Whatever living creatures there are.........tiny or round

[AdrianMagno]

I was just reflecting on that line above from the Metta sutta during the past week.

It’s interesting how a seemingly innocuous event happens during your day and ends up being a teaching, rather like the famous Ajahn Chah quote/teaching/talk, ‘Everything is teaching us’.

During the middle of the past week, a colleague of mine was working at one of our branch libraries and typed on our MS teams chat something like ‘Found a spider at the front counter, a bit scary, calling security to deal with it.’

To which colleagues replied to with laugh emojis etc. I was thinking about how to most people, this sort of thing is laughable and really not worthy of taking seriously. I was reflecting how a few years ago, I probably would’ve reacted similarly, had I not encountered the Dhamma. A few minutes later, it was reported that the poor spider was sent to ‘spider heaven’, followed by more laugh emojis.

I thought of that verse from the Metta sutta:

Whatever living creatures there are with not a one left out, frail or firm,

long or large, medium, small, tiny or round, seen or unseen, living far or near,

those who have been born and those about to be born—may all beings be happy!

I was reflecting on how even the slightest bit of aversion towards something as innocuous as a spider could potentially grow and be directed towards a whole group of people or minority. Which is why the Buddha says that we should have love towards all beings. It seems obvious, but it’s nice when something happens in your life and your mind somehow brings up a specific verse from a sutta and you’re able to contemplate the meaning of it right then and there and it seems to give it more depth and gravitas. May all beings be well and happy

[Pasanna]

It is indeed very rare and beautiful to see people caring for little creatures.

A bhikkhuni I know was having a meal with some people that she met while travelling. One of them rescued a bug with a leaf from his drink and gently carried it to a bush. She hadn’t seen anything like it before and became curious as to why he’d done it. That was her introduction to Buddhism. Now she’s a senior bhikkhuni.

It’s not the kind of thing someone would put in a teams chat, unfortunately.

[Mkoll]

@AdrianMagno

I was reflecting on how even the slightest bit of aversion towards something as innocuous as a spider could potentially grow and be directed towards a whole group of people or minority.

Indeed. We beings of the six realms of samsara are all fellow travellers, wandering here and there, brothers and sisters in aging, sickness, and death. We might as well help each other out on the road, or at the very least avoid harming each other on it.

[sabbamitta]

@AdrianMagno

May all beings be well and happy

tinyCreatures

Building up a zoo while washing vegetables!

[cdpatton]

I recall once, back when I worked in the electronics industry, I was sitting at a machine watching it run, and nearby a little beetle perched and seemed to actually look at me. I thought, “Oh, did you come to hear some Dharma? I’m a little busy now …” Half in jest to myself of course.

The phobias we have in the modern world about insects and animals like mice and rats is really very irrational. They might be an annoyance, but they aren’t usually as dangerous as the fear they bring up.

[Jasudho]

Beautiful stories here. Thank you.

I have bug cups in the house. Whenever a fellow-traveler shows up, they’re gently scooped into the cup and escorted outside with a blessing and a wish that they will encounter the Dhamma.

Years ago, some mice in my home were caught in a trap that did not harm them. It had a small window; I could see them and they could see me. I sat down to meditate while facing each other. At the end of the sitting they were happily asleep.

The wonder and beauty of the Dhamma.

[Sumana]

You all got me going with your beautiful heart!!

It brought me a lot of joy when animals trust us, come to us and stay with us sometimes for companionship, sometimes for food or comfort.

I remembered when I was hiking in lake Oeschinensee, I saw a duck sitting so still at the lake side. I came sat right next to her. She wasn’t scared or interested in moving away at all. I had a long conversation with her as I should! She looked sleepy. I asked her why she sat so still, or is she cold. Later on, I saw two babies ducks came out from underneath her belly. They came out to drink water. I complimented how cute her babies are and she seems to be happy to hear me saying that. I didn’t have any food for her so I gave her the going for refuge with the tripple gem. They are now Dhamma ducks. I chant Pali for them as well and they listened attentively. Then suddenly they looked startled, I turned around and I saw a group of mountain goats came out for water as well.

I was alone in the wild with all these animals. It was a beautiful experience. I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the natural world we share with all beings. They don’t have to be somebody for us to love them wholeheartedly. And I measure my progress as a human being by the validation I received from the animal world. I feel it’s a privilege that insects and animals trust us knowing we love them and they can be safe and protected by being near us.

On another occasion, I feel no human could make me feel special like Osa, a dog I met at a ranch in New York State, did. Osa was a very independent dog and I noticed she doesn’t let anyone cuddle with her, she always keep her distance with people. I found a kindred spirit in her: independent and free. Yet she came sat right next to me in a room full of people.

On my last day, I got to go for a walk with Osa around the ranch. It was her morning routine social checkup, sniffing for her friends trails: rabbit, bush turkey and the wildlife around there. ( I guess it’s like us checking social media to see what our friends up to). I feel so thankful to Osa for trusting me. I felt so seen by her!

I wrote a poem about Osa.

Osa

chose me

out of everybody!

In the forest,

a deer said goodbye this morning.

The young ones of the animal kingdom

and I

share one thing in common:

we know

how safety feels.

Osa pressed close to my leg,

leaned into my body

as we hike.

Like warriors who understand each other,

we knew the power

of two.

Osa chose

safety.

Trust earned

from the kingdom

not far from human world.

True wealth is in the heart:

to feel the forest,

to befriend the free spirit in Osa.

Noah’s ark is not a wooden raft

it is the heart’s safety,

for all its refugees.

[AdrianMagno]

I like how you gave the ducks the triple refuge, that’s way cool.

[Sumana]

You can do it for any animal and insect you met too. So we can have the manyfold Sangha.

[Taman]

It’s really nice to see people here also have a distate for causing the deaths of small creatures! Any sane person would I believe but maybe that’s wishful thinking.

When I was a kid, I caused the death and harm of many little creatures. It’s kind of amazing to see how much the Triple Gem changes your tendencies. Sometimes when I go to my toilet, there’s a little ant in the pot, and I gotta do my business right! In the past, I’d perhaps have flushed. Today, I cannot imagine myself ever doing that! Today if I encounter an ant in my toilet I put my hand into the pot and remove it carefully, it’s a bit gross but what does it matter?

I remember specifically the day I decided to stop killing mosquitoes too. Things like this, ordinarily go unthinked about. Who takes the time to think: “Hm should I end the life of this mildly irritating creature or just shoo it away or do something else?” It’s quite disturbing to also see people just step on ants for the fun of it. Bizzare!

[Adutiya]

For a couple of years we had rats in our attic. I set up humane traps where they had a little meal inside the trap. I caught perhaps about 25 over time and released them outside with a wish that they be well. I showed them to my wife and she was surprised how beautiful and delicate they were and it changed how we perceived them. I haven’t seen them in several years.

[sabbamitta]

The other day I found this fellow in my fridge:

It turned out to be a small cabbage butterfly, its caterpillar must have traveled into the fridge between some cabbage leaves and then decided to pupate right there. It managed to fully develop into an adult butterfly at this temperature level!

As the offer of food suitable for butterflies is rather limited in my fridge, I thought I might better put it outside so it can wait there for temperatures to slowly rise above fridge level. Best of luck, little fellow!

Just now I found it has left the protected place where I had put it.

[vasant]

Avoiding extremes and following “Middle Path”, is what Dhamma is. Our “Prajna”(wisdom), being the guide.

Thanks and regards.

[AdrianMagno]

Hi all, just thought I’d give an update.

Not sure what prompted the change of heart, but these same people who were a little insensitive to the spiders have now adopted a ‘catch and release’ policy

So happy ending

[Snowbird]

I highly recommend getting a few of these for your office:

They make it easy to be good. Works like a charm, and reduces the chance of harm to the insect in the process. These are probably also good:

[enra]

Can recommend this too.

It’s amazing how the dhamma can change you. May we never be separated from the dhamma again until the path is walked to the end.