Q: Master Lu, I accidently killed a dog while I was driving today. At that time, I gave the owner $100 in compensation, but I still feel very uneasy. Can you please advise me on what else I should do?
A:
- You feel uneasy because you are affected by your spirituality and conscience. As we cultivate our minds and change our behaviour, we are in fact cultivating our spirituality.
- If you have killed an animal (e.g. a dog) on the road, you should help its spirit ascend to a higher spiritual realm as soon as possible. You should treat the animal with the same kindness as you would towards a human being, otherwise you may face problems with your lower back or legs. Just giving money to the owner of the dog is not that effective.
- You should recite the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance 7 times per day for seven days, and recite the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra many times: 108 times per day for seven days. Meanwhile, you should also recite 3 to 4 Little Houses and address them to the “Karmic Creditor of <your full name>”. Thinking about the dog before you recite the Little Houses would help.
- Large animals often have large spirits, and therefore we should not kill or eat them. If you have accidentally killed or harmed animals in the past, you need to sincerely repent and help the spirits ascend to a higher spiritual realm.
- If an animal has been killed on the road by other people, it is best not to touch its remains. It is not recommended that you perform recitations and help its spirit ascend to a higher spiritual realm, as it might lead to unnecessary issues. However, if you have already considered it, then you must recite the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra for this particular animal.