Lzh Dg Bi Pm Pj 3Murder
Pāli / Sanskrit:Manussaviggaha
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Manussaviggaha Sutta — On the Offense of Killing a Human Being
Background
Manussaviggaha, killing a human being or causing a human death, is an essential part of the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. This sutta appears in the Pātimokkha, the basic code that bhikkhus must observe. The issue of killing a human being was regarded by the Buddha as a Pārājika offense, the gravest kind of offense, requiring exclusion from the Sangha if committed.
The historical background concerns incidents in the early monastic community, when those gone forth had not yet fully maintained diligence. The Buddha laid down this rule not to punish, but to protect the integrity of the Sangha and the teaching. The act of killing a human being reflects hatred, greed, and delusion, the three poisons that Buddhism fundamentally opposes.
Main Content
According to the Vinaya Piṭaka, the offense of killing a human being is defined as a bhikkhu intentionally causing the death of a human being. The violation must satisfy three factors: (1) the object is a living human being, (2) there is the intention to kill (cetanā, mental intention), and (3) an action leads to death. If any factor is absent, the nature of the offense differs.
The sutta makes clear that this act includes not only direct killing, but also indirect forms such as persuading someone to commit suicide, instructing a method of causing death, or refusing to save another person. In the Pātimokkha, this offense is classified as the highest category of violations.
When a bhikkhu commits this offense, the consequence is compulsory loss of going-forth status or expulsion from the Sangha. This is not punishment in the worldly criminal sense, but recognition that the person is no longer suitable for monastic life within the Sangha. The sutta emphasizes that this offense corresponds to grave results in saṃsāra, rebirth in bad destinations such as hell (naraka) or the animal realm (tiracchāna-yoni).
Practical Meaning
The deep purpose of Manussaviggaha is not punishment but education.
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