Killing a Tick

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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Moth
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Killing a Tick

Post by Moth »

So I was driving to the park a few days ago with my dogs and I suddenly had the urge to try a new park. As I came to the crossroads between the old park and the new park I had a "gut feeling" that I should not go to the new park, but I went anyway. I should have listened to my gut feeling, because at the new parks my dog got covered in ticks. I rushed him home and began removing them one by one and released them (far away). I was in a panic throughout this experience, and after I had removed all the ticks I could see I washed my dog with tick shampoo. Later that day I saw another tick on him. I removed it but its movements were slowed and it seemed like it was dying from the shampoo. I released it but I think it probably died. I feel a great sense of shame now. I also feel very bad for that tick, that he/she had to die such a bad death and because of me. I'm not sure what to do now, I feel very bad. I should not have used the shampoo :(
Last edited by Moth on Sun May 06, 2012 3:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Ben
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by Ben »

Killing is never a good option. Sometimes we are forced into difficult situations and do the best we can.
Also, retake your precepts.
with Metta

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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bodom
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by bodom »

Dont beat yourself up. You did what you needed to do for your dogs. Ticks transmit lyme disease and had you not removed them your dogs might have suffered terribly for it.

:anjali:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
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Polar Bear
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by Polar Bear »

besides, dogs have a much greater capacity to suffer in length and extent compared to a tick.
"I don't envision a single thing that, when developed & cultivated, leads to such great benefit as the mind. The mind, when developed & cultivated, leads to great benefit."

"I don't envision a single thing that, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about such suffering & stress as the mind. The mind, when undeveloped & uncultivated, brings about suffering & stress."
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rowboat
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by rowboat »

Also, retake your precepts.
Bang! Problem solved.

:goodpost:
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
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Goofaholix
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by Goofaholix »

Having a dog means it's your responsibility to look after your dog, which among other things means preventing him/her from suffering if you can.

What happened isn't ideal just realise you did what you had to do and didn't have much other choice, accept the kamma of it because the kamma of watching your dog suffer would be worse.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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rowboat
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by rowboat »

Having a dog means it's your responsibility to look after your dog, which among other things means preventing him/her from suffering if you can.
Right, and the other side of the coin is to recognize the responsibility of pet-keepers to prevent their dogs from killing and harrassing wild-life as much as possible, and, especially for cat-people, to prevent your cat-friends from killing so many of the poor song-birds and little mice and things.

These seem to help:

Image
Rain soddens what is covered up,
It does not sodden what is open.
Therefore uncover what is covered
That the rain will not sodden it.
Ud 5.5
Lombardi4
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by Lombardi4 »

The intention is important. "Intention, I say, is kamma." If there was no intention to kill the tick, it doesn't count as bad kamma.
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Assaji
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Re: Killing a Tick

Post by Assaji »

Hi Moth,

I would recommend checking if your dog got infected by a Lyme disease, and if not, immunising him:

http://www.bioveta.cz/en/veterinary-div ... ccine.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best wishes,

Dmytro
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