Question asked by Wai Leong
Dear Rinpoche,
I would like to ask a basic yet complicated questions. In Buddhist teachings, it says we must not kill. All living things have life but do all of them have souls? As a PhD student working in the laboratory, we constantly culturing parasites in millions of numbers. Parasites do have life e.g they can move they can crawl and they can infect our cells.
In addition, our lab is doing tests by killing the parasites (they cant be seen thru naked eye). Does this will also generate negative karma?
A more relevant metaphor is do you generate negative karma if you try to kill parasites/ bacteria?
Would really wanna know. Thanks!
Dear Wai Leong,
As long as you are in samsara, due the power of our karma we will do harm one way or another always. The point is to do less and also do not have the motivation to harm is essential.
There are many factors to karma so do not worry too much at this point. Please carry on with your lab experiments because from this a greater good will arise.
I thank you for visiting and I wish you tremendous luck.
Do Medicine Buddha puja (short one) daily and it will help in beings you harm unintentionally also help you in your work in the future. Be very devoted to Medicine Buddha for purification, blessings, wisdom and healing. Much prayers, Tsem Rinpoche