do Buddhists/ Hindu ppl, kill headlice or cockroaches?

Question

i know this is a stupid question...no mean answers, ok? I want to know, because don't these two religions have something about not harming living creatures? Even those considered pests? I know they wont hurt spiders, but I was wondering about lice and roaches?

Answer 1

One of the basic Vedic/Buddhist principles is "Paro Dharma Ahimsa" which means the best path is one of non violence (Ahimsa), in the material world however, another principle is "jiva jivasijivanam" which means, one life must exist off another.

Therefore in the Vedic scripture, there is no duplicity regarding vegetarianism, because the plant and vegetable foodstuffs, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables etc are accepted by God if offered in sacrifice, making the foodstuffs purified and consequently allow us to make spiritual advancement, even when eating.

As for headlice, cockroaches and general pests etc, a Vaisnava or Buddhist will not kill any living entity, cleanliness is the best deterent for all types of pests, therefore those who are serious about spiritual life will keep their environment and physical bodies very clean, so as not to attract such living entities.


Perhaps the following verse from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is may
shed further light on your thoughtful question, Chapter 5 Verse 18

The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

Purport by HDG A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brāhmaṇa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow, and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramātmā, is present in everyone's heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge. As far as the bodies are concerned in different castes or different species of life, the Lord is equally kind to everyone because He treats every living being as a friend yet maintains Himself as Paramātmā regardless of the circumstances of the living entities. The Lord as Paramātmā is present both in the outcaste and in the brāhmaṇa, although the body of a brāhmaṇa and that of an outcaste are not the same. The bodies are material productions of different modes of material nature, but the soul and the Supersoul within the body are of the same spiritual quality. The similarity in the quality of the soul and the Supersoul, however, does not make them equal in quantity, for the individual soul is present only in that particular body whereas the Paramātmā is present in each and every body. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has full knowledge of this, and therefore he is truly learned and has equal vision. The similar characteristics of the soul and Supersoul are that they are both conscious, eternal and blissful. But the difference is that the individual soul is conscious within the limited jurisdiction of the body whereas the Supersoul is conscious of all bodies. The Supersoul is present in all bodies without distinction.

To discuss further:-Sriman Sankarshan Das Adhikari ([e-mail])

Answer 2

That's a very good question. I was thinking the same about mosquitoes. I don't think lice would be a problem for monks because they shave their heads. Maybe the put cockroaches in bottles and then put them outside.

Answer 3

Well. Yes. We do not take the idea of non violence to such extremes. Buddhism is all about being moderate. And Hinduism is quite practical.

We call it "Apad dharma"(Dharma in dire situations). LOL

Answer 4

In every faith it is not allowed to harm living creatures. But natural food chain, natural life cycle and natural servival cycle can not be stoped.

The follower of Bhagwat Gita, Upanishads, Puranas, and Vedas, normally we called them Hindu ( But Hindu means not the follower of what I mentioned before, but this is not time to discuss this matter), thinks that it is prohabitted to eat meat because it is not allowed to harm living things.

In fact it is mentioned in their books that their holy personalities actually eat meat and eating meat is not forbiden. This is a misconcept. If you realize most of the things like plants trees they are also living things and we can eat them means we are killing a living thing. In madical Bactareas, and Germs are also living things but we intend to kill them to save our selves.

God almighty has made a chain of servival or food chain. And in natural food chain it is not forbiden to eat meat which allowed by Almighty.

Yes just for recreation and for fun killing animals, killing or destroying plants, or any living thing is forbiden strictly by Almighty God. Its a one of the begest sin to kill any living thing just for fun or recreation or just for please our self.

God knows best.

Answer 5

im not shure but mabey the towels on there heads have somthing to do with it.