Philosophical question that I'm mulling over in my brain.
This morning while I was sweeping, I noticed a tiny ant. At first I thought it was a flea.
I swept it up into the dust bin, and then realized it was a small ant.
The question I'm trying to decide at the moment is, did I violate my daily vow to treat all beings with compassion?
It still lived, I was gentle with emptying the dustbin and saw it moving on a paper towel...
I think about things like this, often.
@NiveusLepus
Me too. If it helps, Buddha said something to the effect that intent is what matters most when it comes to killing a living thing- death is as much a part of life as making mistakes. Paraphrased but I think he was actually addressing your same dilemma.
One of my greatest teachers was a zen master who always said “It’s all about school”.
Indeed it is.
@NiveusLepus
Well said. I like that. I've wondered sometimes if our species' primary challenge is just to wrestle with and learn about ourselves. A big job!