‘Neither getting nor keeping the desired, as well as enduring the disliked is universal…’

The sky is gray.
As Tsuki and I made our daily trek down the street, the air thick with moisture pumped up by the gulf during the night, I knew without a shadow of a doubt it was going to start raining again. And soon. By the end of the day, at least.

Last month we were ‘blessed’ (ahem) with 12.95 inches of rain. And with all that rain, certain creatures that are usually happy to stay outdoors are seeking refuge inside my house.

A squirrel, for example, has taken refuge inside my attic. I see him scurrying up the pine tree beside the house, here he jumps from the higher limbs onto the roof, and then goes inside through a vent. He stops, turns, and shakes his fuzzy ass at me every morning before scurrying up the tree.

I’m contemplating buying an air gun and popping him in the butt with it.

I don’t mind the squirrel too much, as long as other forms of rodentia find their way inside. I don’t mind the spiders and the odd moth that finds its way inside. I capture them and put them back out, usually in one of the canna gardens.

This morning, however, I discovered a roach.

Yes.
A.Roach.

Can I get an ewww!!!

It was scurrying across the table next to my chair. Without thinking, I reached up, grabbed my copy of Heart Treasure and was about to smack it good when JW said, “Wait, you aren’t supposed to be hurting anything, and especially NOT with Dilgo Khentse.”

I stopped, the roach flipped me off and scurried underneath the table where I lost track of it.

JW of course, had a valid point. I’m not supposed to hurt anything. Especially not with the Venerable Dilgo.

But it’s a roach for Goddess sake!

Can I get another ewww??????

So what is a junior Bird Woman to do?

I could catch it and put it outside, but then it’ll tell all its buggy friends and I’ll have the damned things partying in my walls.

If I kill it, I could possibly be doing it a favor. After all, who wants to spend their existence as a cockroach? Could I be aiding it in exhausting its negative karma by putting it out of my misery?

But then again, I did say I would not harm anything. It’s part of the set of vows I recite every day, three times a day. If I cause harm then I invalidate my vows, but then again…

It’s a frakking roach!!!

Why am I ethically standing on the stool over this?

After all, how many roaches do you know that are enlightened?

So, here’s what I’m going to do. For good or ill, I’m not sure, but something has to be done, otherwise JW and I will be inundated with these things. And that’s simply not acceptable.

I’m putting out poison. I just don’t see any choice in the matter. Yes, I said I wouldn’t harm anything, but…ugh….

They are, of course, under no obligation to eat it, but if they do, then oh well….

And I’ll apologize and say Potala prayers for each and every one that kicks it.

END OF LINE.