If we start with little bugs...

You should read some Douglas Adams, you would enjoy it.

 I echo the previous comment, good for you for recognizing the sanctity of all life, no matter how small.  I even go out of my way to help things not get killed by others; in my area of North Vancouver there are a lot of slugs (probably thousands in the woods) and when my wife and I are walking along paths, if we find any of them trying to cross that path we will pick them up and put them on the other side, so that they dont get squished by others coming along the path.  Silly, I know, but its karma.

 I recall that buddhist monks go to great lengths to now kill any creature, even a lowly earthworm, because they believe in reincarnation, and that worm could be a long lost relative, reincarnated.

Way to go Asaf!

Respect for others begins with the smallest forms of life. It's so common for people to just smite smaller beings for being "annoying" or some other excuse. It seems like it's a power complex in us. It's like we kill the ones we can to make up for all the ones we can't.

What I noticed when I stopped killing things was how good I felt for removing myself from that destructive stream of thought. It also occurred to me that I "could" kill this small thing, but choosing not to led me to a greater respect for myself.

All of a sudden the power I held over these little bugs due to my size became a great responsibility. In short, it became incumbent on me to be careful not to let my quick temper and physical superiority affect some little creature negatively.

Who am I anyway?

Now it seems that respecting all forms of life is actually good for me, and the care that I take for the smaller beings has inevitably led to greater care for the greater beings. All benefit!

While I don't disagree in principle with anything that's been said here, I'm going to challenge this stream of thought.  What about those parts of the world (including B.C.) where we have disturbed the balance of nature to the point where we've directly influenced the overpopulation or underpopulation of a species?  Should they be allowed to die off, or procreate without boundaries, as just part of the circle of life?

I've got examples on both sides of the discussion for you to ponder.  I hear that in Delta and the Roberts Bank area, there is an insane overpopulation of bullfrogs introduced from the States.  Because they have no natural predators, they're multiplying without bounds - crowding out native species and creating a local nuisance.

On the flip side, I read in the paper this morning about baby birds on the West Coast that have died by the thousands because, due to climate change, the parent birds couldn't find food and abandoned their nests.

Humans have created both of these "unnatural situations".  Or perhaps nature is just taking its course?  Either way, should we just stand by and say, for everything there is a season, and keep hands off? 

Actually, I was thinking about my own personal journey of change.  That from now on, when I see a bug I'm not going to automatically kill it unless I plan on eating it.

I don't think that my new found desire to keep the bugs in my life alive is really going to impact the ecosystem that much.

I really respect the decision to more fully respect other forms of life! Too often we humans hold ourselves above or outside of all other life on this planet, except perhaps for our pets, and we give all other creatures but a cursory thought, a slight nod, the barest hint of recognition. They deserve more! Even if we start with recognition - by squashing this bug, I am ending its life - that's something. I think peace - the act of being peaceful with other humans AND animals - truly requires a deeper participation in this world as fellow living beings, and that means taking responsibility for our actions and recognizing the consequences of our choices.

Consider our food. How much thought do most of us put into the things we eat? How many of us consider the lives, suffering, and deaths of the animals we eat? And do these questions matter?

Long ago, I chose not to eat anything that I couldn't bring myself to kill. I know I could never kill a cow, pig or chicken, and even the thought of killing a fish is too much for me to bear. So, I won't do it, and I won't pay anyone else to do it for me. I also don't think I could ever take a living, moving, squirming bug of any kind and pop it in my mouth and start chewing....unless I were starving, far from "civilization," and left with no other choice! So I choose to eat a vegetarian (or closer to vegan) diet, and I don't squish any bugs either!

But enough about me! Asaf, I say good for you! Let your deeper recognition of the lives of the bugs in your life lead to greater peace and harmony with all the other creatures in your life as well!