Talk about pest control.

Is there any creature more terrifying than the scorpion? They pack quite a lot of punch, despite their tiny bodies. And a lot of flavor, too.

Rod Meade Sperry9 September 2009

Is there any creature more terrifying than the scorpion? They pack quite a lot of punch, despite their tiny bodies. And – apparently – they pack a lot of flavor, too.

That’s why Thailand’s Suang Puangsri has served up countless thousands of them, as “snacks.” So why has he had a change of heart?

Puangrsi, a Buddhist, tells Reuters:

“Although I was happy to have money, I felt suffering deep inside as they were being harmed by me,” he told Reuters. “I felt scared that I was committing a sin.”

He’s even given up a whole floor of his home to raising scorpions – 4600 of them. Reuters: “Suang is so determined to atone for his past sins that he even buys scorpions from other people who want to sell them to restaurants. When the arachnids become too many, he and his son release a few hundred back into the forest.”

That may seem like a bit much, but then, we’ve seen Buddhist organizations do things like release caught lobsters back into the ocean. After all, as the Dalai Lama once said, every being just wants to have the chance to live, and to live a happy life. So, go, Suang Puangrsi!

Rod Meade Sperry

Rod Meade Sperry

Rod Meade Sperry is the editor of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Guide (published by Lion’s Roar), and the book A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation: Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with his partner and their tiny pup, Sid.