Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pc 61Intentionally Killing Living Creatures

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀCITTIYA

61. TAKING THE LIFE OF A LIVING CREATURE

A. ORIGIN

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling at the Anāthapiṇḍika Garden in Jeta's Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time, the Venerable Kāḷudāyin disliked the sight of crows, so he made a bamboo bow to shoot them, shooting without cease, killing a great many crows and piling them in a heap within the monastery.

At that time, some lay supporters came to the monastery to pay their respects, and upon seeing this large pile of dead crows, they all criticized one another, saying: "The Śākyan monastics have no sense of shame and no compassion — they kill living beings. Outwardly they proclaim, 'We practice the true Dharma.' Yet what sort of true Dharma is this? Shooting and killing crows until they pile up in a heap."

The bhikkhus heard of this, and among them were those of few desires, who were content, practiced the ascetic virtues, were fond of training in the precepts, and had a sense of shame. They reproached Kāḷudāyin, saying: "Why did you shoot and kill crows until they piled up in a great heap?"

The bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, prostrated themselves at his feet, and sat to one side, then reported this matter to the Blessed One in full. The Blessed One accordingly convened an assembly of bhikkhus. Knowing full well what had occurred, he nonetheless asked Kāḷudāyin:

"Is it true that you disliked the sight of crows, made a bamboo bow to shoot them, and killed so many that they piled up in a great heap?"

Kāḷudāyin replied:

"That is indeed so."

The Blessed One rebuked Kāḷudāyin with numerous admonitions:

"What you have done is wrong, improper, not in accordance with the deportment of a monastic, not in accord with the Dharma of a śramaṇa, not a pure practice, not a fitting conduct — this is something that should not have been done. Kāḷudāyin, why did you shoot and kill crows and pile them up in such a manner?"

Having rebuked Kāḷudāyin, the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus:

"This foolish person is a field for the proliferation of many kinds of defiled seeds, and he is the first to commit this offense. From this day forward, I shall lay down a precept for the bhikkhus, for ten reasons, including that the true Dharma may long endure."

The precept is to be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu takes the life of an animal — pācittiya.

The Blessed One laid down this precept for the bhikkhus in this way. At that time, when bhikkhus were standing, sitting, walking forward, or walking back, they frequently killed many kinds of small insects, and so some performed the act of confession for pācittiya, while others were fearful. The bhikkhus came and reported this to the Blessed One. The Blessed One instructed:

"If one does not know, there is no offense."

From this time forward, the precept is to be recited as follows:

Whatever bhikkhu intentionally takes the life of an animal — pācittiya.

B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENSE

Bhikkhu: as explained above.

Animal: refers to a being that cannot transform itself — whose life one takes; whether one takes its life oneself or instructs another to do so; or sends a messenger to kill it; or sends someone who goes and returns and kills it; or uses a repeated messenger to kill it; or sends a messenger in relay to kill it; or seeks someone oneself to instruct; or has another seek someone to instruct; or oneself seeks someone bearing a knife; or has another seek someone bearing a knife; or gives a signal with the body; or speaks with the mouth; or uses both body and mouth; or causes another to give instruction; or causes another to write a letter; or instructs another to write a letter; or digs a pit so that the creature falls in and dies; or places a weapon in a place it frequently passes;

or uses poison; or sets up instruments of killing beforehand — performing all such expedient means as these, or by other such methods, with the intention of killing an animal, and it dies as a result — pācittiya.

If one employs expedient means intending to kill but does not kill — duṣkṛta.

For a bhikkhunī — pācittiya. For a śikṣamāṇā, a śrāmaṇera, or a śrāmaṇerī — duṣkṛta. This is called committing an offense.

Non-offense: if there is no intention to kill; or if one throws a tile, stone, knife, or staff at another place and it accidentally strikes and takes the life of the creature; or if a bhikkhu who is in charge of construction work accidentally drops a brick or stone that strikes and kills it; or if tiles, wood, a staff, a pillar, rafters, beams, or the like are being held and slip from one's hand and fall, causing its death;

or if one is helping a sick person to rise and the person dies, or helping the person to lie back down and the person dies, or the person dies while being bathed, or dies while taking medicine, or dies while being assisted into a room, or dies while being helped out of a room, or dies while sitting during the middle of the day, or dies in a shaded place — in all these cases there is no offense.

Those who do not commit an offense: one who commits the act for the first time before the precept has been laid down; one who is mentally deranged; one whose mind is disturbed; one who is overcome by pain and distress.

Vietnamese translation: Bhikkhu Thích Đỗng Minh and Thích Đức Thắng. FOUR-PART VINAYA, PART ONE.

Chinese translation: Tripiṭaka masters Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian.

Revised and annotated by: Bhikkhu Thích Nguyên Chứng.

(Chinese translation, Volumes 1–21; Vietnamese translation, Volumes 1–2)

Dharma Publishing Editorial Committee, 2002.