Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

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D1W1
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Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by D1W1 »

Hi all,

I'm wondering is masturbation the same thing as breaking the first precept since the sperm is unable to live outside of human body for long time. Thanks.
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BlueLotus
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by BlueLotus »

Seriously dude?
:rofl:
D1W1
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by D1W1 »

BlueLotus wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:46 pm Seriously dude?
:rofl:
Why? What makes you think sperm can live outside human body?
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Aloka
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by Aloka »

Maybe this will help to put your mind at rest about "killing" your sperm:

https://www.quora.com/Is-masturbating-c ... ed-killing



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DNS
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by DNS »

It is not fertilized without the egg. In the same way, a woman's cycle is not killing anyone either. And neither is eating eggs (non-fertilized ones), which is why vegetarians eat eggs.
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DNS
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by DNS »

I think I heard that when a male (mammal) has sex, even when he impregnates the female, there are some one million sperm that race toward the egg and it is only one sperm that fertilizes the egg, so if it were killing, then even when pregnancy occurs, it would be the "killing" of about 999,999 sperm.
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lyndon taylor
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by lyndon taylor »

If you're really worried about it you could masturbate and donate your sperm to the sperm bank. :juggling:
18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community, sincerely former monk John

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dharmacorps
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by dharmacorps »

Asking this question is a path to madness from a biological perspective. Your sperm are a part of your body. In the same way, if you scratch your hand, you could be "killing" skin cells.

If your sperm could come out of your body and then walk around and talk maybe we'd be having a different conversation. :shrug:
2600htz
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by 2600htz »

Hello:

In order to kill there has to be a "being".

(MN 38)

"Monks, the descent of the embryo occurs with the union of three things. There is the case where there is no union of the mother & father, the mother is not in her season, and a gandhabba [8] is not present, nor is there a descent of an embryo. There is the case where there is a union of the mother & father, and the mother is in her season, but a gandhabba is not present, nor is there a descent of an embryo. But when there is a union of the mother & father, the mother is in her season, and a gandhabba is present, then with this union of three things the descent of the embryo occurs.


If this conditions don´t come to be, there is no descent of the embryo. It doesn´t have volition,consciousness, mind-body process, feeling, etc.
Your sperm is life form (like plants), but not a being.


Regards.
Last edited by 2600htz on Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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ryanM
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by ryanM »

Also, sperm are continuously manufactured in your testes as older cells die off. You’re just encouraging new cells to form.
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chownah
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by chownah »

dharmacorps wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 6:31 pm If your sperm could come out of your body and then walk around and talk maybe we'd be having a different conversation. :shrug:

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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by chownah »

D1W1 wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:51 pm Hi all,

I'm wondering is masturbation the same thing as breaking the first precept since the sperm is unable to live outside of human body for long time. Thanks.
The first precept is about living beings and the suttas talk about a living being arising only after the sperm unites with the egg and descends into the womb.....so until this happens there is no living being an the first precept does not apply.
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Justsit
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by Justsit »

chownah wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:22 am
dharmacorps wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 6:31 pm If your sperm could come out of your body and then walk around and talk maybe we'd be having a different conversation. :shrug:
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justindesilva
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by justindesilva »

D1W1 wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:51 pm Hi all,

I'm wondering is masturbation the same thing as breaking the first precept since the sperm is unable to live outside of human body for long time. Thanks.
From my references from texts Lord Buddha mentions sbout masterbation ( sukkhavissati ) in vinayapitaka (vin111.109) that it is not a mental theurspitic action .
Then vin 111.111 is said to have laid down as an offence for Buddhist monks and nuns.
The 1st precept only mentions about harming or killing sentient beings or beings with a nervous system. As the sperm is not a sentient being destroying of sperms can not be considered against the 1st precept.
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L.N.
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Re: Is masturbation the same thing as killing?

Post by L.N. »

D1W1 wrote: Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:51 pmI'm wondering is masturbation the same thing as breaking the first precept since the sperm is unable to live outside of human body for long time. Thanks.
I suppose it depends on whether your intention is to kill sperm, with the recurring thought of "kill, kill, kill" with each throttle. If so, this may be an occasion to examine one's engagement with this particular training rule.
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