12 March, BBC online
A group of Buddhist monks in Malaysia is appealing for help to solve a problem with ants. Buddhism forbids devotees from harming any living creature.
So the monks are looking for a creative and non-violent solution to deal with the insects, which are biting worshippers.
The monks at the Ang Hock Si Temple, also known as the Hong Hock See temple, in Georgetown on Penang Island have had to learn to live with nature…
The ants are dropping from the temple’s sacred bodhi tree onto people meditating below – and when they bite it causes painful swelling.
The Venerable Boon Keng practises what he calls “letting go” meditation – so he “lets go” of the pain.
But out of consideration for worshippers less far along the path to enlightenment the monks are looking for ways to persuade the ants to go.
An attempt to remove them using a vacuum cleaner failed, so the Buddhist community is appealing for help.
Full story at the BBC
Via Tim Chapman