Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse
(Question 65)
26 November 2013
INTENTIONAL VERSUS UNINTENTIONAL ACTS OF KILLING
Question: To abstain from killing is one of the five Buddhist precepts. Would one be deemed to have violated this precept when one unintentionally kills by stepping on small animals/insects such as ants?
Answer: Yes. There are two types of violations, one is intentional while the other is unintentional. For the latter, it suffices to recite a few times of the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra (Wang Sheng Zhou) and the Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance.
In cases where the animals are tiny, the recitation of Qi Fo Mie Zui Zhen Yan will be fine. On the flip side, an intentional act of killing would generate negative karma. Therefore, intent is a key factor in determining the severity of the act of killing.
For example, you come across a cockroach, you intentionally step on it to kill it, this negative karma will enter your consciousness. On the other hand, if you kill it accidentally, it would be all right to just recite the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra.
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