Master Jing Jie - The best way to deal with pests without killing 不造殺業之下,你處理蟲害的最好方式

(English Subtitles) Lectured by Master Jìng Jiè (淨界法師) from Taiwan.
Subtitles:
I want to asked, If pests such as fleas, mosquitoes, cockroaches appear in our daily life and threaten our health, what attitude should I adopt towards them so as not to violate the precept of not killing?
This is our non-actively bad cause and occasion. That is, the circumstance inducted by our shared karma. Buddha talked about this issue in Bodhisattva precepts and Śrāvaka precepts. We summarize it into three principles.
First, avoid them as much as possible. If you have learned the Bodhisattva precepts, Buddha tells you not to enter troubled places. What are troubled places? This is a place where you are prone to get into trouble that could endanger your life.
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Second, it could hinder your precepts. You shouldn't go to these places. As an ordinary practitioner, you are not qualified to say: “I clearly know there are tigers in the mountain, but I want to go up the mountain.” Who can say this word? Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Manjusri Bodhisattva are qualified to say so. This is to cultivate the mind through things and turn adversity into the path of Bodhi. If you are ordinary, follow one rule: Avoid bad cause and occasion. Because your roots of virtue are too weak, you are just a small tree and cannot withstand the ravages of the storm. You have to protect your roots of virtue. So, Buddha tells us: If there are many rogues at one place, you shouldn't go. If there are many ants in this state, lots of ants full of the house, and you are prone to step on ants,
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you shouldn't go to live in this state. Avoid it. Because you have no choice but to protect your body of precept. The former will endanger your life, and the latter will greatly hinder you from keeping the precepts. So, you should avoid those troubles endangering life and the troubles against precepts. This is the top policy and the best solution. Quickly make use of your life to create a relatively stable circumstance and go to the Pure Land.
As for the follow-up matters, you can deal with these bad karma after you achieve the Dharma body in the Pure Land. In the face of bad karma, first of all, avoid it if you can. This is the highest guiding principle and the topmost policy, that's to avoid bad karma.
The medium policy, since I can't avoid it, I face it.
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When facing it, we have to have compassion. Try our best to communicate with them. Since we met, we must have destined bond. You appeared in my house, we surely have bonds in the past lives. Then you try your best to recite Buddha and mantra, and transfer merits to the beings in your house every day, and hoped everybody get along peacefully.
It's like that we lived in the mountains, many cockroaches, ants often roamed in the house. Even there are tall trees behind, sometimes have ghosts. Our temple is in the mountain, huts are far apart from each others, and we are often disturbed by ghosts. We have no choice but to confront them. Otherwise, where can you live?
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So we told them: Go elsewhere, and don't disturb our sleep. Then we recite mantra before bed every day to protect ourselves. That is, we need to reach a consensus.
In fact, animals can communicate with us to some extent. You can tell them sincerely: You have your own space for activity, I have my own space for activity, and we do not bother each other. This is the medium policy. Try to communicate with your past karmic creditors as sincerely as possible. In other words, I don't want to hurt you, but I also hope that you won't disturb my living space. We live our own lives. This is the second, the medium policy.
The third is the bottom policy, just deal with it. You have disturbed my continuity of life. For example, you spread serious virus.
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Or you are preventing me from keeping the precepts. For example, the whole house is full of ants. This has affected my observance of the precepts, and I have no choice but to deal with this matter. Under the premise that life is threatened and Buddhist deeds are hindered, Buddha allows us to deal with it. Then at this moment, it's difficult to avoid bad causes and occasions.
But must keep your bottom line not to commit sin, not to commit killing karma. How not to commit killing karma? I tell you the original world of the Buddha. The smart people like you know how to do.
Buddha said: There is a lawn in the monastery. When you mow the lawn, you can easily kill beings. If you don't mow them, you could get bit by a hidden snake as you walk by. What to do if monks can't mow? You go and bring a layman.
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You point to the sickle and say: “This is a sickle, and this is grass. You see, the grass is very long. What to do? You just do what you see.” This is what Buddha said. He said that this is sickle, and that is grass. You see, are the grasses very long? What do you need to do now? Just do what you need to do. I didn't tell you to kill life but tell you to do what you see.