 3days., and you drove by.. right after you see it, the squirrel spirit will try to find you and ask you for help. So as a taoist who have ability to help them will then do their daily evening rites chanting to help them move on to the other world (yin diemnsion). This is part of our daily homework also, so which a form of doing good deeds.  In chinese called "Chiu Dao" 超渡 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xabir2005 Posted April 23, 2009 it was daddy long legs (so i wasn't really threatened), but i couldn't sleep because of it, besides am starting to get sick so irritation levels were high... tried everything to make it leave my room, but it wouldn't, it would just keep buzzing all night long... finally swatted it with a book and went to sleep. i usually refrain from harming any living being in any way and sorely regret it each time that I do, but i just cracked up last night. did a little prayer for the thing. anything else i can do to compensate? and just how bad for the Self and one's karma do you think such momentary and seemingly petty acts of violence really are?  may it rest in peace. There is a true Buddhist story about Angulimala who killed 999 persons and was on the way to the 1000th (to kill his mother) when the Buddha stopped him, converted him into a monk, and he eventually attained enlightenment and liberation in that lifetime. It's an interesting story. If you are truly repentant, there is hope. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Owledge Posted April 23, 2009 Sometimes I like to tease... Â I have an electric bug swatter (tuned to 9 volts) near my PC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted April 23, 2009 Slightly off-topic - I used to love fly fishing. I would always release the fish and use artificial flies. Nevertheless, a few months after starting Daoist meditation practice I stopped fishing. I could no longer derive pleasure from the act of torturing fish. To this day I still have no desire to do it... Â I personally do not believe that there is anything specific that one must do or say in your position, Trixie. If you feel genuine remorse and love for your victim, allow that to guide your future actions and that is all that can be expected of you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Martial Development Posted April 28, 2009 You have thereby saved the lives of a few dozen aphids, flies, mites, and other spiders. Be sure to include that in your karmic calculations. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bum Grasshopper Posted April 28, 2009 Slightly off-topic - I used to love fly fishing. I would always release the fish and use artificial flies. Nevertheless, a few months after starting Daoist meditation practice I stopped fishing. I could no longer derive pleasure from the act of torturing fish. To this day I still have no desire to do it... Â I personally do not believe that there is anything specific that one must do or say in your position, Trixie. If you feel genuine remorse and love for your victim, allow that to guide your future actions and that is all that can be expected of you. Â Â I too used to love to fly fish. Catch and release was the creed. Like you, I had a change of heart. The absurdity of catching fish and returning it so you or someone else could have the fun of catching it again turned my stomach. Â After years of not fishing, I have recently taken the sport up again. This time when I catch a fish, I eat it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bum Grasshopper Posted April 29, 2009 If something is out to kill me or do me or my family harm, I have no problem killing them. Mosquitoes kill thousands of humans and animals. Most spiders are beneficial, as they kill mosquitoes. Flies are a health problem. If they leave me alone, I leave them alone. Attack me and I put my martial arts training to action! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
