As a contractor that works in attics a lot, we encounter bees. The knee jerk reaction is to spray (kill) them before they sting you. Last week I noticed bees had made a nest in the ground very near to the front entrance of my house. Not wanting anyone to get stung, I instinctively went for the bee spray. It’s just a hole in the ground, and I managed to kill a half dozen, but a few hours later they were busy going in and out as normal.
I decided to try a natural way to make them go elsewhere and I turned the hose on and flooded the area, thinking maybe they’d decide it was a bad spot to make a nest. No dice. Miraculously, they were unphased.
In the morning I read and journal. I was reading a summary of the Bhagavad Gita, which was written between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC. The Gita consists of a conversation between Krishna, the supreme manifestation of the Lord himself, and the warrior-prince Arjuna, before the start of the Kurukshetra War. Krishna is advising Arjuna as he hesitates in moral confusion over the challenges of going to war.
Viewed allegorically, the war represents the perennial struggle between good and evil within each of us and Krishna’s wisdom points the way to following the yogic path of living in harmony with universal laws as we strive to live our highest truths.
Anyway, in my reading I came across these words “He alone who truly sees the Lord the same in every creature, seeing the same Lord everywhere, he does not harm himself or others.”
Reading and learning the right stuff is one thing. Applying it is quite another.
I thought about the quotation. I pondered it. Then I thought about all the beautiful flowers I had planted in front of my house and how I enjoyed seeing different ones bloom each month. I thought about my friend Roy Spencer who keeps bees in a hive and the honey he gave me.
I decided to let the bees alone. Now each day I’d walk by and say hello and make sure they were ok by seeing them busily go in and out of the little hole in the ground.
I feel better, they feel better, I have less to worry about and feel more in harmony with the universe and its perfection.
Let me leave you with this from Albert Einstein –
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us “universe”; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of spiritual delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison.”
Had they been wasps ?. Good reminder Larry. Be blessed today.
This is a great reason to be a vegan or vegetarian. There is a daily massacre going on of thousands of innocent animals so we humans who think we are the only important creatures can eat. But today there is plenty of non animal food with way more health benefits available to all of us. It sounds like Krishna and Albert would agree.
Hi Larry: The “geek” in me was happy to have to look up the meaning of “allegorically”. Thanks for helping me expand my vocabulary today!
I thought you were actually talking about Yellow Jackets a type of wasp.
Here is what I found: https://entomology.cals.cornell.edu/extension/wild-pollinators/native-bees-your-backyard/
Respect all living things. In the movie Avatar there is a scene where they kill an animal to eat and they stop and say a small prayer as the animal dies. Showing respect and genuine purpose for what you do matters.
One of the basic tenets of the Unitarian Church is that we believe in the interdependent web, of which we are all a part. Incidentally, your cousin, Lisa, became a vegetarian at the age of seven after reading “Charlotte’s Web”!
I love this explorative journey you are on Larry
From what you are describing it sounds like yellow jackets/wasps. Solitary bees live in the ground in multiple holes. Usually live alone hence the name solitary bee. While yellow jackets/wasps can be beneficial they are aggressive and will become more aggressive as winter approaches. Unlike a bee that can only sting once, the yellow jacket or wasp can sting multiple times. Being a beekeeper myself, they are an enemy of the honeybee and often try to raid the hives in the fall. I do respect all living creatures and will try to relocate if possible, but if you become a threat, it’s war!!! I’m sure most people would not let termites eat their home, or sit idly by as mosquito’s eat you up. just saying………
I’m glad to see you included some advice for the many whom are less spiritually developed, to help them understand that we are all part of the one, and hopefully they got a better understanding, that as you harm anything outside of yourself, you are harming the one. Good to see you put it out there; thank you.
Just half way through the book, very interesting read indeed. It is my first book out of 105 I plan to read from Nabokov’s list. Slowly rebuilding library I left behind in Ukraine. Obviously I disagree with views on women but given time frame when it was written those are expected. I wonder if Arjun will find his answer by the end of the poem. We all have to find our own answers in life, build our own values scale.
I’m really feeling the new tracks that you’ve been releasing! Thanks for the upbeat tempos with your words of wisdom I definitely like it!
Amen brother
Love it