killing bugs

a cool little article about killing bugs from The Daily Elightenment

"All beings tremble at violence. Life is dear to all. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should neither kill nor cause to kill."
-The Buddha (Dhammapada)

Even among many Buddhists, who agree that it is right to respect life, sometimes find it hard not to swat insects and other "pests" - doing so habitually, out of irritation and lack of mindfulness. Perhaps we should place ourselves in the shoes of these tiny creatures. Are we not much larger "pests" to them, who irritate them much more than they irritate us, especially with our gestures of violence? "Pests" is a relative term then, depending on the angle you view from. The problem is not the pests, but our lack of kindness, which leads us to see them as pests. We can either be "pests" to each other or friends with one another - Why not respect each other instead? Live and let live.

But what about "dangerous pests" which can cause disease? Well, is it not our fault of not keeping the house clean that attracts them? How can we invite them to leave, if we must? Never underestimate the practice of radiating Metta (Loving-kindness). Remember the case of the Buddha using Metta to calm an angry elephant stampeding towards Him? Even insects, which are very sensitive to energies, can sense your well wishes, and decide to "make way" for you.