Buddhism, a religion of compassion, loving-kindness and wisdom, always respects and dignifies the lives of all living things and living beings. Buddhism appears in the world to bring peace and happiness to the gods and human beings. Indeed, in ancient as well as modern times, Buddhism has never brought suffering to anyone. Buddhism only provides the path of transformation of suffering for anyone who has an inquiring mind and a need to reach that path.
Today, on the occasion the Peace Fellowship of Milwaukee is holding a Buddhist Conversation with the topic Buddhist View on the Death Penalty, we shall elucidate it with the following ideas:
I. THE FIVE PRECEPTS
The most basic and important set constituting a course of training rules for the path of personal spiritual development in Buddhist Vinaya is well-known to most Buddhists as the five precepts (Panca Sila):
1.          I undertake the Precept to abstain from taking life
(Pānātipātā ṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi)
2.          I undertake the Precept to abstain from taking what is not given
(Adinnādānā veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi)
3.      I undertake the Precept to abstain from misconduct in sensual actions
(Kāmesu micchācārā veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃsamādiyāmi)
4.      I undertake the Precept to abstain from telling lies
(Musāvādā Veramaṇī Sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi)
5.     I undertake the Precept to abstain from liquor that causes intoxication
And indolence.
(Surā-meraya-majja-pamādaṭṭhānā veramaṃī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi).
In the negative meaning, these are five precepts of prohibition, i.e. not to commit any sin or crime. The nature of the prohibition was two folds:
(a) Prohibition in order to safeguard one from sin or crime, like the prohibition of drinking an intoxicating liquor, which may lead to a sin or crime;
(b) Prohibitions of actual crimes, such as killing, stealing, committing adultery, lying, etc which are in our evil nature.
In the positive meaning, the first precept helps to promote loving-kindness and goodwill. The second can nurture our honesty, generosity, non-attachment and right livelihood. The third helps to cultivate self-restraint, safeguard over the emotions and senses, and control of worldly lust. The fourth precept leads to the development of reliability, honesty, and ethical integrity. The last helps to return our mindfulness, awakening, and insight.
Therefore, the practice of Buddhist precepts deeply helps us to lead a moral life and to advance further on the spiritual path in personal life and also helps to promote peaceful coexistence, a cooperative spirit, mutual trust in society and promotes social progress and development day by day.
II. THE FIRST PRECEPT
The first precept advocates against the destruction of life. This is based on the principle of goodwill and respect for the right to live of all living beings.
In the first Bodhisattva Precept of the Brahma Net Sutra, the Buddha teaches it in details: “A disciple of the Buddha shall not himself kill, encourage others to kill, kill by expedient means, praise killing, rejoice at witnessing killing, or kill through incantation or deviant mantras. He must not create the causes, conditions, methods, or karma of killing, and shall not intentionally kill any living creature.”
There are five conditions  that constitute the immoral act of killing: (1) the fact and presence of a living being, human or animal; (2) the knowledge that the being is a living being; (3) the intent or resolution to kill; (4) the act of killing by appropriate means; and (5) the resulting death. In the absence of any one of these conditions, the act would not constitute killing even though death should follow; the event would be consid