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Home > eBook Library > Theravada Texts > Abhidhamma

Can Killing a Living Being Ever Be an Act of Compassion?

The analysis of the act of killing in the Abhidhamma & Pali Commentaries.

Abstract: In the Theravadin exegetical tradition, the notion that intentionally killing a living being is wrong involves a claim that when certain mental states (such as compassion) are present in the mind, it is simply impossible that one could act in certain ways (such as to intentionally kill). Contrary to what Keown has claimed, the only criterion for judging whether an act is “moral” (kusala) or “immoral” (akusala) in Indian systematic Buddhist thought is the quality of the intention that motivates it. The idea that killing a living being might be a solution to the problem of suffering runs counter to the Buddhist emphasis on dukkha as a reality that must be understood. The cultivation of friendliness in the face of suffering is seen as something that can bring beneficial effects for self and others in a situation where it might seem that compassion should lead one to kill.

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File information
Filename:geth0401.pdf
Album name:elibrary / Abhidhamma
Rating (3 votes):33333
Keywords:Abhidhamma / Pali Commentaries / Killing / Compassion
Author:Rupert Gethin
Tradition:Theravada
Country:USA
Licensing:Journal of Buddhist Ethics ISSN 1076-9005
Filesize:220 KiB
Date added:May 03, 2010
Dimensions:0 x 0 pixels
Displayed:3206 times
URL:http://www.buddhistelibrary.org/en/displayimage.php?pid=1581
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