Killing insects / negative actions

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

I recall running over ants on my tricycle when I was 4 or 5.

All these years later I still remember it, and having come to understand the unity and sacredness of all life, profoundly regret it...

Don't be so hard on yourself. At such a young age your conscience was not yet fully formed. Take heart and rejoice in having become such a prominent kind soul. In this quality you stand out on this site.

[Emmalevine]

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

I recall running over ants on my tricycle when I was 4 or 5.

All these years later I still remember it, and having come to understand the unity and sacredness of all life, profoundly regret it...

I deliberately broke a spider's web when I was a small child but then for some reason it hit me some weeks later that I'd destroyed its home and I sobbed uncontrollably. Feeling the pain was so devastating it stays with me to this day.

I don't like killing insects but there are times when I have just had to, normally because I'm point blank terrified. Not good I know and I will always look for an alternative, but when I'm alone in a strange room with a big black hairy spider, nowhere to go and no one to call, a shoe is my only choice.

If millions of ants were invading my house I would coax them out with something if I could but if that didn't work I'd be forced to kill them.

I'm compassionate but also an insectophobe and need my space from them.

To Soliloquy and amy green I would say I consider every opinion valid when expressed in an intelligent and respectful way, and I understand the message Soliloquy is trying to convey. A little irony goes a long way. No need to fight over it. She makes a good point here.

And a big to sweet amy as always. You know what I mean.

Thank you to knightofalbion for your tips. I got more than I asked for. And thank you for your compliment. That is simply the way I have come to regard the universe. although I sometimes almost forget my values in exchange for more basic ways of expressing myself. You might say supressing your needs too long in order to be universally correct can have it's toll sooner or later, like keeping a dam closed during a flood.

To fire A very good suggestion, one I would have never realised if I had not come here.

By the way, I used to be a child who was not fully conscious of the consequences of my actions, I guess most children are not. And because of that, a few animals suffered, animals I would love to pet today. But I also suffered because of being the way I was. And that is why I NOW can show the proper respect and appreciation for things I did not fully grasped.

SOULWHISPERER

An experience from years ago that might be of interest to you SoulWhisperer.
Leeches

Also, as humans are part of the ecosystem, and i have done this when required.
I will place food outside of the house for the ants, and communicate with them where the food is and it is for them.
That is a long term experiment to see if the desired outcome will occur or not.
As perhaps ants in the house is something you need to experience, that something within you is being challenged, needs addressing, an opportunity for change.

[VanillaRayne]

I try to avoid killing them myself. Before I never really gave it a second thought, but now I realize they're just trying to live their lives the way we're trying to live ours. Plus, you never know, we could be ants to a different lifeform. However, if they end up in the house then all bets are off.

If one one places their finger in a ants mound the ants will attack and try to kill the invading digit, if ones places their hand in a hornets nest the hive will attack the offending extremity until it is either dead or away from the nest, if you try to take food from a pack of wolves you will become their dinner. Nature can be cruel and merciless. My opinion is that is your hive/mound so defend it. We are animals and a part of nature, we have our rights to defend what is ours even if it requires the death of the offending party. There will be no negative karma nor should you worry yourself senseless about it. It is the way of life.

[sound]

Originally Posted by SoulWhisperer

I understand the message Soliloquy is trying to convey. A little irony goes a long way. No need to fight over it. She makes a good point here.

Yeah I understood where she was coming from too ... unfortunately she has deactivated so she may never get to read your comment ...

[Adrienne]

Originally Posted by sound

Yeah I understood where she was coming from too ... unfortunately she has deactivated so she may never get to read your comment ...

one can still read from the outside looking in, as a guest ...except in the members only forum

Brought over from the Leeches thread.

Originally Posted by SoulWhisperer

I still don't get what you mean about me being challenged by ants inside my house. I need to give it some thought.

You are existing in your current state of perception, your conclusions,
thoughts, ideas, beliefs(if you have any), regarding reality/existence/life.
In other words, you may express this as, "This is how i roll"

However, as contained within your OP, all is not well in the land of SoulWhisperer
Iif all was well, you would not be thinking, enquiring, asking your fellow travellers their opinions formulated from their life journeys.

You are self challenging your current understanding/conclusions about life.
The ants are the inciting experience.

And being challenged will cause an emotional disturbance.
The challenge is a confrontation regarding change.
It's examination of your current position, self examination, a re-assessment.

"Hey, i have always viewed this to be such and such, but now i am questioning, looking beyond these boundaries" type stuff.

Here's another real life example.
I knew of someone who is into Buddhism.
One belief of buddhism is to not eat meant as animals have souls or some such thing.
My bad, i am not well versed in the intricacies of it.
To this Buddhist, their life is hunkie dory, all is going well,
the boundaries of Buddhist belief are well defined and adhered to.

My intent was not to challenge, but to simply discuss the evidence via the latest research,
and this person can do whatever they want with this new info.

A buddhist will not eat meat, but it's ok to eat plants.
I shared how precise tests have suggested that plants also are conscious beings.
That plants are aware of the intent of a bloke in the forest that he intends to cut one of them down.

The buddhist became uncomfortable because as they integrated this new info into their current understanding or belief sysytem, it caused unrest.
The current understanding, the world in which one has inside is being rocked.
the structure, the foundation of which one internally stands on is now forming cracks...
"Aaagh ! What to do, where to go, my world is falling apart?"

Such can be the experience of being internally challenged, either by another or oneself.

But it's not like once the current world is rocked that all is lost.
No, it's more like a breaking down of the walls of the current house to extend and create a bigger house,
though the reconstruction work can be a bit of a bother.
It can expose one to the harsh elements of the world for a while and other such things when restructuring.

All this is just a theory about your ant experience.

For me, I know this feeling and do try to avoid killing any living creature, however, I do believe in my space and when invaded I ask for forgivness and will remove them as needed.

Once I had a small sea crabs that would crawled up on the anchor line and into the cabin areas. There fast and would get into places not welcome. trying to catch them alive proved to be more of a chore, Even though I did enjoy their company which did not last long some killing or finding them dead seemed inevitable. At times I think staying at home it would have saved a life.