San Lo Bu Pm Pc 61Intentionally Killing Living Creatures
Pāli / Sanskrit:Sañcicca
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SAÑCICCA DISCOURSE: THE MIND IN MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Background
The Sañcicca discourse is one of the regulations found in the Pātimokkha, the basic legal text of the Theravāda Buddhist Vinaya. This is the section concerning offenses of the most serious nature for bhikkhus. It is transmitted that the Buddha taught it after seeing disciples behave in ways unsuitable to a humble and compassionate life.
The word “Sañcicca” means “intentionally” or “deliberately,” pointing to an act carried out with resolve and clear intention. This is the decisive factor in determining the nature of conduct through the Buddhist lens.
Main Content
This discourse states that if a bhikkhu intentionally kills a living being, even to demonstrate power or for any reason whatsoever, he commits the gravest offense, Pārajikā, an offense of defeat, and is thereby expelled from the Sangha and cannot continue the monastic life.
The discourse emphasizes the element of “intention” (sañcicca) as the decisive criterion. The act of killing must result from a ready intention, that is, the person clearly knows the action is killing, wishes to kill, or accepts that the consequence will lead to the death of that living being.
The reason this Buddhist law is extremely strict is that it directly conflicts with the nature of Buddhist practice: compassion and respect for the life of all beings. The purpose of going forth is to act according to the path, tending toward boundless compassion (Mettā, Maitrī); for a bhikkhu to kill life is in total contradiction to this ideal.
The term “living being” (pāṇa) includes all that has consciousness, from human beings to the smallest insects.
Practical Meaning
The Sañcicca discourse is not only a formal rule, but also a profound reminder about the nature of action and spiritual responsibility.
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