Lzh Mi Bu Vb Pj 3Murder
Pāli / Sanskrit:Manussaviggaha
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Exposition of the Manussaviggaha Sutta (The Offense of Killing a Human Being)
Background
The Manussaviggaha sutta belongs to the Vinaya Piṭaka of the Pāli Canon - the collection of rules of virtuous conduct and discipline in the Theravāda Buddhist Sangha. This text appears in the Pārājika section of the Bhikkhunī Vibhaṅga, that is, among the most fundamental rules for bhikkhunīs.
The sutta was established when the Buddha and his disciples were setting up the women's Sangha. At this time Buddhism was still new, and the monastic community needed clear ethical guidance to maintain the purity of the Dharma. Manussaviggaha - meaning "the killing of a human being" - is one of the gravest offenses prescribed, reflecting the inviolability of life and the supreme value of loving-kindness in Buddhism.
Main Content
The Manussaviggaha sutta prescribes that if a nun intentionally kills a human being (manussaviggaha), helps another to kill, praises death, or encourages suicide, she commits a Pārājika offense - the highest class of defeat. One who commits this offense is permanently expelled from the Sangha.
The sutta analyzes specific cases in detail: the offender must have a clear intention (cetanā), must act directly or indirectly, and the actual result must be that the person dies. Even instructing someone to commit suicide, or using magical means to cause death, is considered a violation.
A distinctive point is that the sutta concerns not only direct killing, but also indirect actions such as:
- Providing poison or a weapon for another to use
- Giving instructions on how to carry out an act of killing
- Encouraging or praising another person's intention to commit suicide
The sutta also considers boundary situations: if the death is the result of an action but was not the direct intention, the degree of offense may differ.
Practical Meaning
The Manussaviggaha sutta is a profound expression of the First Precept among the Five Precepts (Pañcasīla) - "not to kill living beings."
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