My respectful salutations to the members of the Sangha, greetings to everyone.
I wished to write regarding a matter of ethics.
In the prospect of creating a paludarium (similar to a terrarium but with a portion of water) I had bought some insects (springtails, to be more specific) provided in a sealed box with some dirt, branches and so on for them to continue to live. They did so for a while, and thought they would continue until I’d released those I didn’t need anymore. I was very saddened to witness they seemed to have died.
Now, I had no intention to kill, nor did I left them to die, and I furthermore had no idea they could die after a bit more than a month. The man at the shop hadn’t mentioned anything regarding the care or what I should do to preserve them and assumed they would live without me intervening.
I admit feeling grieved as I feel responsible for it.
I can see that I didn’t break the first precept but I am nonetheless affected ; did I act heedlessly?
I’d be deeply grateful for any feedback in that regard, while I mourn these little beings I loved after all.
All the best to all, kindly.
I think that question is quite complex, and can´t be limited to just the notion of an intention to kill. By, the way, this is in no way a judgment of you, but rather a response to the dilemma you raise.
In your shoes, I would ask myself: what was my intention in creating the paludarium? Was there any consideration for life to begin with since I decided to contain and manipulate it? Did I consider that harm might come to the little creatures I put in there? Did I put my desires above my consideration for other lives? etc.
I think the notion of “breaking a precept” shouldn’t be simplified to a degree where someone else can give a straight answer to that with ease. The precepts ought to be embraced as a committment to awareness, to mindfulness and care, rather than simple obedience to a blunt rule. They offer training for the mind, and invite a continuous exploration of our intention and state of mind. A miguided action comes from intention and intention is shaped by other factors, which means the questions aren’t simple.
I think it’s very positive that you recognize that the precepts are training rules and not ordinances or laws that provide for some punishment when broken. My take on your question is that you were being as careful as possible, and as positively intentional as possible, but sometimes of course, in this life, even with the best of intentions, the outcomes can be problematic.
My sense of the nature of kamma is that the weight of our actions is measured by what is in our heart and mind and how we might learn from some of these very human mistakes that we make. Part of being human is to also be mindful of the importance of Metta for ourselves, and when we make mistakes as we all do to resolve to learn from these mistakes and not replicate them to the best of our ability.
The mere fact that you posted this question suggest to me that you are a tremendously, compassionate and ethical person. In that sense, you are a gift to the world and like all of us, you can just continue to do your best and cultivate as much positive intention and positive action is possible. Even if you have some lingering concerns about the karmic weight of your actions, you can certainly resolve to make some merit by doing something positive and kind for other insects or animals or humans and in that sense keeping the karmic Balance always tilting in a very positive direction.
Making mistakes is how we learn. Next time you’re thinking of taking creatures under your care, you’ll be more careful before taking that responsibility. You’ll listen to people’s advice and later check what they’ve said against reputable sources—trust, but verify. You’ll learn about them more deeply and figure out how to monitor and care for them properly. You’ll learn about the problems that may be encountered and how to fix them. You’ll assess whether you have the capability, time, and resources to do all this.
If you can’t fulfill those duties, then it would be irresponsible to take them under your care.
