The offense of killing a person through the use of spells and incantations

Original text of Section One of the Upāsaka Five Precepts Sūtra: 断命者。二十九日牛粪涂地。以酒食着中。然火已。寻便着水中。若心念口说。读咒术言。如火水中灭。若火灭时。彼命随灭。又复二十九日牛粪涂地。酒食着中。画作所欲杀人像。作像已。寻还拨灭。心念口说。读咒术言。如此像灭。彼命亦灭。若像灭时。彼命随灭。又复二十九日。牛粪涂地。酒食着中。以针刺衣角头。寻还拔出。心念口说。读咒术言。如此针出。彼命随出。是名断命。若用种种咒死者。犯不可悔罪。若不死者。是中罪可悔。

Explanation: To take a person's life by means of mantric spells, on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month one smears the ground with cow dung and places food and wine upon it. After lighting a fire, one immediately plunges it into water. If one mentally recites and verbally intones the spell, saying: "Just as fire is extinguished in water," then when the fire goes out, that person's life is extinguished along with it. Again, on the twenty-ninth day, one smears the ground with cow dung and places food and wine upon it, then draws an image of the person one wishes to kill. After completing the image, one immediately effaces and destroys it, mentally reciting and verbally intoning the spell, saying: "Just as this image is destroyed, may that person's life also be destroyed." When the image is destroyed, his life perishes along with it. Again, on the twenty-ninth day, one smears the ground with cow dung and places food and wine upon it, then pierces the corner of a garment with a needle and immediately withdraws it, mentally reciting and verbally intoning the spell, saying: "Just as this needle is drawn out, may his life be drawn out as well." This is called taking life by spell. If one uses various kinds of spells to curse a person to death, one commits an irremediable offense of killing. If the person does not die, it is a middling, remediable offense.