BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Buddhist Monastic Code 1a) Taking life. The Vibhaṅga defines taking life as "the cutting off, the ending, of thelife faculty; interrupting the continuity." The Vibhaṅga lists a variety of means bywhich one might try to do this, which the Commentary divides into four categories:— One's own person: hitting with one's hands or feet; using weapons such asknives, sticks, clubs, etc.; handing poison to a person; giving a pregnant womanmedicine that would cause an abortion; moving an ill person.— Throwing: hurling a stone, shooting an arrow. At present, shooting a gun orhurling a grenade would come under this category.— Stationary devices: setting a trap, digging a pitfall, placing a weapon in a placewhere a victim may fall, sit, or lie down on it; placing poison in food, etc. At present,setting out a land mine would come under this category.— Commanding: telling another person to commit a murder. This category includesrecommendations expressed in the imperative as well as express commands. A fewexamples:Telling B to kill C. The way in which a bhikkhu is penalized for getting anotherperson to commit a murder — through sign or verbal command — can beinferred from the discussion of accomplices under the preceding rule. TheVibhaṅga here, as under that rule, states that if one's accomplice does notfollow one's instructions precisely, one is absolved of an offense. In discussingthis point, the Commentary goes into great detail concerning the six ways thecommand to kill can be specified: the object [the person to be killed], thetime, the place, the weapon to use, the action by which the weapon is to beused [e.g., "Stab him in the neck"], and the position the victim should be in[sitting, standing, lying down] when the act is to be done. If the instigatorspecifies any of these things and yet his accomplice does not carry them outto the letter, the instigator does not incur the penalty for the actual murder.For instance, Bhikkhu A tells his student B to kill C while C is sitting inmeditation at midnight. The student gets into C's room at midnight, only tofind C asleep in bed, which is where he kills him. Bhikkhu A thus incurs onlythe thullaccaya for convincing his student to accept the command.As under the preceding rule, the Commentary tries to argue that if B willcertainly succeed in killing C in line with A's command, A incurs a pārājikawhen giving the command, but again, this opinion does not conform with theVibhaṅga.The case of the innocent accomplice — one who does not know that theaction he is being told to do will result in death — also seems relevant here,54