Consider before you buy…turtles carry Salmonella
Salmonella isn’t just a food-borne illness. Turtles and other reptiles carry Salmonella bacteria, which can be easily transmitted to people. A small turtle may seem harmless, giving parents a false sense that they’re a safe pet for children. But they’re not. The disease risk is so great that selling small turtles is illegal in the United States.
Salmonella is especially dangerous for children and senior citizens
In 2007, a baby girl in Florida died from Salmonella that was traced back to a pet turtle. The turtle was sold illegally at a flea market and given to the family.
Salmonella usually gives people a few miserable days of fever and diarrhea, but some end up in the hospital with life-threatening complications. Children and people with weak immune systems are most at risk. Additionally, a small number of people with Salmonella infections later develop Reiter’s syndrome, which causes pain in their joints and can lead to chronic arthritis.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says: Do not have a turtle in any household that includes children under five, the elderly, or people who have lowered natural resistance to disease due to pregnancy, cancer, chemotherapy, organ transplants, diabetes, liver problems or other diseases.
Source: The Humane Society of the United States
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha on Vulture Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta’s departure. There, referring to Devadatta, he addressed the monks: “Monks, it’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on his own failings. It’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on the failings of others. It’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on his own attainments. It’s good for a monk periodically to have reflected on the attainments of others.
“Conquered by eight untrue dhammas, his mind overcome, Devadatta is headed for a state of deprivation, headed for hell, there to stay for an eon, incurable. Which eight?
“Conquered by material gain, his mind overcome, Devadatta is headed for a state of deprivation, headed for hell, there to stay for an eon, incurable.
“Conquered by lack of material gain…
“Conquered by status…
“Conquered by lack of status…
“Conquered by offerings…
“Conquered by lack of offerings…
“Conquered by evil ambition…
“Conquered by evil friendship, his mind overcome, Devadatta is headed for a state of deprivation, headed for hell, there to stay for an eon, incurable.
“Monks, it’s good for a monk to keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain. It’s good for a monk to keep conquering again & again any arisen lack of material gain… any arisen status… any arisen lack of status… any arisen offerings… any arisen lack of offerings… any arisen evil ambition… any arisen evil friendship.
“And for what compelling reason should a monk keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain… any arisen evil friendship? Because when one dwells not having conquered any arisen material gain, effluents arise, along with vexations & fevers. But when one dwells having conquered any arisen material gain, those effluents, vexations, & fevers are not.
[Similarly with any arisen lack of material gain, any arisen status, any arisen lack of status, any arisen offerings, any arisen lack of offerings, any arisen evil ambition, & any arisen evil friendship.]
“It’s for this compelling reason that a monk should keep conquering again & again any arisen material gain… any arisen evil friendship. Continue reading
Generosity, virtue and meditation are the essences that we can extract from our life. ~Ven. Ariya Nani
The three trainings in virtue, concentration, and wisdom enable a practitioner to suppress
or abandon the different levels of defilements. But only the practice of vipassana meditation
is able to completely uproot them. ~Ven. Ariya Nani
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ~James 2:14-26 ESV