The Crime of Killing by Sorcery

Original text of the first section of the Upāsaka Five Precepts Sūtra:断命者。二十九日牛粪涂地。以酒食着中。然火已。寻便着水中。若心念口说。读咒术言。如火水中灭。若火灭时。彼命随灭。又复二十九日牛粪涂地。酒食着中。画作所欲杀人像。作像已。寻还拨灭。心念口说。读咒术言。如此像灭。彼命亦灭。若像灭时。彼命随灭。又复二十九日。牛粪涂地。酒食着中。以针刺衣角头。寻还拔出。心念口说。读咒术言。如此针出。彼命随出。是名断命。若用种种咒死者。犯不可悔罪。若不死者。是中罪可悔。

Explanation: To take another's life by means of mantric spells, on the twenty-ninth day of the lunar calendar one smears cow dung on the ground, places food and wine on the cow dung, and after lighting a fire, immediately puts it into the water. If one mentally recites and verbally chants the spell, saying: "Just as the fire is extinguished in the water, when the fire goes out, that person's life also perishes along with it." Again, on the twenty-ninth day, one smears cow dung on the ground, places food and wine on the cow dung, and draws an image of the person one wishes to kill. After drawing the image, one immediately erases and destroys it, mentally reciting and verbally chanting the spell, saying: "Just as this image is destroyed, may that person's life also be destroyed; when the image is destroyed, his life perishes along with it." Again, on the twenty-ninth day, one smears cow dung on the ground, places food and wine on the cow dung, pierces the corner of a garment with a needle, and immediately pulls it out, mentally reciting and verbally chanting the spell, saying: "Just as this needle is drawn out, his life is drawn out along with it." This is called taking life by means of spells. If one uses various kinds of spells to curse someone to death, one commits an irremediable (unrepentable) offense of killing; if the person does not die from the curse, one commits a moderate, remediable (repentable) offense.