Right Action

[Sittingalone]

I hope this is the proper place to ask this question; it has been bothering me for some time. As the weather grows warmer here on the banks of the Missouri River, I am preparing once again for all-out war against a species of sentient beings: ants. They invade my house, ruin my food, and generally make pests of themselves. What is right action in regard to ants?



Sittingalone Sat today

[Jundo]

I hope this is the proper place to ask this question; it has been bothering me for some time. As the weather grows warmer here on the banks of the Missouri River, I am preparing once again for all-out war against a species of sentient beings: ants. They invade my house, ruin my food, and generally make pests of themselves. What is right action in regard to ants?



Sittingalone Sat today

You are not the first to ask! Time again for our tale of termites, the Dalai Lama and a mosquito ...

==============.

Questions like this actually come up from time to time, as our Sangha members deal with termites, mice in the pantry, bats in the the belfry. So, let me post again the thread on termites at Treeleaf, the Dalai Lama and the Mosquito.

Let me also mention that almost every Monastery in China, Korea, Japan and elsewhere owned vast agricultural lands on which they grew things. They had to kill insects and mice and the like on a large scale, either in the prevention of pests or as an inevitable act in the harvest itself. Buddhism has existed for 2500 years in primarily agricultural societies in India, China and other Asian countries. Killing pests and predators was a fact of life, much more than for most of us in modern urban and suburban areas. I live in the country here in Tsukuba, and the farmers kills predators ... from wild boards and badgers on down. Buddhism was, in actual practice, fairly tolerant of this necessity. That is why our precept is to "Avoid the Taking of Life", not a total (and ultimately impossible) avoidance of all killing.

Traditionally, Buddhism has made a distinction between sentient life and other insentient life forms. The border between "sentience" and "insentience" is, of course, hard to set precisely (and, in a larger sense, some teachers such as Master Dogen included even mountains and trees and roof tiles as "sentient life"), but we generally do not treat insects with the same weight as more self aware creatures. That does not mean, too, that we are not respectful of all life.

I have written in the past about how this issue came up at Treeleaf Japan, a group of all wooden buildings, when we had termites ...

We also faced this when Treeleaf Japan ... a completely wooden building (built without nails, just joined wood beams) ... was infested with termites ...

A Google search on the subject, and talking to some other Buddhist clergy in various traditions, turned up the fact that (as I suspected), infested wooden Buddhist temples will take countermeasures ... though sometimes followed by a memorial service or the like for the little lives taken (and although some claim not too, and that good chanting is enough to chase the bugs away ... I tried that, no luck.) ...

The following was also typical advice, and I gave it a try ...

In the area of prohibitions against killing, one laywoman asked, "What should we do if there are mice and termites at home?" Dharma Master Heng Lyu answered, "You first post a notice asking them to leave. Next, you use insect repellants to chase them out. Avoid insecticides because you want to avoid the karma of killing."

One layman asked, "How do you avoid harming living beings while mowing the lawn?"

Dharma Master Heng Lyu said, "You would first post a notice to let the small creatures know that it's best to move, then mow the lawn. While you're mowing the lawn, recite the Great Compassion Mantra at the same time."

Excerpted from the article, "The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas Holds First Transmission of the Lay Bodhisattva Precepts in the New Millenium", on page 49 of the October 2000 issue (volume 31, series 73) of the Vajra Bodhi Sea.

And, of course, this is the famous "Dalai Lama kills the Mosquito" video ...

I really feel the weight of having to kill those termites ... but somehow, whenever there is an earthquake and the heavy roof timbers start shaking over my family's heads ... I know it was necessary. That is the Koan.

PS - What if a wasp came in the house and threatened to bite my daughter? (Assuming that I could not just open a window and let it free) I would kill the wasp in a second, with anything I could grab, because allergic people might be around. I would Gassho to it after.

PPS - When I was in India a year or so ago, I encountered the Jains. The Jains, a sect parallel in teachings to Buddhism and from the same time, will wear face masks to avoid inhaling an insect ...



The Buddha's way was more one of moderation on this issue. The Jains, alas, will still kill many creatures just by moving, walking and eating vegetables in daily life.

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

PPPS - I took a slug outside from our sink yesterday rather than squish it. I doubt it would have noticed much either way.

PPPPS - If you want to use one of the non-violent "ant persuaders" as a trial (there are some recommended here and there on the internet), give it a shot if you feel so. If it does not look like it is a realistic solution, remember what I wrote here.

[Tai Shi]

I hope this is the proper place to ask this question; it has been bothering me for some time. As the weather grows warmer here on the banks of the Missouri River, I am preparing once again for all-out war against a species of sentient beings: ants. They invade my house, ruin my food, and generally make pests of themselves. What is right action in regard to ants?



Sittingalone Sat today

I’ve heard Jundo speak of bothersome little fellows etc and he tells of the Dhali Lama who asks about swatting little livings mosquitos ant others[emoji120]What to do? Perhaps less Karma is wasted
On such behavior?
So perhaps it’s possible to continue your actions seeking Shikantaza when you just sit so maybe not to bother about this too much. Tai Shi sat td/ lah Gassho



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[odiedoodie]

Insecticide-death from above!
Filthy disease carrying insects, contaminating our food, stinging or biting us. I think the only rational thing to do is kill them to keep ourselves safe and healthy. This does not include beneficial insects that do not cause us problems.
Gassho
Jon Te