Lzh Dg Bu Vb Pj 3Murder

– FOUR-PART VINAYA

– PĀRĀJIKA

3. TAKING HUMAN LIFE

A. ORIGIN OF THE RULE

At one time, the Blessed One was traveling and teaching at Vaiśālī, dwelling in the Gabled Hall beside the Monkey River. By means of countless skillful means, the Buddha taught the bhikkhus to practice the contemplation of impurity, praising the practice of the contemplation of impurity, and praising reflection upon the practice of the contemplation of impurity.

The bhikkhus arose in their minds the thought: "Now the Blessed One, for our sake, speaks of the practice of the contemplation of impurity, praises the practice of the contemplation of impurity, and praises reflection upon the practice of the contemplation of impurity."

At that time, the bhikkhus then employed countless skillful means to cultivate the contemplation of impurity. After emerging from meditation, these monks gave rise to loathing for their bodily life, became sorrowful and distressed, and found no peace or happiness. Just as a young man or young woman who is fond of their own appearance has a dead snake, a dead dog, or a dead person tied about their neck, and then grows disgusted by that foul and putrid smell—so too the bhikkhus, having cultivated the contemplation of impurity by countless means, felt loathing for their bodily life, became sorrowful and distressed, and found no peace or happiness. They then sought knives wishing to take their own lives, praised death, and encouraged one another toward death.

The bhikkhus dwelling in a certain park beside the Vaggumudā River gave rise to the thought: "The Blessed One has previously used countless skillful means to speak of the practice of the contemplation of impurity, to praise the practice of the contemplation of impurity, and to praise reflection upon the practice of the contemplation of impurity. Those bhikkhus, by countless means, cultivated the contemplation of impurity, gave rise to loathing for their bodily life, became sorrowful and distressed, found no peace or happiness, sought knives wishing to take their own lives, praised death, and encouraged one another toward death."

At that time, there was a bhikkhu named Migalaṇḍika, a renunciant of the śramaṇa lineage, who entered the Vaggumudā Park holding a sharp knife. A certain bhikkhu who felt loathing for his foul and impure body saw the bhikkhu Migalaṇḍika approaching from afar and said to him:

"Venerable sir, please put an end to my life. I will give you my robes and bowl."

Migalaṇḍika accepted the hire of the robes and bowl, and immediately took the life of that bhikkhu. He then went to the riverbank to wash the knife. Remorse arose in his mind, and he said to himself: "Today has truly brought me misfortune; truly this is inauspicious for me. That bhikkhu had committed no offense, yet I accepted his request and severed his life-faculty."

At that moment, a heavenly demon, knowing the thoughts of this bhikkhu's mind, employed his spiritual powers and came before Migalaṇḍika. Standing upon the surface of the water without sinking, he praised and encouraged him, saying:

"Well done, well done, good man! Today you have gained great merit; you have liberated one who had not yet been liberated."

The bhikkhu Migalaṇḍika, upon hearing the heavenly demon's praise, had his remorse dissolve away, and the thought arose in his mind: "Now I have gained great merit; I have liberated one who had not yet been liberated." Having thought thus, he again took up the knife and entered the park, asking:

"Who has not yet been liberated? Now I will liberate them."

At that time, there were bhikkhus who had not yet been freed from desire. Upon seeing the bhikkhu Migalaṇḍika, they were greatly terrified, and the hair on their bodies stood on end. Migalaṇḍika, seeing this, said to the bhikkhus:

"Do not be afraid, venerable ones. Those whose faculties have not yet matured cannot yet be transformed. Wait until they have matured, and then I will transform them." Among those bhikkhus in whom sensual desire had been entirely extinguished, upon seeing Migalaṇḍika, no fear arose in their minds and the hair on their bodies did not stand on end.

At that time, the bhikkhu Migalaṇḍika killed one bhikkhu in a day, or two, three, four, five, and up to sixty. The corpses in that park were strewn about in disorder, putrid and impure, resembling a charnel ground.

At that time, certain laypeople came to pay reverence at the monasteries. In due course they came to that park, and upon seeing this, each and every one was struck with horror and astonishment, and together they denounced it: "A great catastrophe has occurred in this park. The śramaṇas, disciples of the Śākyan, are without compassion; they kill one another. They declare themselves to be cultivating the true Dharma. How then can there be any true Dharma here? They slay one another. If bhikkhus kill one another, how much more so would they do to others. From now on, we should no longer revere, serve, or make offerings to the śramaṇa disciples of the Śākyan."

They proclaimed throughout the villages that none should lodge or frequent that place. At that time, the laypeople, having seen such defilement and evil in that park, no longer came and went there.

At that time, the bhikkhus residing at Vaiśālī, having a minor matter, assembled together in one place. At that moment, the Blessed One observed that the number of bhikkhus in the assembly had diminished, and that the eminent and well-known elder bhikkhus were not present. The Blessed One, though already knowing, nonetheless asked Ānanda:

"Why has the Sangha diminished in number? Where are the well-known Elders that they are not seen here today?"

The Venerable Ānanda recounted to the Buddha the full circumstances of what had occurred:

"Blessed One, you previously used countless skillful means to teach the bhikkhus extensively about the practice of the contemplation of impurity, praised the practice of the contemplation of impurity, and praised reflection upon the practice of the contemplation of impurity. The bhikkhus, having heard this, cultivated it, became weary and disgusted with their bodily life, and sought persons to take their lives. It is for this reason that the number has diminished. We humbly beseech the Blessed One to employ other skillful means to teach the Dharma to the bhikkhus, so that the minds of all may be opened and they may be free from doubt forever."

The Blessed One said to the Venerable Ānanda:

"Now assemble the bhikkhus in the Gabled Hall."

The Venerable Ānanda, in obedience to the Buddha's instruction, assembled the bhikkhus in the Gabled Hall; then went to the place of the Blessed One, paid homage by bowing at the Buddha's feet, stood to one side, and said:

"Reverently, Blessed One, the Sangha has now assembled. May the Holy One know the time."

At that time, the Blessed One then went to the Gabled Hall and, sitting in the midst of the great assembly, said to the bhikkhus:

"There is the samādhi of ānāpāna, which is still and blissful. Whatever unwholesome states have already arisen, it has the capacity to eradicate them, so that they never arise again. Just as in the autumn season, after a rainfall the dust and filth are no more; and just as a great rain has the capacity to arrest a strong wind—so too the samādhi of ānāpāna is still and blissful. Whatever unwholesome states have already arisen, it has the capacity to eradicate them."

At that time, the Blessed One, by means of countless skillful means, taught the bhikkhus the samādhi of ānāpāna, praised the samādhi of ānāpāna, and praised the cultivation of the samādhi of ānāpāna. The bhikkhus then arose in their minds the thought: "Today the Blessed One, by countless skillful means, speaks to us of the samādhi of ānāpāna, praises the samādhi of ānāpāna, and praises the cultivation of the samādhi of ānāpāna. Let us diligently cultivate it."

Then the bhikkhus, by means of various different skillful means, reflected and entered the samādhi of ānāpāna. After emerging from the samādhi of ānāpāna, they themselves knew that they had realized the supremely excellent and transcendent Dharma, and dwelt established in the fruit of realization.

At that time, the Blessed One, on account of this cause and condition, assembled the Bhikkhu Sangha and, by means of countless skillful means, rebuked the bhikkhus of the Vaggumudā Park:

"What you have done is wrong; it is not proper conduct, it is not the Dharma of śramaṇas, it is not pure conduct, it is not befitting behavior—it is something that should not have been done. How could the bhikkhus of this Vaggumudā Park be so foolish as to sever one another's lives?"

After the Blessed One had rebuked them by countless skillful means, he said to the bhikkhus:

"The bhikkhus of the Vaggumudā Park are foolish persons; they are fields where many seeds of the āsavas are sown; they are the first to have transgressed this precept. From now on, for the sake of the bhikkhus, I shall establish the precept, comprising ten topics of meaning… and so forth, in order that the true Dharma may long endure."

One who wishes to recite the precept should recite it as follows:

B. THE PRECEPT

Should any bhikkhu intentionally, with his own hand, deprive a human being of life, take up a knife and offer it to another, praise death, or encourage one toward death, saying: "Oh man, what benefit is there in this miserable life? Death is better than living!"—with such intention and reflection, by whatever means he praises death and encourages one toward death—that bhikkhu is one who has committed pārājika and is not to dwell together with the Sangha.

C. EXPLANATION OF TERMS

Bhikkhu: the meaning is as above.

Human being: from the first moment of conception until the last moment of death, when the life of that being is severed.

To kill: to kill with one's own hand; to direct another to kill; to send a messenger to kill; to send someone who goes and returns to kill; to kill through a relay of messengers; to kill through a succession of messengers; to cause a man to kill; to direct someone to seek a man to kill; to seek out one holding a knife to kill; to direct someone to seek out one holding a knife to kill; to signal by bodily gesture; to indicate by speech; to indicate by both body and speech; to send a letter; to direct someone to deliver the letter; to kill by means of a pit; to kill by means of poison smeared on an object; to administer a lethal potion; to place an instrument of killing.

—Killing by oneself: using one's own hands, or bricks, stones, a knife, a staff, or other such objects to kill personally. The one who kills incurs a pārājika. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Commanding another to kill while personally overseeing the killing: directing the killing oneself, ordering someone beforehand to throw the victim into water or fire, or to push him down a deep pit from a mountain, or to have him trampled by an elephant, or to have him eaten by a fierce beast, or to have him bitten by a snake, and other such killing commands. The one who kills incurs a pārājika. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Sending a messenger to kill: a bhikkhu dispatches a messenger to end someone's life. The messenger obeys and goes; if life is ended, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but life is not ended, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Sending someone back and forth until the killing is accomplished: a bhikkhu sends a messenger to end someone's life. The messenger obeys and goes, intends to kill but has not yet succeeded and returns; afterward he again obeys the earlier instruction and goes to kill once more. If the killing is accomplished, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing through repeated dispatch of messengers: a bhikkhu sends a messenger, saying, "Go and end that person's life." He then continues sending messengers in like manner, up to four or five times. The one dispatched then goes and kills. If the killing is accomplished, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing through a chain of messengers: a bhikkhu sends a messenger, saying, "Go and end that person's life." The one dispatched then sends another, and so on, up to one hundred or one thousand such dispatches, to end that person's life. If life is ended, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Seeking out a man to kill: as when one says, "Does anyone here know of such a person who is skilled with a knife, has the means, has trained for a long time, is fearless, will not give up, and is capable of ending someone's life?" The one found then goes and ends that person's life. If life is ended, the one who sought him out incurs a pārājika. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Sending someone to seek out a man to kill: as when one instructs another, "Does anyone here know of such a person who is skilled with a knife, has the means, has trained for a long time, is fearless, will not give up, and is capable of ending someone's life?" The one sent then goes and ends that person's life. If life is ended, the one who gave the instruction incurs a pārājika. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Seeking out someone bearing a weapon to kill: seeking out in person and saying, "Who is a valiant person capable of bearing a knife and ending someone's life?" That person then goes and kills. If the killing is accomplished, a pārājika is incurred; if death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Sending someone to seek out a weapon-bearer to kill: the same as above.

—Signaling with the body: making a bodily sign to kill. Such as causing someone to fall into water or fire, to fall from a height to the bottom of a deep pit, or causing him to be trampled by an elephant, eaten by a fierce beast, or bitten by a venomous snake. If the other person, on account of this bodily signal, kills himself, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing by spoken words: speaking thus: "You have done evil; you have no compassion; you harbor malice in your heart; you do not perform wholesome deeds; you do not render assistance. Living, you will undergo much karmic retribution; it would be better for you to die." Or speaking thus: "You have not done any violent evil; you have compassion; you harbor no malice; you have done such wholesome deeds; you have made merit; you have rendered assistance. Living, you must endure suffering. If you were to die, you would be born in the heavens." On account of these words, if the other person takes his own life, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Signaling with body and speech together: the same as above.

—Killing by sending a messenger with words: sending a messenger to that person to say, "You have done evil… wholesome deeds," spoken in full as above. Because the messenger's mouth praises death in this way and the other person takes his own life, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing by sending a letter: writing a letter saying, "You have done evil… wholesome deeds," spoken in full as above.

—Sending a messenger to have a letter written: the same as above.

—Killing through a pit: knowing that a person will travel along a certain route, one digs a deep pit in the middle of the road and places within it fire, or a knife, or a venomous snake, or sharp stakes, or applies poison to a sharp object. If that person falls in and dies, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing by means of a leaning place: knowing that a person will lean against a certain spot — against a tree, a wall, or a fence — one places outside that spot fire, a knife, sharp stakes, a venomous snake, applies poison to a sharp object, sets a trap, and causes that person to fall into it. If death results, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing by administering medicine: knowing that a person is ill, one gives him an unsuitable medicine, or one mixed with poison, or one past its potency, or other medicines that cause death. A pārājika is incurred. If medicine is given but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

—Killing by placing instruments of death: knowing beforehand that a person has come to be weary of his wretched body, one places there a knife, poison, a rope, or other instruments of death. If that person uses one of these objects to take his own life and dies, the one who placed them incurs a pārājika. If the means are used but death does not result, the one who placed them incurs a thullaccaya.

If one performs such acts, or uses other means to kill, and the other person dies thereby, a pārājika is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a thullaccaya is incurred.

If one seeks by means to kill a son of a deva, a son of a nāga, a son of an asura, a son of a gandhabba, a son of a yakkha, a hungry ghost, or any animal that possesses intelligence sufficient to understand human speech or is capable of changing form, a thullaccaya is incurred. If the means are used but death does not result, a dukkaṭa is incurred. If an animal is incapable of changing form, killing it incurs a pācittiya. If the means are used but death does not result, a dukkaṭa is incurred.

If a human being is perceived as human and is killed, a pārājika is incurred. If there is doubt as to whether the victim is human, a thullaccaya is incurred. If a human is perceived as non-human, a thullaccaya is incurred. If a non-human is perceived as human, a thullaccaya is incurred. If there is doubt as to whether the victim is non-human, a thullaccaya is incurred.

For a bhikkhunī, a pārājika is incurred. For a sikkhāmānā, a sāmaṇera, or a sāmaṇerī, a dukkaṭa is incurred, and expulsion follows. These are the cases of offense.

Non-offense: accidentally throwing a knife, staff, brick, or stone that happens to strike and kill someone. During construction of a dwelling, if a stone, piece of wood, a tree, or a rafter falls and kills someone. If, while assisting a gravely ill person — supporting him as he lies down, sits, walks, or stands, bathing him, administering medicine, moving him from cold to warmth or from warmth to cold, entering or leaving a room, going to the latrine, or returning — the sick person dies, and all of this was done without any intent to kill, then no offense is incurred.

Those who do not commit an offense: the one who first transgressed before the rule was established; one who is insane, whose mind is deranged, or who acts under the torment of extreme 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, fascicles 1–21; Vietnamese translation, volumes 1 and 2)

Buddhist Studies Editorial Board, 2002