Perhaps a Strange Request, but.........

laurajean

I know this may sound odd, or maybe to some it won't, I don't know. But here is my situation. I raise chickens. One of my chickens was trying to hatch some eggs, she's been sitting on them for almost a week now. Due to embryo development, I know that any of the several eggs that were fertile would have already had beating hearts, beak, respiratory and nervous system, etc at this point in development. Well, the chicken left the nest for unknown reasons, and abandoned the eggs. There are six of them, and I don't know how many may or may not have been fertile and developing, but there's a good likelihood that at least some were.

Anyway, I can't in good conscience just throw these eggs away. I want to treat the would-be chicks with dignity and respect and thought this might be a good way to incorporate some Buddhist practices. I was thinking of wrapping them in something nice and putting them on my meditation alter, and maybe reciting some special "prayer" or meditation type mantra. Then, I am not sure what to do with the eggs. I thought of putting them in my compost pile, where they will ultimately create new life by being used in fertilizer in the Spring. I would bury them in a special place, but I have 4 1/2 feet of snow on the ground.

My questions are:

1. Anyone know of any recitations I could say; perhaps regarding death, rebirth, peace, etc.?

2. Any other little ceremonious things I can do to make it special? I thought of candles and incense; anything else?

3. Any other ideas what to do with the eggs afterward other than the compost? I thought of "cremating" them in my wood stove and putting the ashes in the compost, but don't know if that would work.

Please, please no sarcasm. I'm very sensitive about losing animals, and it's important to me to give these partially developed chicks a proper sending off. I know it might sound whacky, but if you have anything genuine to offer, I would appreciate it. Especially some sort of mantra or thing that I could recite during my little ceremony for them.

Thank you.

GuyC

Hi Laura,

Do whatever you think is appropriate and what you feel comfortable doing.

In any case it is a good opportunity to reflect on your own life and to appreciate how rare and precious it is to be a human being who has come into contact with the Dhamma.

When I see a dead kangaroo on the side of the road (I live in Australia) or a dead bird I use it as a reflection; I think to myself "That which is born must surely die" or "The days and nights are relentlessly passing, how well am I spending my time?".

Death is not necessarily a sad event, seeing the deaths of other living beings can motivate us to do what is really important.

Metta,

Guy

Vincenzi

they can hatch with light and heat... I tought that was "common knowledge" (if you search for it).

Jeffrey

1. Anyone know of any recitations I could say; perhaps regarding death, rebirth, peace, etc.?

I don't know anything official but you could say-

May the hearts awareness waken in the unawakened
Where it has begun to stir may it never fade
And may it awaken fully.

I dedicate this punya to the chicken eggs.


2. Any other little ceremonious things I can do to make it special? I thought of candles and incense; anything else?

Maybe a bow?

3. Any other ideas what to do with the eggs afterward other than the compost? I thought of "cremating" them in my wood stove and putting the ashes in the compost, but don't know if that would work.

Whatever you do imagine them going back to emptiness...

".....Because apparent existence is self-empty, there are no
illusions to stop. Because the ultimate
emptiness-of-other exists, there is no spontaneous
existence to accomplish. Beyond stopping and
accomplishing, a la la!...."

~Khenpo Rinpoche

laurajean

they can hatch with light and heat... I tought that was "common knowledge" (if you search for it).

No Vincenzi, it's too late for that. They had been abandoned for a couple of days already when I found them. Too much time has passed. They are cold and the embryos are dead. Plus I "candled" them (a process to check development) and could see that there is clearly no movement. I've incubated and hatched my own chickens many times, I would have done that if it weren't too late.

Jeffrey

In the mahayana emptiness is also ultimate (real rather than apparent) bodhicitta (awakened heart/mind)..

So thats why I say go back to emptiness. Beyond birth and death.

laurajean

Thank you Jeff. I have a hard time fully comprehending the "emptiness" concept in my studies, but I will try to pull some stuff up on it for a better understanding. I know the general idea, but want to be confident that I fully understand what I am dedicating to the chicks.

Jeffrey

I have difficulty with it too. I imagine it as going back to loving kindness or freedom or something. Sometimes I think its back to purity when I blow out a shrine candle. But I know its not about purity. And I'm not supposed to blow out the candle, but I use it in my aroma lamp and the bowl on top is too hot to touch. Supposed to snuff it.