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Good karma, or bad karma?
I have a little dilema. We have had a "pet" Praying Mantis in our garden all Spring and Summer. Everyday, we find her in our basil. She is so cool. We all take turns holding her and she just hangs out with us and watches us. Sadly, I know that she will die very soon. But my husband told me that we could keep her inside in an aquarium and she would live longer. So do we take her inside, or do we leave her out and let nature run its course? I hate to see her go - she really is so cool.
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Next would be bring it inside for selfish reasons and it to live longer. Good karma, though not as much.
Worst would be to bring it in for selfish reasons and it to die sooner as a result. Bad intent and bad result from the action.
Personally, I'd bring it in if I wanted to and enjoy it as long as I could. Having just eaten a fair-sized hunk of a chicken for dinner last night, I don't think one bug is going to help or hurt me too much. What can I say, I'm a mindfully unskillful.
I would say leave it in its natural environment. That area outside is its home. Taking it inside would be like putting it in jail just for being what it is. I too love praying mantis's. When I was younger I would catch them and put them in jars and aquariums to keep them as pets. Now, I wouldn't think of doing that because it would be bad for the insect itself. I do not like being caged up, and I suspect neither do they. They do not last long in capitivity anyhow.
That is just thinking about it from the bug's point of view. As for kamma, taking it inside would probably entail at least two types of kamma - one positive for having compassionate thoughts for the creature and one negative for the selfish thoughts of "keeping" it so you can enjoy its presence longer.
When you step back to observe this situation you can learn a great deal of Dhamma from it. Dukkha is stressful and unsatisfactory. Dukkha is caused from craving. In this case your dukkha is caused by your craving for the sense pleasure
of mental enjoyment (the mind is considered a sense organ as well as the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body i.e. touch). This enjoyment arises from the happiness you get from playing with said insect. You then fear that your happiness will soon cease (anicca/impermanence) because the insect will fly away or die. This of course is natural and will happen at some time, however, "you" "wish" this to be "different" - hence creating the cycle of dukkha all over again. This also reinforces your sense of self as being "I". What this does is to cause the possessive "mine" to arise - "My" happiness, "My" pet, "My" _____ .
"I" want to do this for "my" happiness. The insect will live longer, so it's ok if "I" keep it.
Now you have:
a.) attachment
b.) craving
c.) sense of self
d.) dukkha
All arising due to your desire for your own happiness to continue. You use prolonging the insects like as an excuse to capture it and keep it in your house as a "pet". Now, your mind tells you that this is a "good" thing you would be doing, but it is saying that to get what "it" wants. (The mind is tricky. That is where the immaterial, ever subtle defilements live i.e. greed, hatred, and delsuion. They cause delusion to arise making you think that your actions are benefitial to all when in fact they are catering to themselves.) What you must do to make a wise decision is to look at it objectively, perhaps think about it from the insect's perspective.
This is in no way implying that you are a bad person Yogmamma. This is just how the defilements work IN ALL OF US. We all have the same problems in life. We just have never noticed them before. Why? Because this "I" overshadows the truth. That is why the Buddha taught the Dhamma to the world - to reveal to us our predicament; to bring us out of the dark of avijja (ignorance).
In the end it is all up to you. What would you want to happen if you were the insect? What would you think was better - inside trapped in a cage, or outside in the beautiful garden?
Jason
But... was it good or bad karma for me to bring them back so they could hunt the other little guys in my yard? It was like bringing in a bounty hunter!
Uh oh... I might have some bad ju-ju coming...
-bf
In terms of reality, you may well allow the mantis to live beyond its natural span. It will still die. And I know nothing about what happens to a 'geriatric' mantis: do they suffer dementia or degenerative disease?
Maybe they take up Tai Chi in their old age.
-bf
Maybe I could teach the mantis some yoga to help her live longer.
-bf
So often am I astounded by the miracles of nature.
But Dolphins surfing on a beach or Dolphins jumping through hoops?
I know which they probably prefer!
I'm a bad widdo boy...
-bf
The dilemma YogaMama faces is to really establish whether her actions would be right or wrong, but whatever you do, Y/M, something "negative" is going to result....
If I may further illustrate the point...
Let us, for arguments' sake, say that a vast sector of the population of America decides to stop eating meat. They all become vegetarian in order to spare all these animals being slaughtered.Commendable. However, in one fell swoop, they've just put the livelihood of several thousand beef farmers in jeopardy... leave aside a moment whether their 'Work' is 'Right'.... the 'Good Karmic Intentions of all these people has affected someone else negatively.
When someone is patently, obviously going against the Eightfold Path, things are viewed clearly, and the Rights and Wrongs are plain for all to see. But when we are implementing the 8F.Path as much as we can, even then, there is the risk that someone, somewhere along the line is going to get a smack round the fate-chops with a wet kipper.
It's all very well thinking about Cause and Effect, but it CAN drive you bonkers....
However, Naturalists everywhere have learned from past mistakes of 'tampering' or 'interfering' with Nature. There have been documented instances where scientists and researchers out in the field have consciously acted to affect animal behaviour in order to examine it more closely, with disastrous results....
Yogamama, leave the Mantis in the Garden.... there will be other Natural and miraculous delights for you and your family to enjoy.... the Turning of the Seasons is true for all of us.... the few months' lifespan of this Mantis is the same for IT as yours is for you....
BF...widdo boy needs his widdo knuckles rapped with a limp banana.....!!
Just try to remember how lucky you were to know her - if even for a short time!
If you look carefully you will see her in your daughter's eyes...
:bigclap:
Ohm Mahni Padme Hum
Dave
A very simple lesson in truth Buddhism...
All things will pass. All that is living will die. Dying is a part of living.
How wonderful it would be, when I die, to be able to look back upon my life and see that there was much more of an abundance of good from my being here than bad. That people will be able to remember my time here and have it bring them joy. That I can live on through the memories and love of my child and loved ones.
-bf
On another note...I only "know" you on here, buddhafoot, but I am quite sure that you have brought a lot of joy to many people's lives. And from the way you talk about your son, I am quite sure he knows just how much you love him!
Have you ever heard of sky burials?
I hope so. After re-reading this, it sounded like there was a lot of "self" that I was stating - "I would like this to be" or "I would like this to happen". I don't know if I'm placing too much importance on what I would like - maybe I should have stated that it is a pleasant thing to think that my "actions" have brought happiness, love and compassion to those still living.
Thanks, YM. That was nice.
-bf
No, what is it??
I know you can be nice - just took me a couple of posts to realize you recognized that 99% of what I say is really just a bunch of BS and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Now that I know we're on the same page - I don't savagely cut up pumpkin heads thinking about you!
-bf
My girlfriend finds that putting this mixture of me in a blender and adding a couple shots of tequila makes it easier for her to deal with me.
-bf
They are the way in which compassionate Tibetans chose (I'm not sure if the Chinese Liberators allow this practice to continue) to be buried.
In a sky burial the deceased is wrapped in white cloth and embalmed in some way. After that they are chopped into managable pieces on a altar at a high point.
The pieces of the body are then taken by the scavenger birds and such - who appreciate the gift of such a bountiful meal in the barren lands on the roof of the world.
I read about it in XinRan's book, unsurprisingly titled, 'Sky Burial' - her second book after the bestseller 'The Good Women of China' (which is fanatastic).
I'm sure many of you are shuddering at the reality of such a burial but I find it touching in it's considerate nature.
In the US, it could be argued that it is a part of one's religion and, thus, a right under the Constitution - but I doubt it.
Simon, Here is the Us. SOme of the plains indians and those of the pacific northwest did sky burials. Although I don't think they are allowed to anymore, But if you would like I can ask around.
Hawk