33. Not killing

Never to destroy life is the sum of all virtuous conduct. The destruction of life leads to every evil.

The chief of all (the virtues) which authors have summed up, is the partaking of food that has been shared with others, and the preservation of the mainfold life of other creatures.

Not to destroy life is an incomparably (great) good next to it in goodness ranks freedom from falsehood.

Good path is that which considers how it may avoid killing any creature.

Of all those who, fearing the permanence of earthly births, have abandoned desire, he is the chief who, fearing (the guilt of) murder, considers how he may avoid the destruction of life.

Yama, the destroyer of life, will not attack the life of him, who acts under the determination of never destroying life.

Let no one do that which would destroy the life of another, although he should by so doing, lose his own life.

The advantage which might flow from destroying life in sacrifice, is dishonourable to the wise (who renounced the world), even although it should be said to be productive of great good.

Men who destroy life are base men, in the estimation of those who know the nature of meanness.

(The wise) will say that men of diseased bodies, who live in degradation and in poverty, are those who separated the life from the body of animals (in a former birth).