The Buddha teaches on killing living creatures, presenting a fourfold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 4.264 Killing Living Creatures

“Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye. Katamehi catūhi? Attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti, pāṇātipāte ca samanuñño hoti, pāṇātipātassa ca vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge. Katamehi catūhi? Attanā ca pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, parañca pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

“Mendicants, someone with four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.

Katamehi catūhi?

What four?

Attanā ca pāṇātipātī hoti, parañca pāṇātipāte samādapeti, pāṇātipāte ca samanuñño hoti, pāṇātipātassa ca vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati

They themselves kill living creatures; they encourage others to kill living creatures; they approve of killing living creatures; and they praise killing living creatures.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

Someone with these four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.

Catūhi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge.

Someone with four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.

Katamehi catūhi?

What four?

Attanā ca pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, parañca pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca samanuñño hoti, pāṇātipātā veramaṇiyā ca vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati

They don’t themselves kill living creatures; they encourage others to not kill living creatures; they approve of not killing living creatures; and they praise not killing living creatures.

imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ sagge”ti.

Someone with these four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Slaughtering

Slaughtering

The deliberate killing of a living being, carried out with the intention of ending its life while disregarding its natural drive to continue living.

Also known as: killing, murdering, taking life
Pāli: pāṇātipāta
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026