The value of life

For the life of all flesh is its blood. Therefore I have told the Israelites, ‘You must not eat the blood of any living thing, because the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.’

Whoever kills an animal must make restitution—life for life.

“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.

There is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death.

For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.

Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The mishna continues: A prohibition stemming from sanctity is referring to the marriage of a widow to a High Priest, or to the marriage of a divorcée or of a woman who has performed ḥalitza [ḥalutza], to an ordinary priest. The Gemara explains: And why do the Sages call it a prohibition stemming from sanctity? As it is written with regard to the priests: “They shall be sanctified to their God” (Leviticus 21:6).

The mishna states: A prohibition stemming from sanctity is referring to a marriage of a widow to a High Priest, or a divorcée or a ḥalutza to a common priest. The Gemara asks: Why are these called a prohibition stemming from sanctity? As it is written with regard to the priests: “They shall be sacred to their God…they shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profaned; neither shall they take a woman divorced by her husband” (Leviticus 21:6–7).

the taking of a life, i.e., karet, so too, the matter pertaining to sacrificial food entails a punishment that involves the taking of a life. The Gemara explains: And if the prohibition is with regard to touching sacrificial food, is there a punishment that entails the taking of a life? Rather, the prohibition is with regard to eating.

And that He it is Who giveth death and giveth life

For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth

Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and Thou causest the day to pass into the night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou choosest, without stint

Narrated ʿAbdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "No human being is killed unjustly, but a part of responsibility for the crime is laid on the first son of Adam who invented the tradition of killing (murdering) on the earth. (It is said that he was Qabil)

Narrated Saʿid bin Jubair: ʿAbdurRahman bin Abza said, "Ask Ibn ʿAbbas about these two Qur'anic Verses: 'Nor kill such life as Allah has made sacred, Except for just cause.' (25.168) "And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell. (4.93) So I asked Ibn ʿAbbas who said, "When the Verse that is in Sura-al-Furqan was revealed, the pagans of Mecca said, 'But we have slain such life as Allah has made sacred, and we have invoked other gods along with Allah, and we have also committed fornication.' So Allah revealed:-- 'Except those who repent, believe, and do good-- (25.70) So this Verse was concerned with those people. As for the Verse in Surat-an-Nisa (4-93), it means that if a man, after understanding Islam and its laws and obligations, murders somebody, then his punishment is to dwell in the (Hell) Fire forever." Then I mentioned this to Mujahid who said, "Except the one who regrets (one's crime)

Narrated Saʿid bin Jubair: Ibn Abza said to me, "Ask Ibn ʿAbbas regarding the Statement of Allah: 'And whoever murders a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell.' (4.69) And also His Statement: '...nor kill such life as Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause .....except those who repent, believe, and do good deeds.' " (25.68-70) So I asked Ibn ʿAbbas and he said, "When this (25.68-69) was revealed, the people of Mecca said, "We have invoked other gods with Allah, and we have murdered such lives which Allah has made sacred, and we have committed illegal sexual intercourse. So Allah revealed: 'Except those who repent, believe, and do good deeds and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful

When a person attains Pure Reason, they renounce in this world the results of both good and evil. Cling to Right Action. Spirituality is the true art of living.

He who thinks that the Spirit kills, and he who thinks of it as killed, are both ignorant. The Spirit neither kills nor is it killed. It was not born; it will never die, nor, once having been, can it cease to exist. Unborn, eternal, ever-enduring, yet most ancient, the spirit does not die when the body is dead.

Tasting the nectar of immortality, as the reward of sacrifice, they reach the Eternal. This world is not for those who refuse to sacrifice; nor is the other world. In this way, other sacrifices may also be undertaken for the sake of the Spirit. Know that they all depend on action. Knowing this, you will be free.

This Self is never born, nor does It die. It did not spring from anything, nor did anything spring from It. This Ancient One is unborn, eternal, everlasting. It is not slain even though the body is slain.

Beyond the Unmanifested is the all-pervading and imperceptible Being (Purusha). By knowing Him, the mortal is liberated and attains immortality.

Thou knowest, O Death, the fire-sacrifice that leads to heaven. Tell this to me, who am full of Shraddha (faith and yearning). They who live in the realm of heaven enjoy freedom from death. This I beg as my second boon.

For it is by oneself that evil’s done, one is corrupted by oneself. It’s by oneself that evil’s not done, one is purified by oneself. Purity and impurity are personal matters, no one can purify another.

You don’t become a noble one by harming living beings. One harmless toward all living beings is said to be a noble one.

Restraint of the body is good; good is restraint of speech; restraint of mind is good; everywhere, restraint is good. The mendicant restrained everywhere is released from all suffering.

This is the first way that negates the spiritual life. Furthermore, take a certain teacher who has this doctrine and view: ‘The one who acts does nothing wrong when they punish, mutilate, torture, aggrieve, oppress, intimidate, or when they encourage others to do the same. Nothing bad is done when they kill, steal, break into houses, plunder wealth, steal from isolated buildings, commit highway robbery, commit adultery, and lie. If you were to reduce all the living creatures of this earth to one heap and mass of flesh with a razor-edged chakram, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the south bank of the Ganges killing, mutilating, and torturing, and encouraging others to do the same, no evil comes of that, and no outcome of evil. If you were to go along the north bank of the Ganges giving and sacrificing and encouraging others to do the same, no merit comes of that, and no outcome of merit. In giving, self-control, restraint, and truthfulness there is no merit or outcome of merit.’

“It’s when a noble disciple reflects: ‘Killing living creatures has a bad result in the present life and in lives to come.’ Reflecting like this, they give up killing living creatures, they descend from killing living creatures. … ‘Stealing has a bad result in the present life and in lives to come.’ Reflecting like this, they give up stealing, they descend from stealing.

“freedom from death …”

One who kills this is wealthy and prosperous. One who kills this is honorable. One who kills this is truly a celibate. One who kills this attains salvation. ||3|| One who kills this - his coming is auspicious. One who kills this is steady and wealthy. One who kills this is very fortunate. One who kills this remains awake and aware, night and day. ||4|| One who kills this is Jivan Mukta, liberated while yet alive. One who kills this lives a pure lifestyle. One who kills this is spiritually wise. One who kills this meditates intuitively. ||5|| Without killing this, one is not acceptable, Even though one may perform millions of rituals, chants and austerities. Without killing this, one does not escape the cycle of reincarnation. Without killing this, one does not escape death. ||6|| Without killing this, one does not obtain spiritual wisdom. Without killing this, one's impurity is not washed off. Without killing this, everything is filthy. Without killing this, everything is a losing game. ||7|| When the Lord, the Treasure of Mercy, bestows His Mercy, one obtains release, and attains total perfection. One whose duality has been killed by the Guru, says Nanak, contemplates God. ||8||5||

O Siblings of Destiny, just like this, see death hovering over your own heads! People are just like this fish; unaware, the noose of death descends upon them. ||1||Pause|| The whole world is bound by death; without the Guru, death cannot be avoided. Those who are attuned to Truth are saved; they renounce duality and corruption. I am a sacrifice to those who are found to be Truthful in the True Court. ||2||

At Death's door, he is tied up and punished; such a sinner does not obtain salvation. He cries out in pain, like the fish pierced by the hook. ||10|| The faithless cynic is caught in the noose all alone. The miserable spiritually blind person is caught in the power of Death. Without the Lord's Name, liberation is not known. He shall waste away, today or tomorrow. ||11||

For regulating the human (in our constitution) and rendering the (proper) service to the heavenly, there is nothing like moderation. It is only by this moderation that there is effected an early return (to man’s normal state). That early return is what I call the repeated accumulation of the attributes (of the Tao). With that repeated accumulation of those attributes, there comes the subjugation (of every obstacle to such return). Of this subjugation we know not what shall be the limit; and when one knows not what the limit shall be, he may be the ruler of a state. He who possesses the mother of the state may continue long. His case is like that (of the plant) of which we say that its roots are deep and its flower stalks firm:—this is the way to secure that its enduring life shall long be seen.

The people do not fear death; to what purpose is it to (try to) frighten them with death? If the people were always in awe of death, and I could always seize those who do wrong, and put them to death, who would dare to do wrong? There is always One who presides over the infliction death. He who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it may be described as hewing wood instead of a great carpenter. Seldom is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter, does not cut his own hands!

Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered. Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life. Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the outstretched arms, (and thereby invites the feller.) Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that of what is soft and weak is above.