Hello!

So the same laptop I am typing this very message on became infested with tiny little black ants somehow over the past few days. The power cord is plugged in right next to my back door and it seems as though they were following the cord all the way to the laptop and wanted to make it their new home or something. I had a bunch of em popping in and out of the keys and traveling up and down the cord towards the door.

Naturally I went and bought some ant killer, sprayed the door and the cord and went to work with a hanky taking out all the lil fellas one by one all over my laptop.

I think it was about midway into the act that I began to feel a little... idk... guilty? Like maybe I had some other options that didn't involve committing genocide on this family of insects, like perhaps taking the computer outside and using a keyboard cleaner to blow them all off. I feel kind of bad about doing it actually.

Should I feel bad about this or am I just slightly crazy? Is killing insects immoral?

Prodigy,

Basically you answered this question yourself. There are other options available. So no ant-genocide required... ;)

But as long as you are not conscious of any other option - there is no real guilt on your side. You didn't know it better - or at least, couldn't think of it at that point. Most likely because you simply followed your old habits without rethinking them.

So, now you know that you don't have to terminate the life-experience of our little friends here in PMR. If you now still go about and spray them with insecticedes - well, then you most likely are in for a lesson... ;)

So, don't blame yourself. Learn from it. Wish those ants a pleasant journey and don't do it again.

_________________
"Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way,
Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world."

- Dao de jing, 1.

I go camping with my family on a regular basis, they murder droves of innocent insects, for fun. The slaughter of insects is in no way an issue of morality. I'm a 35 year old man that tries to explain to the other adults in my family, that there are simply other options which exhaust equal energy but do not require the genocide of entire insect populations. They laugh very hard right into my face, and think I'm a complete moron for considering the well being of insects. I've given up on them, but they're children listen to me intently and agree killing insects is bad, or at least not necessary. Hopefully I can help curb the vicious cycle of serial bug killers in my family, and get us pointed in the right direction :) The fact that you are even thinking about the little guys and feel some shred of guilt, makes me think you should be pretty proud of yourself!

haha, I guess this post is a pretty good representation of my current entropy level. On the one hand I'm still one of those humans who's first instinct is to KILL the problem away, with complete disregard for the experience packets of those consciousnesses who's PMR vehicles I destroy.... and on the other hand, I am a human who feels really bad about killing ants! Enough to vow to try my best never to do it again when there are other options available and then come to this forum and post about it. : D

I guess I am on the right track, but I still have plenty more growing to do. (i suppose that could be said for most everyone)

Prodigy,

be careful with vows. Rather promise it to yourself. Don't gamble with deals you might not be able to finish.

A broken vow is a much more serious issue than a broken promise you give to yourself.

When you vow you do that before something/someone or towards something/someone - be that a god, the LCS or whatever. These things should not be done lightheartedly.

A vow equals a contract with another person - a promise (in this case) is like a contract you set up with yourself.

Just as a side-note... ;)

_________________
"Beyond the gate of experience flows the Way,
Which is ever greater and more subtle than the world."

- Dao de jing, 1.

In a video interview on youtube, Tom and Dennis Mennerich (the first two volunteers to work in Robert Monroe's laboratory) talk about how they stopped killing bees once they became aware of the consciousness of all living things. Tom suggests that choices like these come naturally - we should aim to 'be good' rather than 'do good'. :)

_________________
I am change. No part of me stagnates - this is an illusion.

I recently realized I'm calmly seeing what is on me and blowing it off me rather than swatting at it automatically.
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

So if you see mosquitos on you, you just let them bite you?

If there were lots of spiders in your bed, you'd just decide to share it with them?

I tend very much toward the live and let live mode myself .... I will take the trouble to, say, catch a moth that is in the bathroom and release it outdoors. Misquitoes, though .... if they even think of landing on me, it's over for them. If the LSC wants'm back, it can reconstitute him. Too, up here we have some kind of 'wolf spider', which, like many creatures, find their way into the house pretty easily. A bite from one of those leaves a four inch welt that lasts for months. So: No mercy there. Ants are almost never a problem here though ... few carpenter ants and red ants don't come in the house... the rest are welcome as far as I'm concerned... they clean up debris that I missed, I assume.

That's just how I deal with it... not making any recommendations.


Montana

I clearly said I remove them from me. A cat that lives here brings live bugs into my bed for me which I have to tell him thanks but no thanks and remove it from my bed sending it on a ride. :)
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.