Lzh Mg Bi Pm Pj 3Murder
Pāli / Sanskrit:Manussaviggaha
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Commentary on the Manussaviggaha Sutta (Killing a Human Being)
Background
The Manussaviggaha Sutta (Pāli: Manussaviggaha) is found within the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the Pātimokkha — the code of ethical discipline for monks and nuns. This constitutes the third rule among the Pārājika offenses, that is, those transgressions which, if committed by a bhikkhu or bhikkhunī, result in permanent expulsion from the Saṅgha.
The circumstances that gave rise to this rule date to the time of the Buddha, when certain monastics still retained habits harmful to the ethical integrity of the Saṅgha. This text was recorded in order to establish clear boundaries concerning actions that violate the moral purity and compassion incumbent upon those in the holy life.
Principal Content
The Manussaviggaha Sutta clearly defines the act of killing a human being — taking the life of a living person (manussaviggaha) — as a Pārājika offense. This means that the deliberate act of causing the death of a living person is regarded as the gravest transgression within the Vinaya governing monks and nuns.
The text sets forth the conditions under which such an act is considered an offense: there must be the intention to kill (cetanā), there must be a specific act (sampayoga), and the act must result in death (maraṇa). When all three factors are present, the monastic commits a Pārājika offense.
This applies not only to direct killing but also encompasses indirect actions such as directing another person to kill, providing the means or instruments for killing, or inciting another to suicide. The text thus expresses an absolute protection of all life, from human beings to other living creatures.
Furthermore, the text clarifies exceptional cases and the many subtle ways in which an act may be assessed differently. For example, a distinction is drawn between intending to kill one person and accidentally killing another. In such cases, however, the offense remains grave, though it may be evaluated according to different criteria.
Practical Significance
From an ethical standpoint, the Manussaviggaha Sutta underscores the First Precept of the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla): to refrain from taking life.
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