Guilt feeling for "Himsa": Mindspace story


"Guilt of murder": Never feel guilty, after the event!

http://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/mindspace/2019/jul/22/the-guilt-of-murder-weighs-me-down-2007488.html

I'm interested in following Shevlin Sebastian's advice in the last paragraph. Not very practical, though! Two days back I killed a beautiful young centepede which was moving around in the drawing room of our 20th floor flat. According to Vaikom Muhammed Basheer that fellow and I have equal right to survive on this planet. Unfortunately, at one moment, I was more powerful and "intelligent"😊
M G Warrier

Shri C V Subbaraman, Mysuru observed:

For morning to be good, it should not start with stories of murder! But it is now unavoidable. 

I appreciate your confession that you had to kill a centipede, the intruder into your drawing room. In the country of the centipedes you would be charged with cold blooded murder and convicted if proven. Please take care for a proper defense. If the sentence does not state that more centipedes be sent to your drawing room, you should thank the Almighty.....perhaps, I would have done exactly  what you did if I were in your situation that day. Therefore you can take comfort that you have at least one companion in such murderous action. 

I do recognize the right of every being to live as much as I live; however, whether I live by exercise of my right to live, or live even without that right  has to be thought over at leisure. We often advocate vegetarianism following this philosophy.  But I can certainly assert that I am far "better"(?) than Shevlin Sebastian, not because I have been a vegetarian for over 85 years now, but because  for I do not deliberately kill a kitchen ant or a cockroach, whether flying type or moving type- the American, Oriental or Dubia varieties.( I am told that there are numerous varieties, may be over 4000 species of cockroaches).

  My better half and children are terribly afraid of them. But mostly they don't kill any cockroach found strayed into our apartment but send me an SOS with shrieks that would rush me to their aid. I would find them rushing to safety perched on the dining table, chairs, beds, or even on kitchen platforms, before sending the SOS.   I just catch the unlawful  intruders with my fingers or closed palm and throw them alive outside through windows. Let the poor creatures survive outside in natural surroundings or find their graves elsewhere and not within my premises. I am not joking. I am saying the hard truth.  Sometimes, we find a hitherto found harmless black bugs intruding into our premises in Mysuru; I have not seen it in other cities. I just pick them between my index finger and thumb, gently so that they are not crushed, and put them outside the door or window.

I am sure that this generosity will not however be shown by me if I ever were to find a scorpion or centipede. I am sure about this. Our practice of Ahimsa philosophy has its limitations, dictated by our perception of what is safe for US and not what is safe for others. I do not think I should regret this selective approach to practicing Ahimsa. I would seek pardon of the Lord for such patent partiality. If the Lord cares, He should not send such intruders into my premises. I would pray for this.
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