+1 vote
by (460 points)
In Anggutara Nikaya (6.2.18) the buddha said that a person that is a fishmonger will create bad karma for themselves.

My question is:

If a fishmonger sells dead fish without slaughtering the live ones in a retail store for the rest of his life, will he be considered as doing something bad? Thank you.
by (460 points)
Is slicing something that is already dead considered killing? when there is no desire for killing how is there remorse, regret, hatred and etc......
by (2.1k points)
I fully agree and from my own experience the only thing of Buddhas teachings I have found that I am unable to understand with my intellect that has to be taken on faith is the intricacies of karma.
Not karma itself for that is as simple of an action creates an effect, simply as clicking your finger makes a sound, it is just the intricacies and seeing how an action truly creates an effect that we are unable to understand for ourselves so we have to take faith in Buddhas teachings on morality.
if you understand the butterfly effect theory, you can understand how we can not know truly the effects of our actions. technically your breath could be an indirect cause for a typhoon that kills millions of people!
Again, the intricacies of karma are one of the imponderable things of Buddhas teachings.
by (3.0k points)
No, it's not. It really is about intentional killing that's the problem. So, if something is already dead there is no problem.
by (3.0k points)
@Cortadew You are correct.
by (3.0k points)
@Remlya Kamma is intentional/wilful action, not just action. An arahant still walks, sits, talks etc. These are all actions. There is a difference between the process playing out by itself and trying to wilfully control. To put it simpel: every wilful action that comes from a place of liking or disliking is problematic.

3 Answers

0 votes
by (2.1k points)
I would say that it indirectly creates the cause of death of the fish, similarly as being a customer of a butcher creates the need of a butcher and as well causes the need for fish to be killed.

We cannot see the intricacies of karma, so we have to take the minutest amount of faith in karma that killing creates negativity. More importantly that the intention to kill creates negative karma.
by (2.1k points)
Just to add to this, my own opinion is that there is no such thing as good or bad these are man made mental concepts of society/religion/morality ect there is only actions and effects.
by (250 points)
I believe there is not akusala kamma by buying meat.
by (2.1k points)
Does "akusala" mean negative/demerit?
Well it isn't really our view that matters, karma is supposedly a natural law.
I personally feel there is negative karma driving cars, so I don't do it but that is my opinion.
The intricacies of karma is (afaik) known to be one of the imponderable things in buddhism, something that we have to take on faith and just follow the laid out precepts before us.
What I do know is that our intention is all that really matters as every action is an action of mind.
by (460 points)
Without thorough investigation of the buddha's discourses and by simply following something with blinded "Faith" can be dangerous IMO
by (2.1k points)
I fully agree and from my own experience the only thing of Buddhas teachings I have found that I am unable to understand with my intellect that has to be taken on faith is the intricacies of karma.
Not karma itself for that is as simple of an action creates an effect, simply as clicking your finger makes a sound, it is just the intricacies and seeing how an action truly creates an effect that we are unable to understand for ourselves so we have to take faith in Buddhas teachings on morality.
if you understand the butterfly effect theory, you can understand how we can not know truly the effects of our actions. technically your breath could be an indirect cause for a typhoon that kills millions of people!
Again, the intricacies of karma are one of the imponderable things of Buddhas teachings.
by (3.0k points)
@Cortadew You are correct.
by (3.0k points)
@Remlya Kamma is intentional/wilful action, not just action. An arahant still walks, sits, talks etc. These are all actions. There is a difference between the process playing out by itself and trying to wilfully control. To put it simpel: every wilful action that comes from a place of liking or disliking is problematic.
0 votes
by (8.5k points)
Morality in Buddhism is about how our actions affect our mind not others. Dealing in the killing of other beings has a negative effect on our mind. It conditions the mind towards anger, hatred, and dislike. This can be seen in our meditation practice very clearly. When you say or do something that involves hurting another being you can see that anger arises. You will also see that dislike/remorse arises at a later time when you remember these actions.
by (460 points)
Is slicing something that is already dead considered killing? when there is no desire for killing how is there remorse, regret, hatred and etc......
by (3.0k points)
No, it's not. It really is about intentional killing that's the problem. So, if something is already dead there is no problem.
+3 votes
by (18.8k points)
Selling dead fish is fine as long as you do not kill, do not instruct others to kill and do not wish others to kill.
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