Item 1 in Daoist Five Precepts

Abstain from killing

Avoid deliberately taking life and cultivate respect for living beings.

Position
1
Form
Mixed formulation
Obligation
Context-dependent
Wording status
Translation
Intended audience
Daoist lay followers and initiates, with variation by lineage
Last reviewed
28 June 2026

Names and terminology

Canonical name: Abstain from killing

Source wording

Avoid deliberately taking life and cultivate respect for living beings.

Translation

Broader interpretation

Avoid deliberately taking life and cultivate respect for living beings.

Practical meaning

Avoid deliberately taking life and cultivate respect for living beings.

Ethical purpose

This principle is intended to guide conduct, character and relationships in accordance with the parent framework.

Variations across schools or traditions

Interpretation and application may vary across communities, translations and individual circumstances.

Criticism and difficult cases

This principle should be applied with attention to evidence, consent, equality, power, foreseeable harm and realistic alternatives.

Truth By Reason analysis

Avoid deliberately taking life and cultivate respect for living beings. Its ethical force depends on whether its application reduces avoidable harm and respects equal human dignity.

Ethical themes

  • Nonviolence
  • Compassion

Sources