Lzh Mg Bu Pm Pj 3Murder

The Manussaviggaha Sutta (Murder)

Background

The Manussaviggaha Sutta is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically in the section on Pārājika offenses — the first and most serious rules of the Theravāda Vinaya. These are the rules whose violation results in the permanent expulsion of any bhikkhu from the monastic community, with no possibility of reinstatement.

The sutta was spoken in the context of the Buddha's residence at Jetavana in the city of Sāvatthī, where he established the rules of the Vinaya based on events that arose within the community of bhikkhus. Each rule was recorded following a specific transgression, and the Buddha taught these rules in order to protect the harmony of the Saṅgha as well as the well-being of the surrounding lay communities.

Main Content

The first rule among the Pārājikas concerns the killing of a human being (manussaviggaha). The sutta defines this clearly: any bhikkhu who intentionally kills a person, or provides the means for that person to take their own life, or praises death, or encourages suicide, commits a Pārājika offense.

This rule does not merely prohibit the direct act of killing. It extends to indirect actions such as seeking out the means to kill a person, inducing someone to take their own life through words or deeds, or expressing approval of a person's death. The fundamental principle is this: human life, regarded as the most precious of all forms of sentient existence, must be protected absolutely.

The sutta also clarifies the matter of intention (cetanā). Only when an action is carried out with the intention of killing a specific person, or with the knowledge that such an action will lead to death, is this rule considered to have been violated. This reflects the profound Theravāda understanding of the role of intention in ethical action (karma).

Practical Significance

This rule is not merely a penal law, but also a supreme expression of Buddhist ethics: Ahiṃsā (non-harming) and boundless loving-kindness (Mettā).