Item 1 in Ten Wholesome Courses of Action
Abstain from Killing
Avoid intentionally killing living beings.
- Position
- 1
- Form
- Prohibition
- Obligation
- Strong duty
- Wording status
- Editorial paraphrase
- Intended audience
- Lay and monastic Buddhist practitioners
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Abstain from Killing
Source wording
Editorial paraphrase: Avoid intentionally killing living beings.
Literal meaning
Avoid intentionally killing living beings.
Broader interpretation
This item should be interpreted within the historical purpose, intended audience and wider structure of its parent ethical framework.
Historical context
This item belongs to Ten Wholesome Courses of Action. Early Buddhist period; Indian subcontinent.
Practical meaning
Practical application requires attention to intention, consent, evidence, rights, foreseeable effects and the needs of all persons or beings affected.
Ethical purpose
To shape conduct, judgment or character in a way consistent with the wider framework.
Exceptions and disputes
Application includes indirect participation, self-defence, medicine and competing harms.
Variations across schools or traditions
Wording and interpretation may vary between translations, denominations, schools and historical periods.
Modern application
Modern application should distinguish the historical formulation from present legal, social and ethical conditions.
Criticism and difficult cases
Application includes indirect participation, self-defence, medicine and competing harms.
Truth By Reason analysis
Truth By Reason assesses this principle through evidence, intentions, rights, foreseeable consequences, consistency and the treatment of all affected beings.
Ethical themes
Sources
- Saleyyaka Sutta: The Brahmins of Sala Primary source