… at Sāvatthī in the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at one time the venerable Udāyin was an archer, and crows were unpleasant to him. He, having shot crows, having cut off their heads, put them in a row on a stake. Monks spoke thus:

“By whom, your reverence, were these crows deprived of life?’”

“By me, your reverences; crows are unpleasant to me.” Those who were modest monks … spread it about, saying:

“How can the venerable Udāyin intentionally deprive a living thing of life?” …

“Is it true, as is said, that you, Udāyin, intentionally deprived a living thing of life?”

“It is true, lord.”

The enlightened one, the lord, rebuked him, saying:

“How can you, foolish man, intentionally deprive a living thing of life? It is not, foolish man, for pleasing those who are not (yet) pleased … And thus, monks, this rule of training should be set forth:

“Whatever monk should intentionally deprive a living thing of life, there is an offence of expiation.”

Whatever means: … monk is to be understood in this case.

Intentionally means: a transgression committed knowingly, consciously, deliberately.

Living thing means: it is called a living thing that is an animal.

Should deprive of life means: if he cuts off the faculty of life, destroys it, harms its duration, there is an offence of expiation.

If he thinks that it is a living thing when it is a living thing, (and) deprives it of life, there is an offence of expiation. If he is in doubt as to whether it is a living thing, (and) deprives it of life, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a living thing when it is a living thing, there is no offence. If he thinks that it is a living thing when it is not a living thing, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he is in doubt as to whether it is not a living thing, there is an offence of wrong-doing. If he thinks that it is not a living thing when it is not a living thing, there is no offence.

There is no offence if it is unintentional; if (he is) not thinking; if he does not know; if he is not meaning death; if he is mad, if he is the first wrong-doer.

The First