Abstention from Killing in Buddhism : หน้า 160/263

4.1 Abstention from killing Evil actions can be abstained from in any of the following three different ways: 1. abstention on the spur of the moment [sampattauirati]; 2. abstention by having requested the Five Precepts in advance [samādanavirati]; 3. abstention by having transcended such behaviour [samuccheda vırati]; The account of the layman called ‘Cakkana’ is a good illustration of abstention from evil on the spur of the moment¹. Cakkana was ordered by his older brother to hunt and kill a rabbit so that the animal’s fresh blood could be used as a lotion to cure his mother’s illness. He caught a rabbit and was about to kill it. However, when the rabbit cried out in fear, he thought to himself of the folly of killing one being to save another. Thinking thus, he released the rabbit — this is an example of thinking that is Right Action on the level of the spur of the moment. Another layman’s story illustrates the abstention from evil by someone who has requested the Precepts in advance²: There was a layman who had requested the Five Precepts from a distinguished monk before going out to plough the fields. At lunchtime, he released his buffalos to graze, but one escaped into the forest. Taking his machete he followed the buffalo into the forest. However, he was encoiled by a huge python from the feet upwards. At first he thought to hack the snake with the machete, but recalling that he had taken the Precepts he refrained. When ¹. DhsA. p.103 ². Mangaladipani Part II, v.158