Killing

Good Morning Everyone,

I vow not to kill.

All living things should be treated with respect and with the understanding that they possess Buddha Nature. Our precept against killing is an indication of our willingness to keep this understanding in our experience as we live out our lives. We vow not to kill, but understand that life lives off of life. So this precept against killing cannot be about killing to live. Killing to kill is not respectful. Killing for glory is not respectful. Killing for fun is not respectful. These are not acceptable in terms of our vow not to kill.,

If we have roaches in our kitchen we should try to tease them away, or trap and release them or, failing in that, we must kill them because they pose a health risk to human beings and the observe of our precept is to support life.

On the other hand, if we have a mouse in our kitchen we should trap it with a non-lethal trap and release it to the wild. Doing so takes a little effort, but the powerful sense of deep care that arises as a result of such action will pervade the universe. It is in this that the precept takes its life and its meaning.

So, we recognize that killing is a part of existing, but we also refrain from killing unnecessarily and look for ways to nurture and protect all life if possible. We cannot be rigid and black and white in our approach to life. Life is not like that. Besides, its why we have shin: heart/mind.

Be well.