One of Alak’s disciples, a 73-year-old ngakpa, explained in an interview the traditional (and previously pervasive) view about caterpillar fungus. He stated that the problem with collecting caterpillar fungus, from the Buddhist point of view, is that one cannot be sure when digging whether the caterpillar is actually dead or not. By killing the caterpillar, a collector may entail a breach of his or her vow to not kill any sentient being.

Tibetan villagers in Amdo balance their tantric Buddhist commitments—particularly the vow against taking animal life—with livelihood practices like caterpillar fungus collection that often involve killing insects. Through fieldwork and interviews, the author highlights the villagers’ religious lives, especially of women, and the moral negotiations they navigate in their daily survival.