Item 1 in Cao Dai Five Prohibitions
Do not kill
Do not intentionally kill living beings.
- Position
- 1
- Form
- Mixed formulation
- Obligation
- Context-dependent
- Wording status
- Translation
- Intended audience
- Initiated Cao Dai believers
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2027
Names and terminology
Canonical name: First prohibition
Original term: First prohibition
Transliteration: First prohibition
Source wording
<p>Do not intentionally kill living beings.</p><p><em>Editorial paraphrase; consult the linked source for full wording and context.</em></p>
Literal meaning
Do not intentionally kill living beings.
Broader interpretation
Do not intentionally kill living beings.
Historical context
This principle belongs to Cao Dai Five Prohibitions and must be read within that framework's setting.
Practical meaning
Do not intentionally kill living beings.
Ethical purpose
Do not intentionally kill living beings.
Exceptions and disputes
Older social assumptions should be distinguished from defensible principles of consent, equality, proportionality and harm prevention.
Variations across schools or traditions
Short summaries often narrow the fourth and fifth prohibitions, while the canonical explanations address wider conduct.
Modern application
Do not intentionally kill living beings. Modern application should consider consent, evidence, proportionality, power and consequences.
Criticism and difficult cases
Older social assumptions should be distinguished from defensible principles of consent, equality, proportionality and harm prevention.
Truth By Reason analysis
Do not intentionally kill living beings. Application should preserve the ethical purpose while avoiding coercion, discrimination and preventable harm.
Ethical themes
Sources
- The New Canonical Codes — The Five Prohibitions Primary source