ལས་རྣམ་པར་འབྱད་པ 3

3

Your mooing is to no avail! What is it good for?’ So it was said.

“Seeing the preparation of a sacrificial ground such as this is like witnessing a battle⁵² during which many beings such as humans and horses are killed,⁵³ or like being thrilled about the accoutrements of war.⁵⁴

“As the Buddha has said in the Kālikasūtra:⁵⁵

“ ‘Ānanda, resorting to killing and having grown accustomed to it and practiced it often becomes the cause for rebirth in the hells, in the animal realm, or as a ghost.’

“When killing is done few times and on a small scale, it leads to having a short lifespan.⁵⁶

“What kind of action leads to a long life? Abstaining from killing; speaking praise of abstaining from killing and encouraging others to do so; freeing people and cattle, pigs, birds, and so forth that are to be killed; giving protection to those stricken with fear; arousing thoughts of kindness toward those who are without protection; arousing thoughts of love toward those who are sick, children, and the elderly; giving food to and arousing thoughts of love toward those who are in need; and rejecting all those things referred to above concerning war and so forth,⁵⁷ and instead practicing virtue such as renovating and restoring stūpas and monasteries⁵⁸ that have fallen into disrepair.

“It is said in that same sūtra:

“ ‘For he who restores what has fallen into ruin,⁵⁹
Untimely death will not occur.’⁶⁰

“This kind of action leads to a long life.

“What kind of action leads to having many illnesses? Anger and hitting someone with the fist or the palm of the hand;⁶¹ enjoying hitting somebody with the fist or the palm of the hand; speaking praise of the merit of hitting someone with the fist or the palm of the hand and encouraging it; causing one’s parents mental or physical distress; causing monks