In schools of Zen Buddhism such as Kencho-ji temple (particularly the Rinzai school), the prohibition of killing lives is emphasized as an essential ascetic practice within daily life.
For example, when sweeping the garden or weeding, one does not kill insects needlessly. The monks who are practicing meditation are cautious not to swat mosquitoes flying around them.
Buddhism teaches that all living beings possess “Bussho” (Buddha-nature). That is to say, humans, animals, insects, and plants are all fundamentally precious beings that possess the same potential to become Buddha, who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment.
Even the smallest life is considered to have the sacred heart of Buddha, while simultaneously being ignorant about its own divine nature without being spiritually awakened.
For this reason, the prohibition of killing is not merely a prohibition of action,
but also the practice for cultivating the compassionate heart of Buddha, while cherishing the lives of all living things around us.
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