does killing insects break the precepts?

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
[james]
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by [james] »

confusedsoso wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 6:08 pm
I dunno. I cant stop now. I'll just have to bear with the karmic consequences. I cant be the only one that kills insects. How about exterminators? Do they get punished for doing their jobs?
It seems that you think the karmic consequences of killing insects are bearable. What do you think are the karmic consequences of that kind of thinking?
confusedsoso
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by confusedsoso »

[james] wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 6:52 pm
confusedsoso wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 6:08 pm
I dunno. I cant stop now. I'll just have to bear with the karmic consequences. I cant be the only one that kills insects. How about exterminators? Do they get punished for doing their jobs?
It seems that you think the karmic consequences of killing insects are bearable. What do you think are the karmic consequences of that kind of thinking?
Probably more pain and suffering. I dunno.
dharmacorps
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by dharmacorps »

confusedsoso wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 7:07 pm
Probably more pain and suffering. I dunno.
Sounds like you do know. The only question is what you will do with that information.
confusedsoso
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by confusedsoso »

dharmacorps wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 6:57 pm
confusedsoso wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 7:07 pm
Probably more pain and suffering. I dunno.
Sounds like you do know. The only question is what you will do with that information.
How about the argument that insects can spread diseases like mosquitos.
dharmacorps
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by dharmacorps »

confusedsoso wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 7:14 pm

How about the argument that insects can spread diseases like mosquitos.
Don't miss out on the valuable insight you just had by squandering it on whataboutism.
confusedsoso
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by confusedsoso »

dharmacorps wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 7:26 pm
confusedsoso wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 7:14 pm

How about the argument that insects can spread diseases like mosquitos.
Don't miss out on the valuable insight you just had by squandering it on whataboutism.
Yes but mosquitos and ticks can spread some vicious diseases.
JC1990a
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by JC1990a »

Yes.
Happiness12345
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by Happiness12345 »

Yes, but not as bad as killing a larger animal.

But it's best to not kill any animals.

Like, sometimes scientists kills rats to discover medicines, the medicines could save thousands of human beings, so I don't think it's going to be wrong for the scientists to kill and experiment on few rats.

If well, that's scientists dharma, to think what is right and wrong, but for me, I don't kill any animals, when I go swimming, I see insects and bees drowning, so I always help them, I also am vegetarian, not causing animals to die because of me just for my taste.

So, it's up to you to decide this, but killing breaks the precepts and should not be done, no matter how small it is, but if you are gonna have to choose between killing a mosquito vs killing a pig, I would say, killing the mosquito is better, but if there is no choice, then it's best to not kill any living beings.

Even killing plants is bad if it's not neccessary, like plucking flowers is just not neccessary, but for eating, we have to kill plants, because we are sacrificing small lost to save a bigger lost, and plants don't have pains like animals have, they just think, oh, my life is finish, now I can no longer spread fragnance and serve the world, so they also don't want to be killed but they don't have pain like animals have when they are tortured and killed.

Even when eating meat, fishes have smaller pains then larger animals, so it's better to eat fish then eating chickens or pork and killing cow is the worst, they give milk and a large animal also, so it's not to be kill, I think even cows are forbidden meat in Buddhism.

So, does it breaks the precepts by killing insects? Yes, it breaks the 1st precept. Killing is killing. Killing plants doesn't break the precept as they are not sentient beings. My example about what plants thinks is just my own imagination, I don't know what happens to plants, all I know is, it's ok to eat plants.

You asked a small question, and I shared a lot, just feel like sharing, hope it was useful.

:namaste:
confusedsoso
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by confusedsoso »

Happiness12345 wrote: Mon Aug 07, 2023 7:17 am Yes, but not as bad as killing a larger animal.

But it's best to not kill any animals.

Like, sometimes scientists kills rats to discover medicines, the medicines could save thousands of human beings, so I don't think it's going to be wrong for the scientists to kill and experiment on few rats.

If well, that's scientists dharma, to think what is right and wrong, but for me, I don't kill any animals, when I go swimming, I see insects and bees drowning, so I always help them, I also am vegetarian, not causing animals to die because of me just for my taste.

So, it's up to you to decide this, but killing breaks the precepts and should not be done, no matter how small it is, but if you are gonna have to choose between killing a mosquito vs killing a pig, I would say, killing the mosquito is better, but if there is no choice, then it's best to not kill any living beings.

Even killing plants is bad if it's not neccessary, like plucking flowers is just not neccessary, but for eating, we have to kill plants, because we are sacrificing small lost to save a bigger lost, and plants don't have pains like animals have, they just think, oh, my life is finish, now I can no longer spread fragnance and serve the world, so they also don't want to be killed but they don't have pain like animals have when they are tortured and killed.

Even when eating meat, fishes have smaller pains then larger animals, so it's better to eat fish then eating chickens or pork and killing cow is the worst, they give milk and a large animal also, so it's not to be kill, I think even cows are forbidden meat in Buddhism.

So, does it breaks the precepts by killing insects? Yes, it breaks the 1st precept. Killing is killing. Killing plants doesn't break the precept as they are not sentient beings. My example about what plants thinks is just my own imagination, I don't know what happens to plants, all I know is, it's ok to eat plants.

You asked a small question, and I shared a lot, just feel like sharing, hope it was useful.

:namaste:

I eat chicken and I had a weird dream that chickens were being tortured unintentionally.
[james]
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by [james] »

confusedsoso wrote: Tue Aug 08, 2023 9:13 pm I eat chicken and I had a weird dream that chickens were being tortured unintentionally.
No, it's completely intentional. We don't admit or call it torture though.
knighter
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by knighter »

I’ve practiced permaculture for 20 years, it’s impossible to grow food without killing insects, people who buy vegetables from supermarkets are also invariably having a hand in killing even more insects & animals. So tough one to call.
[james]
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by [james] »

knighter wrote: Tue Dec 26, 2023 11:53 am I’ve practiced permaculture for 20 years, it’s impossible to grow food without killing insects, people who buy vegetables from supermarkets are also invariably having a hand in killing even more insects & animals. So tough one to call.
While it may well be impossible to grow food without killing insects and other creatures, it is always possible, according to one's intent and attention, to grow food while killing fewer. So, better for all involved.
Neo
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by Neo »

:oops:

Yes, it breaks if done intentionally and not able to stop even when now you know that is breaks.

It also breaks if done unintentionally and after such activity no mettā is practiced, not even for a second in mind.

Possible solution - keeping house clean, avoiding entry by using net on windows and gates, using repellant liquid vaporizers that don't kill directly rather make them sleep or fly away.
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Sam Vara
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by Sam Vara »

Neo wrote: Thu Jan 11, 2024 7:18 am

It also breaks if done unintentionally and after such activity no mettā is practiced, not even for a second in mind.

Is there any evidence for this part?
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knighter75
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Re: does killing insects break the precepts?

Post by knighter75 »

I can’t stop killing insects because I grow food & raise chickens & ducks.
But I do believe I’m involved in less killing than someone who shops at a supermarket.
Be happy🙏
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