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Bugs!

BigBadRenegadeBigBadRenegade
edited September 2006 in Buddhism Today
During the summer I tend to have little uninvited guests enter my apartment. The crickets don't bother me, the spiders are cool, I keep them around or throw them out. On the otherhand the roaches, flys and to a lesser extent the ants- bug me quite a bit. Its not their presence so much, but the fact that they are filthy and carry lots of germs gets me, I am not proud of the fact that I have sprayed more than a few roaches with cleaning agent, not really hoping they die but usually to hopefully clean them up a bit or end their ability to breed; although they do die sometimes. I know I'm weird, anyway I keep a pretty clean place its just that I dont have a screen door or screens on some of the windows so yea they get in and its not nice. I know they are sentient beings and all but I was wondering exactly how much demerit is it for killing an insect like a roach or fly? I do say a prayer after I kill them. Also, is it just as bad to spray them with a cleaning spray?
I feel like a complete panzy for asking this but I figured I'd ask to see what you guys thought.

Comments

  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited September 2006
    Hmmm, have you stopped to think that they're just a reflection of your mind?

    Bugs are a problem. If you really believe in the Buddha's proscription against killing sentient beings (though in practice you have to kill billions of sentient beings every day just to stay alive), then you should do everything you can to avoid harming these little critters. One possible suggestion: put screens on them windows! Or find nonlethal means of urging them to find digs elsewhere. Like tea tree oil, for example, might help with ants and maybe even roachs. So there are ways to do it, and finding the answers may take some research and experimentation, but keep in mind that all those little buggers were once your loving mother.

    Palzang
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited September 2006
    Oh, and I don't think you're weird at all. Quite the contrary. It's quite wonderful to see a young man interested in such questions at all!

    Palzang
  • pineblossompineblossom Veteran
    edited September 2006
    Yeah ! What Palzang said - at least you are aware of what it is you are doing - most people ain't.
  • inthedharmainthedharma
    edited September 2006
    Try cinnamon for the ants.........they will not cross it. Ants love my mail box and I put cinnamon in it and they won't come in. Does not harm them and it smells good too.

    There are several sites that will give you lots of ideas to try to keep them out.

    As for screens. If you can't afford to put screens on your windows.......buy the small screens that adjust. You just sit them in the window pull them apart till they fit and then pull the window down to meet them......... they would at least help with flying bugs.....They are inexpensive........

    Also grocery stores are really bad about having roaches and you can bring roaches home from the store in anything that is in a box......throw out all boxes......even the cardboard cases that soda comes in......roaches could be hiding in them........

    just a few suggestions.........
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