Lzh Mi Bi Pm Pc 37Intentionally Killing Living Creatures
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sañcicca
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Sañcicca Sutta: Intentional Killing
Background
The Sañcicca Sutta (Intentional Killing) belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically the Pātimokkha section, the basic code for bhikkhus. This sutta is recorded in the Theravāda Buddha-Dharma tradition and represents one of Buddhism’s most profound ethical rules concerning the matter of killing living beings.
In the historical context, the Buddha developed the Vinaya Piṭaka gradually through concrete events that occurred in the Sangha, the monastic community. When a harmful action was discovered, the Buddha would lay down a new rule to prevent that behavior. The Sañcicca Sutta reflects one of the most fundamental principles: one must not intentionally kill living beings.
This rule does not apply only to bhikkhus; its spirit is also the foundation of the five precepts (pañca-sīla), which all Buddhists should observe. Volition (cetanā) is the determining factor: the action must be performed intentionally and knowingly in order to be considered a violation of the Vinaya.
Main Content
The basic rule in Sañcicca is this: if a bhikkhu intentionally kills any living being, whether an insect or a large animal, he violates one of the Pārājikas, the offenses of defeat, the gravest category of offenses in the Vinaya Piṭaka. This is an intolerable prohibited act and requires the practitioner to be expelled from the community.
The word “sañcicca” (intentional, deliberate) is the key to this rule. This means that the action must be carried out with full awareness and clear intention to kill. An accidental death caused without the intention to take life is not regarded as a violation of this offense, though it may violate lesser rules related to negligence.
This sutta also reflects the concept of Ahiṃsā (non-violence), one of the deepest values of the Buddha-Dharma. All living beings are capable of feeling suffering and wish to live. Therefore, intentionally depriving them of life is an act with the worst volition, creating extremely heavy negative karma.
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