07 Aug 2020
[Smt. Tinku K. asked: Jai Guru Datta! In pravṛtti life, I have to take care of my body. It is my dharma and if I do not take care of my body it is a sin. I read one of Your discourses in which You said that, to maintain a healthy body, one should sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours between 9 in the night to 5 in the morning. But Gurudeva, in my home, there are so many mosquitoes and because of them, I am unable to sleep at night and in the afternoon also. I am just able to sleep for 4 or 5 hours per a day. Also, there is a risk of getting different types of fevers due to mosquito bites. So, in this situation, is it a sin to kill mosquitoes? Is not sleeping properly to maintain a healthy body also a sin? Please give me knowledge in this situation Guruji.]
Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! One day, a devotee visited Shri Rāmakrishna Paramahamsa. Paramahamsa was busy searching for bedbugs in His cot and killing them. The devotee was surprised to see this. Paramahamsa told him that those bedbugs were troubling Him when He would sit on His cot for meditation upon God. He further told that He would even violate any justice, if it became a hindrance on the way to reach God. Food, physical exercise and proper sleep are very very essential for both physical and mental health, which is very much needed for spiritual efforts. Hence, there is no sin in killing any living being that harms you. Make all the necessary arrangements to kill the mosquitoes. This is an offensive measure. At least, you must follow defensive measures like putting a mosquito net. Health is the most important requirement not only for materialistic efforts, but also for spiritual efforts.
Keywords:
| Shri Datta Swami | Is killing mosquitoes and not maintaining the body in good health sin? | Pravrutti Ramakrishna Raamakrishna
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