Massacre by Pit Execution Without Gunpowder Smoke

Original text from the First Section of the Upāsaka Five Precepts Sūtra: If an upāsaka knows that a person is coming along this path, and beforehand makes a smokeless fire pit on it, covering it with sand and soil, and then says aloud, "Because this person is coming along this path, I have made this pit." If that person dies because of this, it is an unpardonable offense (of killing). If that person does not die immediately but later dies because of it, it is an unpardonable offense. If that person does not die immediately and later does not die because of it, it is a moderately serious offense that can be repented.

Explanation: The case of killing with a smokeless fire pit is: if an upāsaka knows the person to be killed is coming along a certain path, he prepares the smokeless fire pit in advance on the path, covers it with sand and soil, and afterwards says aloud: "Because this person is coming along this path, I have set up this fire pit." If that person dies from falling into the fire pit, the upāsaka commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If that person does not die immediately but later still dies because of it, the upāsaka likewise commits the unpardonable offense of killing. If that person does not die immediately and later does not die because of it, the upāsaka commits the moderately serious offense of killing that can be repented.

Original text: If one makes a smokeless fire pit for another person, and a human dies, it is unpardonable. If a non-human dies, it is a moderately serious offense that can be repented. If an animal dies, it is a minor offense that can be repented.

Explanation: If one makes a smokeless fire pit for another person to kill, and if a human dies from falling into the fire pit, one commits the unpardonable offense of killing; if a non-human falls into the fire pit and dies, the upāsaka commits the moderately serious offense of killing that can be repented; if an animal falls in and dies, the upāsaka commits the minor offense of killing that can be repented.

Why is it that for the same fire pit, when different beings fall in and die, the upāsaka incurs different levels of offense? First, it is because the beings belong to different categories, have different merits, and possess different intrinsic value; thus, the loss after death is different, and killing them naturally incurs different offenses. Human beings are more noble and valuable than non-humans, and non-humans are more noble and valuable than animals; killing a human incurs the greatest offense, killing an animal incurs the smallest offense. Value refers to the size of the contribution one can make to the world, the benefit to sentient beings, and the magnitude of worldly and transcendental achievements one can attain oneself. Second, it is because the upāsaka's purpose and intent differ; offenses incurred with intent and without intent are naturally different. If the upāsaka's target is a human and he has the intent to kill a human, and a human dies, the offense is grave. If his target was not non-humans or animals, and he had no intent to kill non-humans or animals, then the death of non-humans or animals constitutes accidental killing, and the offense is minor.

Original text: If a pit is made for a non-human, and a non-human dies, it is a moderately serious offense that can be repented. If a human dies, it is a minor offense that can be repented. If an animal dies, it is a minor offense that can be repented. If a pit is made for an animal, and an animal dies, it is a minor offense that can be repented. If a human falls in and dies, or if a non-human falls in and dies, in both cases, it is a minor offense that can be repented.

Explanation: If the smokeless fire pit was made for a non-human, and a non-human dies because of it, the upāsaka commits the moderately serious offense of killing that can be repented. If a human falls in and dies, he commits the minor offense of killing that can be repented; if an animal dies because of it, he also commits the minor offense of killing that can be repented.

If a smokeless fire pit is made for an animal, and the animal dies because of it, he commits the minor offense of killing that can be repented. If a human falls in and dies, or a non-human falls in and dies, in both cases, it is the minor offense of killing that can be repented.

Setting up a fire pit for a non-human means having the intent to kill a non-human. But because non-humans are not noble enough and are not vessels for enlightenment (Dharma receptacles), killing a non-human incurs a moderately serious offense that can be repented, not the highest level unpardonable offense. If a human accidentally falls into the fire pit and dies, it is a minor offense that can be repented, because the upāsaka did not intend to kill a human; it was caused by the human mistakenly entering the pit, and the upāsaka merely provided the means for falling into the fire pit. If an animal mistakenly enters the pit and dies, it is an even more minor offense that can be repented. If there was intent to kill an animal, and beings of any category die as a result, it is a minor offense that can be repented, because animals are not noble enough and are not vessels for enlightenment; killing them is a minor offense. The deaths of humans or non-humans are accidental killings and are also minor offenses.

Original text: If an upāsaka makes a pit without specifying a single type of being, intending that all who come fall in and die: if a human dies, it is an unpardonable offense; if a non-human dies, it is a moderately serious offense that can be repented; if an animal dies, it is a minor offense that can be repented; if none die at all, he commits the three preparatory offenses that can be repented. This is called killing by smokeless fire pit.

Explanation: If an upāsaka sets up a smokeless fire pit not for a specific type of being, but with the mental wish that all who come to the fire pit be killed without exception. If a human dies because of this, he commits the unpardonable offense of killing; if a non-human dies because of this, he commits the moderately serious offense of killing that can be repented; if an animal dies because of this, he commits the minor offense of killing that can be repented. If none die at all, the upāsaka commits the three preparatory offenses that can be repented. This describes the case of the offense of killing by setting up a smokeless fire pit.

Setting up the fire pit with the intent to kill all passing beings, including humans, means having the intent to kill humans; thus, if a human dies, he commits the highest unpardonable offense. Intending to kill non-humans and animals, if non-humans or animals die, he commits the moderately serious and minor offenses that can be repented. The "three preparatory offenses" refer to setting up the smokeless fire pit for the purpose of killing the three types of beings.