The ten paths of nonvirtuous actions are explained as follows in the Lamrim:
1. Killing
2. Stealing
3. Sexual Misconduct
4. Lying
5. Divisive Speech
6. Offensive Speech
7. Senseless Speech
8. Covetousness
9. Malice
10. Wrong Views
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1. Killing
What is killing? The Compendium of Determinations teaches this in
five categories: basis, perception, attitude, affliction, and completion.
However, you can condense the middle three into the category
of attitude and add the category of performance to give a condensed
presentation of each of the paths of action in
four categories: basis, attitude, performance, and completion.
Such a presentation is easy to understand, and there is no contradiction.
Among these, the basis of killing is a being who is alive. Moreover,
the Levels of Yogic Deeds adds the qualification “other,” as in
“another living being.” This is in consideration of cases of suicide,
and when there is a sin of commission that lacks culmination.
Concerning the three aspects of attitude—perception, motivation, and affliction;
In some cases, there may be a specific motivation. For example,
someone may plan to kill only someone called Devadatta, and he
or she then commits murder. However, if this person mistakes
Yajnadatta for Devadatta and kills him instead, there is no fundamental sin.
Hence, such an action of killing requires an accurate perception.
If at the time of performance the killer has a general motivation,
thinking that no matter what happens he or she will kill, an
accurate perception is not necessary. Know this to be the case for
any of the remaining nine non virtuous actions.
The affliction is any of the three mental poisons (greed, hate, ignorance),
and the motivation is the desire to kill.
As for the performance, it makes no difference whether the performers do it themselves or cause someone
else to do it. The nature of the performance is killing by way of a weapon, poison, a spell, or the like.
The culmination is the death of another on account of the performance, either at that point in time or at another point in time.
Further, the Treasury of Knowledge says: If the killer dies prior to or at the same time as the victim
There is no actual infraction, since the killer has then assumed another life.