What is the precept of not killing—known as The First Precept

The Precept of Not Killing: From “Do Not Kill” to “Let Live”

In Buddhism, the precept of not killing—known as The First Precept (不殺生戒)—is one of the most fundamental ethical guidelines. Because of this, many people assume that Buddhist monks must be vegetarians, refraining from all forms of animal products.

But what does “not killing” truly mean? Does it literally prohibit the taking of all life?

Are Japanese monks breaking the precept by eating meat?

This question often arises in discussions around Buddhist ethics:
“If Japanese monks eat meat, isn’t that breaking the precept?”
“And if plants are also living beings, is eating vegetables acceptable?”

These questions challenge us to go deeper into how we understand life, death, and the meaning of eating itself.

Not “Do not kill” but “Let live”

Rather than interpreting this precept as an absolute “Do not kill,” many strands of Japanese Buddhism seem to approach it as “Let life flourish” or “Honor life.”

After all, if we were to eat nothing at all, we would eventually die.
If perfect adherence to the precept means complete abstention from killing, then simply being born would already be a transgression.
Surely, Buddhism does not teach that it is better never to be born.

Eating is an exchange of life

To eat is to accept the death of something else so that we may live.
Whatever we eat—plant or animal—has been taken from life.
Nothing we consume remains alive after consumption.

This means that eating is, at its core, an exchange of life.
If that’s the case, then isn’t it more important to fully honor the lives we take?
To make the most of what we’ve received, by living our own lives with depth, kindness, and awareness?

What if you were the one being eaten?

Put yourself in the place of what is eaten.

If you were to be consumed, how would you feel knowing that the one eating you was cruel, thoughtless, or selfish?
Wouldn’t that make your sacrifice feel meaningless?

Now imagine the one who eats you is kind, compassionate, and doing their best to make the world better.
Wouldn’t you rather be nourishment for someone like that?

Letting life continue through you

This, I believe, is the deeper meaning of the precept.
Not simply to avoid taking life, but to live in a way that allows the lives we take to continue through us—through our actions, compassion, and intention.

The precept of not killing, then, is not about perfection or purity.
It’s about responsibility.
And how we live with the weight—and gift—of the lives we consume.

玄雪（げんせつ）

【経歴】永平寺、アメリカ禅センター、大学非常勤講師、都会でも田舎でもない町の寺の副住職