does killing insects break the precepts?

[confusedsoso]

does killing insects break the precepts?

[SarathW]

yes. You break the first precept.

[confusedsoso]

yes. You break the first precept.

What are the consequences of breaking the first precept?

[SarathW]

yes. You break the first precept.

What are the consequences of breaking the first precept?

It depends on your mental state and various other Kamma Vipaka conditions.
For instance, Angulimala who killed thousands of humans became an Arahant.
Once you are killed no point in worrying about it (Kukkucca). It is more unwholesome. So practice Dhamma instead.

[Eko Care]

What are the consequences of breaking the first precept?

Hell.
Otherwise, Short Lifespan.

“Take some woman or man who kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings. Because of undertaking such deeds, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. If they’re not reborn in a place of loss, but return to the human realm, then wherever they’re reborn they’re short-lived. For killing living creatures is the path leading to a short lifespan.
Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta

[confusedsoso]

What are the consequences of breaking the first precept?

Hell.
Otherwise, Short Lifespan.

“Take some woman or man who kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings. Because of undertaking such deeds, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. If they’re not reborn in a place of loss, but return to the human realm, then wherever they’re reborn they’re short-lived. For killing living creatures is the path leading to a short lifespan.
Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta

How long in hell?

[Ontheway]

What are the consequences of breaking the first precept?

Hell.
Otherwise, Short Lifespan.

“Take some woman or man who kills living creatures. They’re violent, bloody-handed, a hardened killer, merciless to living beings. Because of undertaking such deeds, when their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. If they’re not reborn in a place of loss, but return to the human realm, then wherever they’re reborn they’re short-lived. For killing living creatures is the path leading to a short lifespan.
Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta

How long in hell?

I don't think anyone here can give you that exact information. Only the Buddha knows the full extent of kammic consequence.

But don't worry, if you broke precepts in the past, just forget about these things and take up the five precepts now on. Make sure you follow the precepts and not repeating the same mistakes. Then, take time to develop your good qualities in three ways: Dana (generosity like giving foods to homeless, etc.), Sila (follow the five precepts daily), and Bhavana (meditate, for eg: Buddhanussati, Metta Bhavana, etc.).

It will all be good. The Buddha gave a simile that a pinch of salt in a small cup of water, the taste would be very salty. But drop a pinch of salt into a great river, it doesn't affect the taste of river water. So too, a single unwholesome deed was done while having little meritorious deed to support, the outcome is deadly and dangerous. However, having done some demeritorious deeds in the past but also did many other meritorious deeds, the outcome of such demeritorious deed is minimal.

The key point is: to stop repeating the mistakes and turn a new leaf. Keep working on improving oneself in term of Dana, Sila and Bhavana. Not only you will escape/minimalize the bad kammic consequences, but you will be more peaceful and success in whatever you aspires for.

[confusedsoso]

Hell.
Otherwise, Short Lifespan.

How long in hell?

I don't think anyone here can give you that exact information. Only the Buddha knows the full extent of kammic consequence.

But don't worry, if you broke precepts in the past, just forget about these things and take up the five precepts now on. Make sure you follow the precepts and not repeating the same mistakes. Then, take time to develop your good qualities in three ways: Dana (generosity like giving foods to homeless, etc.), Sila (follow the five precepts daily), and Bhavana (meditate, for eg: Buddhanussati, Metta Bhavana, etc.).

It will all be good. The Buddha gave a simile that a pinch of salt in a small cup of water, the taste would be very salty. But drop a pinch of salt into a great river, it doesn't affect the taste of river water. So too, a single unwholesome deed was done while having little meritorious deed to support, the outcome is deadly and dangerous. However, having done some demeritorious deeds in the past but also did many other meritorious deeds, the outcome of such demeritorious deed is minimal.

The key point is: to stop repeating the mistakes and turn a new leaf. Keep working on improving oneself in term of Dana, Sila and Bhavana. Not only you will escape/minimalize the bad kammic consequences, but you will be more peaceful and success in whatever you aspires for.

Everything you say sounds right but I cant seem to stop killing insects.

[santa100]

Everything you say sounds right but I cant seem to stop killing insects.

Investigate why you keep doing it? Is it out of necessity because they're bothering you? Or is it just the sheer pleasure of killing smaller beings? If it's the former, work on eliminating the conditions that make them keep bothering you, ie. frequently clean your living quarter, your clothes, your bed, your kitchen, using natural non-toxic insect repellants, etc... If it's the latter, cultivate more Brahmaviharas, practice more Sila/Samadhi/Panna, etc... It's important not to turn these occasional insects killings into a frequent habit. Because once something has turned into a habit, it'll be 10x, 100x, 1000x times more difficult to get rid of it.

[confusedsoso]

Everything you say sounds right but I cant seem to stop killing insects.

Investigate why you keep doing it? Is it out of necessity because they're bothering you? Or is it just the sheer pleasure of killing smaller beings? If it's the former, work on eliminating the conditions that make them keep bothering you, ie. frequently clean your living quarter, your clothes, your bed, your kitchen, using natural non-toxic insect repellants, etc... If it's the latter, cultivate more Brahmaviharas, practice more Sila/Samadhi/Panna, etc... It's important not to turn these occasional insects killings into a frequent habit. Because once something has turned into a habit, it'll be 10x, 100x, 1000x times more difficult to get rid of it.

I do it because I get paranoid they are going to bite me. Its already been a habit for a very long time like for a few decades. I started when I was small. I kill them every chance I get so I have killed a lot of insects in my time.

[dharmacorps]

I do it because I get paranoid they are going to bite me. Its already been a habit for a very long time like for a few decades. I started when I was small. I kill them every chance I get so I have killed a lot of insects in my time.

There is always time to change this habit, regardless of how long you have been doing it. Little can disturb the mind so much as killing.

[confusedsoso]

I do it because I get paranoid they are going to bite me. Its already been a habit for a very long time like for a few decades. I started when I was small. I kill them every chance I get so I have killed a lot of insects in my time.

There is always time to change this habit, regardless of how long you have been doing it. Little can disturb the mind so much as killing.

How about when I kill them, I think about giving them a quick painless death. I always try to end it as soon as possible.

[DNS]

I do it because I get paranoid they are going to bite me. Its already been a habit for a very long time like for a few decades. I started when I was small. I kill them every chance I get so I have killed a lot of insects in my time.

Where are the insects that you are killing? Are they inside your home? Or outside the home in the yard?

[confusedsoso]

I do it because I get paranoid they are going to bite me. Its already been a habit for a very long time like for a few decades. I started when I was small. I kill them every chance I get so I have killed a lot of insects in my time.

Where are the insects that you are killing? Are they inside your home? Or outside the home in the yard?

Inside the house like flys, mosquitos, spiders, house centipedes and cockroaches.

[DNS]

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