Murder by Poisoning

Original text from the first section of the Upāsaka Five Precepts Sūtra: Furthermore, there is killing neither with internal matter, nor with non-internal matter, nor with both internal and non-internal matter. For the purpose of killing, one compounds various poisons. If one places them in the eyes, ears, nose, sores on the body, or in food, bedding, carriages, or palanquins, with the thought: "By this, may that person die." If that person dies because of this, one commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If the person does not die immediately but later dies because of this, one also commits the unpardonable offense. If the person does not die immediately and later does not die because of this, one commits a medium offense that can be repented.

Explanation: There is also the case of killing not using internal matter, not using non-internal matter, and not using the combination of internal and non-internal matter for killing. Compounding various poisons for the purpose of killing, or placing them in that person's eyes, ears, nose, body, sores on the body, or in that person's food and drink, or in bedding, carriages, or palanquins, while thinking: "May he be killed by this poison." If that person dies because of this, the upāsaka commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If that person does not die immediately but later dies because of this, he similarly commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If that person does not die immediately and later does not die because of this, the upāsaka commits a medium offense that can be repented.

 Original text: Furthermore, there are other methods of killing, such as making a smokeless fire pit to kill, killing by stones and traps, killing by animal snares, killing by pitfall traps, killing by contact poison, killing by incantation (Preta-killing), killing by abortion, killing by pressing the abdomen, pushing into fire or water, pushing into a pit to kill, or sending someone away to be killed on the road. This extends even to causing the death in the womb at the initial arising of the two faculties—the body faculty and the life faculty—through various expedient means of killing.

Explanation: There are other methods of killing, such as setting a smokeless fire pit to kill, killing by stones and traps, killing by animal snares, setting pitfall traps to kill, killing by insecticide/contact poison, killing by incantation, killing by abortion, killing by pressing a pregnant woman's abdomen, pushing into fire or water to kill, pushing into a pit to kill, or sending that person to be killed on the way to a certain place. This extends even to the time in the mother's womb when the body faculty and life faculty have just appeared, using various expedient methods to kill. The body faculty refers to the fertilized ovum, and the life faculty refers to the mental faculty.