Matricide

Section One of the Upasaka Five Precepts Sutra Original Text: If an upasaka schemes to kill his mother but kills a non-mother instead, he commits a medium retractable offense. If an upasaka intends to kill a non-mother but ends up killing his own mother, he commits a medium retractable offense, not a heinous sin. If an upasaka schemes to kill a human but kills a non-human being instead, he commits a medium retractable offense. If an upasaka schemes to kill a non-human being but kills a human instead, he commits a minor retractable offense. If a human aborts an animal fetus, he commits a minor retractable offense. If an animal aborts a human fetus resulting in death, he commits an irretractable offense.

Explanation: If an upasaka employs certain means intending to kill his mother but actually kills someone who is not his mother, he commits a medium retractable offense. This is because he harbored no intention to kill a non-mother; it was accidental killing. If an upasaka intends to kill someone other than his mother but ends up killing his own mother, he also commits a medium retractable offense. Since he had no intention to kill his mother, he does not incur the heinous sin of matricide, one of the five heinous sins.

If an upasaka devises certain means intending to kill a human but kills a non-human being instead, he commits a medium retractable offense, as the offense of killing non-human beings is lighter. If an upasaka devises certain means intending to kill a non-human being but kills a human instead, he commits a minor retractable offense. Since he did not intend to kill a human, the killing was accidental, resulting in a lighter offense. If a human aborts an animal fetus, he commits a minor retractable offense. If an animal aborts a human fetus, he commits an irretractable offense, as this is equivalent to intentional homicide.

Original Text: If an upasaka sets up a scheme to kill someone, but the upasaka himself dies first, and if someone subsequently dies due to this scheme, the upasaka commits a retractable offense. If an upasaka intends to kill his parents but harbors doubt, wondering, "Are these really my parents or not?" and if he kills them knowing for certain they are his parents, he commits a heinous sin, which is irretractable. If an upasaka harbors doubt, wondering, "Is this a human or not?" and if he kills the being knowing for certain it is a human, he commits an irretractable offense.

Explanation: If an upasaka designs a scheme to kill someone, but the upasaka himself dies first, and if another person later dies because of this scheme, the upasaka commits a retractable offense. If an upasaka intends to kill his parents but feels uncertain, doubting whether the targets are truly his parents or not, and if he kills them after confirming they are indeed his parents, he commits the heinous sin of patricide/matricide (one of the five heinous sins), which cannot be repented. If an upasaka feels uncertain, doubting whether the target is human or not, and if he kills the being after confirming it is human, he commits an irretractable offense.