Buddhist professor THICH NU TINH QUANG : THE PRECEPT TO REFRAIN FROM DESTROYING LIVING CREATURES

Thich Nu Tinh Quang

The first one of the five precepts is about ‘abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life’. Although sometimes it is translating as ‘thou shall not kill’, but there is meant not only the refusal of the murder, but also the refusal of any other harm. It means giving up all forms of violence, oppression and corruption. Violence is unacceptable because it is ultimately based directly or indirectly on the unspent mental state, such as hatred and disgust. If we indulge to such of our unspent states, which are the natural expressions of violence, then these states will become even stronger and more powerful than before. [1]
Positive matching to harmlessness is the practice of ‘Maitri’ (Pali – metta) which means pure love and friendliness. Here ‘maitri’ is not just emotion or feeling; it is love which embodied in the practiced affairs. Feeling goodwill towards the others is not enough, ‘maitri’ must be expressed in actions. Otherwise, if we just enjoy the way we love others and what expression in our mind, which will not be pure enough. Therefore, we have to look after ourselves in this regard. Often we think that we already love other people or at least some of them; but if we test ourselves, we will find that we never show our love: it seems self-evident that all this has already been understood. People are not required to consider our feelings towards them for granted itself, or to imagine that we have some feelings or some relation to them. It should be fully manifested in our words and deeds. We absolutely must make concrete steps in order to maintain the spirit of love and friendship. That is why in the life of society and in Buddhist social life especially highly valued activities such as exchange of gifts or visits. It is not enough to sit in your own room, or even in your own cell to emit thoughts that are full of love. Perhaps, this also would be good, even great, but everything must find its concrete expression. Only then other people will respond to you aloud in a similar manner.

Positive acts in the practice of ‘Maitri’ by concrete actions that are capable of building peace in the truest sense. Maintaining Buddhist moral rules as same as maintaining a principle of life that come from traditional and ancient human. Practicing the first precept, in addition to not killing living beings, we have to respect and protect for all beings’ life, so that we also reap our actions back to our own happiness; that is also the most valuable gift in this world:

"There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from taking life. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the first gift, the first great gift — original, long-standing, traditional, ancient, unadulterated, unadulterated from the beginning — that is not open to suspicion, will never be open to suspicion, and is unfaulted by knowledgeable contemplatives & Brahmans...”[2]

The following passages Buddha gives us to know how important of the first morality to all living beings:

“All tremble at force,

Of death are all afraid.

Likening others to oneself

Kill not nor cause to kill.”[3]

(Sabbe tasanti dandassa

Sabbe bhayanti maccuno

Attanaj upamaj katva

Da haneyya na ghataye)

“Those sages inoffensive

In body ever restrained

Go unto the Deathless State (Nirvana)

Where gone they grieve no more.”[4]

(Ahijsaka ye munayo

Niccaj kayena sajvuta

Te yanti accutaj thanaj

Yattha gantva na socare.)

“Even though adorned, if living in peace

Calm, tamed, established in the holy life,

For beings all laying force aside:

One pure, one peaceful, a bhikkhu is he.”[5]

(Alavkato ce pi samaj careyya

Santo danto niyato brahmacari

Sabbesu bhutesu nidhaya dandaj

So brahmano so samano sa bhikkhu.)

“Who blows to beings has renounced

To trembling ones, to bold,

Who causes not to kill nor kills,

That one I call a Brahmin True.”[6]

(Nidhaya dandaj bhutesu

Tasesu thavaresu ca

Yo na hanti na ghateti tam

Ahaj brumi brahmanaj.)

The Dalai Lama said, “I do not see any reason why animals should be slaughtered to serve as human diet when there are so many substitutes. After all, man can live without meat.”

The Buddhist emperor Asoka (268-223 BC) declared in one of his famous Pillar Edicts: “I have enforced the law against killing certain animals…The greatest progress of Righteousness among men comes from the exhortation in favor of non-injury to life and abstention from killing living beings.”

Mahayana Buddhism upholds the vegetarian way of life. In Mahaparinirvana Sutra: “The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion.”

The Lankavatara Sutra says:

“For the sake of love of purity, the bodhisattva should refrain from eating flesh, which is born from semen, blood, etc. For fear of causing terror to living beings let the bodhisattva, who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh…It is not true that meat is proper food and permissible when the animal was not killed by himself, when he did not order others to kill it, when it was not specifically meant for him…Again, there may be some people in the future who…being under the influence of the taste for meat will string together in various ways many sophisticated arguments to defend meat-eating…But…meat-eating in any form, in any manner, and in any place is unconditionally and once and for all prohibited…Meat - eating I have not permitted to anyone, I do not permit, I will not permit…”[7]

In addition to not killing, the Buddha also advised us not to hurt others:

“Whoever harms with force

Those desiring happiness,

As seeker after happiness

One gains no future joy.”[8]

(Sukhakamani bhutani

Yo dandena vihijsati

attano sukham esano

pecca so labhate sukhaj.)

[1] Bhikkhu, AN 8.39

[2] AN 8.39 - pañca-sila, tr.Thanissaro Bhikkhu

[3] DhP129/Translated from Pali by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero