3 Pro Death Penalty Quotes by Religious Leaders (Buddhism)



A Buddhist monk, Hsing Yun claimed that the abolishment of capital punishment is not valid by the laws of karma and vipāka in Buddhism. He has written, "However, although "severe punishments in chaotic time (亂世用重典)" do not necessarily have effects in stopping crimes, abolishing capital punishment is not valid by the laws of karma and vipāka in Buddhism, because "a karma as such induces a vipāka as such (如是因，招感如是果)"; having committed a karma without experiencing the vipāka is not compatible with reason. Hence, we can wish to reduce the capital punishment, not to recur to the capital punishment, to substitute the capital punishment by other measures, but we do not claim for the abolishment of the capital punishment."

Hsing Yun (Chinese: 星雲大師; pinyin: Xīngyún Dàshī; born August 30, 1927) is a Chinese Buddhist monk and the founder founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order and the affiliated Buddha's Light International Association, one of the largest international Buddhist organizations in Taiwan and in the Buddhist world.

The prison’s resident Buddhist monk – like the majority of Thai people – has little sympathy for drug traffickers: “Drug dealing is a type of mass murder - it can destroy whole families. If a child becomes addicted to drugs, he drags down his whole family with him. The child starts to steal everything, which ruins the family’s reputation in society. A murderer typically kills only one person. Drug dealers don’t kill just one person - they ruin everyone’s lives.” [Quoted in THE REAL BANGKOK HILTON BBC Documentary 22 July 2004]

Thailand is a Buddhist country so people are always questioning why executions are allowed here. Yes, killing is sinful but Buddhism teaches us to look at the intention behind the act. The intention here is to protect the country, so it is permitted. Since the Sukhothai dynasty, the King has gone out to fight wars. He and his troops have had to kill enemies to protect the country - execution is the same. [Quoted in THE REAL BANGKOK HILTON BBC Documentary 22 July 2004]

Phra Kru Non Thawat is the head monk of Lap Lae temple, which is just on the other side of the wall from the execution chamber of Bang Kwang Prison. He has given the last rites to every prisoner executed at Bang Kwan.