"The foremost treasure of sentient beings is none other than life itself. Those who take life are certain to fall into the three evil paths. That is why the wheel-turning kings observed the precept of “not to kill” as the first of the ten good precepts, and why the Buddha taught the five precepts at the beginning of the Hinayana sutras and made “not to kill” the first of them. The Buddha also taught “not to kill” as the first of the ten major precepts in the Mahayana BrahmÄ Net Sutra. The “Life Span” chapter of the Lotus Sutra is the one that represents the merit of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni’s practice of the precept “not to kill.” Accordingly, those who take life will be abandoned by all the Buddhas of the three existences, and the gods of the six heavens of the world of desire will never protect them."
From Gosho "On Recommending This Teaching to Your Lord and Avoiding the Offense of Complicity in Slander " (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 460)
From Gosho "On Recommending This Teaching to Your Lord and Avoiding the Offense of Complicity in Slander " (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin Volume I, page 460)
