Buddhists seek help with ant problem

GEORGETOWN, Malaysia, March 12 (UPI) -- A group of Malaysian Buddhist monks, who are forbidden from harming living creatures, are seeking help with a fire ant infestation.

The monks at the Ang Hock Si Temple in Georgetown say they are seeking imaginative non-violent solutions to stop the fire ants from biting worshippers, the BBC reported Monday.

The head monk at the temple, the Venerable Boon Keng, said the ants drop from the temple's sacred bodhi tree and bite worshippers meditating. Keng said the ants are not a problem for he and other monks who practice what he referred to as "letting go" meditation, which entails "letting go" of the pain, but he is looking to displace the ants out of consideration for those who practice less advanced meditation.

Keng said an attempt to relocate the ants using a vacuum cleaner failed.

He said the temple's Buddhists cannot encourage anyone to harm the ants but if someone were to kill the insects without the monks' knowledge it would be seen as the will of the universe.