One of the central tenets of Buddhism is treating all living things with respect. This principle was on my mind yesterday as I discovered a large spider had created a web between my wife’s car and a nearby fence.
I knew I had to do something, since my wife doesn’t care much for spiders, and I couldn’t just let her walk into the thing this morning. It wouldn’t be fair to her, or the spider, really. So I decided to try to move it, as gently as I could, to a new home. I picked it up (with a stick, mind you) and moved it to a more appropriate place, away from the car. In doing so, I felt more compassion for the spider than I expected. It was a beautiful creature, really, and it was scared. I wish I could have just let it be, but we have to live together (spiders and humans) and I’d like to think I treated it with respect.
4 responses so far ↓
CLM // August 28, 2007 at 10:59 am
This is something I do quite often. I am forever removing insects and spiders from the house and releasing them outside. My children have watched me do this and are pretty okay with bugs and will just live and let live (with the exception of cockroaches that is, we live in the south).
Josh Hohman // August 29, 2007 at 4:59 am
Sorry, but you lost me on this one…
Jettie // August 29, 2007 at 10:49 am
Do not fully agree with Josh - mind you, I am not at all happy with a spider in my house, spiders really can make me jump. The other day, this big spider suddenly ran towards the chair I was sitting on - sorry to say, but I crushed it… But I tend to make a difference between the spiders that make a web - I find these not as scary as the ‘hunter’ ones, that run -very fast- around the house. The web-ones I try not to disturbe, and gently move them if they are in an awkward spot, but the running ones…. not a rational response, I know..
onegoodturn // August 29, 2007 at 6:14 pm
I can understand people being afraid of spiders–after all, it seems to be a strongly programmed biological instinct.
I’ve read, though, that spiders very, very rarely cause any harm to people, and that most of the “spider bites” people get are in fact something else entirely. When was the last time you actually saw a spider bite someone? I don’t think I ever have. I’m not sure why people make this assumption.
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