Lzh Dg Bu Pm Pc 11Damaging Plants

Bhūtagāma Sutta: On Harming Living Species

Background

Bhūtagāma (from Pāli bhūta = beings, gāma = harming) is part of the legal reasoning in the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Theravada tradition. This sutta is recorded among the monastic rules (Pātimokkha), specifically the prohibitions related to actions that harm living beings.

The Vinaya Piṭaka was laid down by the Buddha to protect not only the integrity of the Sangha, but also the practice of loving-kindness (mettā) and non-harming (ahiṃsā), ethical foundations of the Dharma. Bhūtagāma is specifically related to Pārājika and Saṅghādisesa, the grave and intermediate offenses in the Monastic Code, emphasizing that monastics must avoid actions that harm living beings, whether unintentionally or intentionally.

The background of this rule's establishment usually arises from incidents in the early Sangha, when some monks were careless or acted with intent to harm living species, causing disturbance in the Sangha and a loss of trust among the lay community.

Main Content

The Bhūtagāma Sutta stipulates that monastics must not intentionally harm any living being, from the smallest creatures (насекомые, insects) to larger animals. This prohibition arises from the basic spirit of the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla), namely non-killing.

Specifically, monastics must avoid actions such as burning grass and trees, digging the earth to avoid killing beings in the soil, pouring hot water, or other actions that may directly or indirectly cause death to living species. This rule applies not only to active deeds, but also requires monastics to exercise caution and prevention (paribbājaka) when moving about, especially at night or in dark areas where living beings often move.

Violation is classified according to degree: if an act causes the death of a being with intention and planning, it may be a Pārājika, an offense requiring defeat; if it is unintentional or only causes injury, it is a Saṅghādisesa or a lighter offense.