Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 36Intentionally Killing Living Creatures

THE SAÑCICCA SUTTA: INTENTIONALLY KILLING LIVING BEINGS

Background

Sañcicca means “intentional” or “deliberate.” This rule is found in the Pātimokkha, the basic ethical code that bhikkhus must observe. It is one of the most essential prohibitions of the Vinaya Piṭaka, belonging to the Pārājika section, the gravest class of offenses, which lays down actions that cause a bhikkhu to be completely excluded from the Sangha.

The historical picture behind the origin of this legal sutta is directly connected with the early establishment of the Sangha community. The Buddha laid down this rule not from abstract theory, but from concrete cases that arose when the Sangha was newly founded. Any bhikkhus who intentionally killed a human being or a living animal without sincere remorse had broken the most fundamental commitment of one gone forth: to protect life.

Main Content

The legal sutta lays down: any bhikkhu who intentionally kills a living being through direct or indirect action, knowing that it will cause death and still carrying it out, commits a Pārājika offense. The key point here is sañcicca, deliberate intention. It does not concern accidental deaths, but actions done with purpose.

This rule applies to all forms of life, from human beings to insects. Regardless of size or species, if life is ended because of a bhikkhu’s intention, it is the gravest violation. The act of killing may be direct, such as using a knife, scissors, or poison; or indirect, such as instructing another person to kill, or exploiting an environmental vulnerability to cause death.

The legal sutta also clearly distinguishes three elements that must be complete for the violation: (1) the object is a living being; (2) the offender knows with certainty that it is a living being; (3) there is the intention to kill, and the action is successfully carried out, resulting in death. If any one of these elements is missing, the degree of violation is different.