杖者懼 殺生者 求自安樂 後世不安 杖者懼 殺生者 求自安樂 當知後世 自安之道 不加刀杖 於無辜者 刀杖不加 是爲梵行
zhàng zhě jù shā shēng zhě qiú zì ān lè hòu shì bù ān zhàng zhě jù shā shēng zhě qiú zì ān lè dāng zhī hòu shì zì ān zhī dào bù jiā dāo zhàng yú wú gū zhě dāo zhàng bù jiā shì wéi fàn xíng
Key Message
One who harms living beings in pursuit of personal happiness will find no peace in future lives; not to inflict violence on the innocent is the very definition of the holy life.
▸The Daṇḍavagga (Chapter on Violence) grounds the teaching of non-violence (ahiṃsā) in a careful ethical argument.
The Daṇḍavagga (Chapter on Violence) grounds the teaching of non-violence (ahiṃsā) in a careful ethical argument. All beings tremble before violence; all fear death. One who seeks happiness for oneself by harming living beings will not find happiness in a future life. Conversely, to know the path to one's own future peace is to refrain from harming others. The highest principle is stated plainly: not to inflict violence or punishment upon the innocent is to live in brahmacariya — the holy, celibate life of supreme moral purity. This chapter provides the philosophical foundation for the first precept of Buddhism: to refrain from taking life.