om mani padma hung

Dress (worn as a skirt)- Dynamite (worn like this); Tank & Shoes- Thrifted; Vest & Necklace- Smart Set; Nail Polish- Baby Blue by Nicole by OPI

I recently read a very interesting article in Macleans (a liberal Canadian magazine) entitled "Pest Control for Vegans."  It talked about how vegetarian and vegan restauranteers struggle with the issue of killing pests (like rodents and bugs) for the fear of being labelled as 'hypocritical.'  Some believe that a clean kitchen is more important than a clean conscience where as other argue that you should bring the same morals used in food preparation to the issue of pest control.

I've been a vegetarian for the past five years for animal rights but even though I wasn't raised in a meatless home, my Mum instilled in me the importance of respecting all living creatures.  When it rained, my Mum would bundle up myself, my younger sister and the kids from the home daycare she ran.  We would save the homeless worms by picking them up with keys (or our bare hands, depending on the day) and dig holes for them in the dirt.  If a spider was in the house my sister and I weren't allowed to kill it, instead we would trap the spider with a glass and a magazine to bring outside.  To this very day I make sure to avoid stepping on worms and (if no one's looking), I'll pick them up and move them away from danger.  Just last night my arachnophobic boyfriend asked me to deal with the huge spider who was lurking in our living room so I whisked it outside with a credit card bill and beer mug.

Buddhists suggest chanting the prayer "Om Mani Padma Hung" for every bug you step on or for every rodent you kill so that they are born as a human in their next life with the chance of being enlightened (although I could do without mosquitos, maggots, ants and hornets being re-born thank you very much!)  

Have a fab weekend everyone and the next time you're thinking of squashing that spider think to yourself "what would Tinfoil Tiaras do?" and maybe send a Buddhist prayer its way! ;)