Expert: Bodhicitta - 3/29/2008

Question
Hello, I'm a high school student from Australia. I've been studying Buddhism in my religion classes and I've always wander, the first ethtical teaching, "Do not kill living things" how does it affect the believer? Because everyone has to kill a small living thing in their life before, such as something as small as an Ant. So how would you take the teaching? I understand the importance of its teaching yet if a buddhist believer who is practicing this teaching and kills a fly then will this teaching still be importanr?

Answer
Hi Thanh
Buddhists generally take five rules of training. The first of these
rules is 'Train not to kill'.

These rules of training are thought to be like a fence . The fence tells
you how to behave so that you could carry out the Buddhist training
in a way that will not disturb your mind too much. The Buddhist training
is to use meditation to realise the true nature of the mind and help all sentient beings. However since we are so confused as human beings, this is a way off.
So the first thing is not to confuse the rules of training with the goal. The rules of training are crude and a starting point for training for a beginner. The goal is awakening the heart so we can really know
how to be compassionate.


The crude rules maybe be broken on a daily basis . But they are about helping awareness. Minor breachs of the rules are not in the least bit important. Everytime we breath we kill a micro-organism. When we walk we might kill an ant by accident. However we had no intention here of
killing. Our intention is important.

It is said to kill a human being is a very serious breach of the precepts. To do so would mean we would no longer be a Buddhist.
There might be a way of retaking the vows in this place. but it
would be very serious indeed.


Somewhere in between there is killing animals etc. Buddhist
generally do not kill animals - unless there is a very good reason.
Although some Buddhists eat meat , if it is already dead. Some
Buddhists are vegatarian. These are issues and questions for
the individual Buddhist themselves. Buddhism isnt prescriptive.
Buddhism is a path of training in which the individual has
to make their own decision and grow in wisdom and compassion
based on their own best judgement.


Hope this helps
Bodhicitta