BUDDHIST MONASTIC CODE I

Pārājika Chapter 4as in the case where a bhikkhu prepares a syringe of poison and tells hisaccomplice, who thinks the syringe contains medicine, to inject it into apatient. There seems every reason to impose a pārājika on the bhikkhu if thepatient then dies. Recommending means of euthanasia. The Vinita-vatthu includes a case of acriminal who has just been punished by having his hands and feet cut off. Abhikkhu asks the man's relatives, "Do you want him to die? Then make himdrink buttermilk (§) (!)." The relatives follow the bhikkhu's recommendation,the man dies, and the bhikkhu incurs a pārājika. Recommending means of capital punishment. Again from the Vinita-vatthu: Abhikkhu tells an executioner to kill his victims mercifully with a single blow,rather than torturing them. The executioner follows his advice and thebhikkhu incurs a pārājika, for the recommendation to kill mercifully is still arecommendation to kill. According to the Vinita-vatthu, if the executioner saysthat he will not follow the bhikkhu's advice and then kills his victims as hepleases, the bhikkhu incurs no penalty. The Commentary adds that if theexecutioner tries to follow the bhikkhu's advice and yet needs more than oneblow to do the job, the bhikkhu incurs a thullaccaya. Indirect statements. The Canon and Commentary differ as to whether indirectstatements that are not imperatives would also qualify as commands orrecommendations under this rule. The Commentary maintains that a bhikkhucannot get around a penalty by phrasing his wish for a murder in moreroundabout ways, and gives an example in which a bhikkhu tells people, "Insuch-and-such a place a bandit is staying. Whoever cuts off his head willreceive great honor from the King." If any of the bhikkhu's listeners kills thebandit as a result of his instigation, the Commentary says, the bhikkhu incursa pārājika.Examples of commands and recommendations in the Canon, however, are allexpressed as imperatives: "Do this!" "If you want him to die, do this." The onlyexamples of indirect statements are those in which a bhikkhu expresses a wish, "O,if only so-and-so were murdered." According to the Vibhaṅga, this statement incursa dukkaṭa regardless of whether it is made in public or private, and regardless ofwhether one knows that anyone else is overhearing it or not. There is no discussion,however, of what one's intention might be in making the statement, nor of theconsequences for the speaker if anyone, inspired by his remark, actually kills theperson in question. This implies that the authors of the Vibhaṅga did not regardstatements of this sort as fulfilling the factor of effort under this rule. This may seemunduly lenient, but given that a bhikkhu whose express command to kill is followed55