<p>Apart from breaking the first precept and creating bad Karma for yourself, there's no guarantee that by killing you are going to reduce it's suffering. What if it was born in a realm lower than the animal realm?</p>

<p>So if you can't think of any way to help, practice <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upekkha" rel="nofollow">Upekkha</a>: <em>Beings are owners of their deeds. Whose [if not theirs] is the
choice by which they will suffer or become happy?</em> </p>

<p>You can also contemplate on yourself not being free from such suffering in the future and use it as a motivation to progress in the path.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T06:21:57.743Z
2015-11-18T13:04:07.300Z
2015-11-18T13:04:07.300Z
Sankha Kulathantille
<p>Definitely no killing. That's the first among the <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html">Five Precept</a> to be observed. Do what you can to help. If it's a large animal, call the local animal shelter helpline. If it's a small animal like a bird or a bug, at least move it to a safer place like under shade of a tree to avoid the hot sun and to prevent people from stepping on it, cover it with some large leaves, etc.. Any kind of help no matter how small might still bring great peace to other beings.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T14:33:12.703Z
2015-11-18T14:33:12.703Z
santa100
<p>When I come across animal or bird or bug injured and in pain, no resources available nearby to shelter, do I leave it to nature or kill it to end its misery. What is Buddhism view on mercy?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T17:17:51.290Z
Dupe, see https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2825/euthanasia-for-animals and https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2280/euthanasia-and-buddhism
MatthewMartin
<ethics><lay-buddhism><killing>
Buddhism view on mercy
# Buddhism view on mercy

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-18)

When I come across animal or bird or bug injured and in pain, no resources available nearby to shelter, do I leave it to nature or kill it to end its misery. What is Buddhism view on mercy?

**Tags:** ethics, lay-buddhism, killing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Dupe, see https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2825/euthanasia-for-animals and https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2280/euthanasia-and-buddhism  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-11-18. Score: 7

Definitely no killing. That's the first among the [Five Precept](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/pancasila.html) to be observed. Do what you can to help. If it's a large animal, call the local animal shelter helpline. If it's a small animal like a bird or a bug, at least move it to a safer place like under shade of a tree to avoid the hot sun and to prevent people from stepping on it, cover it with some large leaves, etc.. Any kind of help no matter how small might still bring great peace to other beings.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-11-18. Score: 5

Apart from breaking the first precept and creating bad Karma for yourself, there's no guarantee that by killing you are going to reduce it's suffering. What if it was born in a realm lower than the animal realm?

So if you can't think of any way to help, practice [Upekkha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upekkha): *Beings are owners of their deeds. Whose [if not theirs] is the
choice by which they will suffer or become happy?*

You can also contemplate on yourself not being free from such suffering in the future and use it as a motivation to progress in the path.


---

