About Stepping on that Bug
This morning I went out to mow the lawn. Well, in truth, I went out to shorten the weeds. If I don’t do something, the mustard weeds, thistles and cheat grass take over the yard.
As I was pushing along, not thinking about much of anything, I saw a black bug out in front of the mower. My first thought was to run over him, just because I could. My second thought was, ”Why?” I liked the second thought better. I think I just barely passed the test. I went around the bug.
I remember as a little boy, my mother told me about this weird Indian religion that didn’t believe in stepping on bugs, but carried brooms to sweep their path so no bug would be stepped on. In the years since, I have studied eastern religions (and also early Christianity) almost obsessively, and found that religion to be Jainism.
The western perception is they refrain from killing bugs because they believe in reincarnation, and worry that the bug just might be their grandmother, or something like that. That may be a part of the motive, but I think there may be more to it than that.
A fundamental difference between most eastern religions; Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. and most western religions is the object of their efforts in this life. Most eastern religions are all about improving yourself to make this life better. If you allow the right spirit to dwell in you, and learn the right choices, your life here will be happier and more satisfying. There is little push for believers to convert others or tell others where they might be sinning—the emphasis is on knowing yourself.
On the other hand, most western religions; Christianity, Islam, etc, are focused on having the correct conception of God, and the correct doctrines to believe, and the correct actions we must do to be saved. A lot of emphasis is on convincing others they are wrong and converting them to the “truth.”
When that bug first came into my awareness, my thoughts could have been about whether killing that bug is against some religious law, or whether I could end up in a bad place for killing that bug. Well. the Good Book says nothing about killing bugs, so I guess I don’t have to worry about hell, do I?
Hinduism has a plethora of gods who are in opposition to each other, warring for controlling your life. (They also say there is only one god with different attributes, so they have the same metaphysical problem as Trinitarian Christians.) They have Shiva, the Destroyer, and Rama, the Creator. We all have elements of both within us at all times. Which way do we go? Which spirit will we allow to control us?
Buddhism teaches us to study our every action, and try to determine the consequences. As we study, and modify our actions to achieve better outcomes, we will insure a happier life for ourselves and those around us.
What difference would a bug make? Very little, unless you also believe, as Buddhists do, that we are all interconnected—our lives are not lived in isolation to all life around us. Maybe killing that bug wouldn’t make a lot of difference to me. But it tells me something about my own spirit. I need to improve my empathy and loving spirit. If I would step on a bug without a second thought, would I also go to Africa and shoot a old lion dead just because I can? Would I beat up an old beggar on the street just because I think he needs it?
There is a aspect of Christianity that is much ignored, but expresses the same belief. Paul mentions it in 1 Corinthians 13, Matthew chapters 5 and 6 also make it plain, and Matthew 25 explains how we will be judged. But just doing the deeds so we can get to heaven and avoid the fires of hell isn’t going to get you there. We must have the spirit of love within us, and any deeds we do are just manifestations of that spirit dwelling in us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness and faith, meekness and temperance. Galatians 5:22,23.
Jesus said, “If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the Kingdom is in the sky.’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea.’ then the fish will precede you.
Rather the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the Sons of the Living Father. The Gospel of Thomas verse 3.
To kill that bug or not is a test of my spirit. I know my spirit passed a tiny little test. I’m happy today!
Don Rogers
April 30, 2016
