“Getting the Message"

“Getting the Message" 

When asked if there was anything whose killing he approved of, the Buddha answered that there was only one thing: anger. In no recorded instance did he approve of killing any living being at all. When one of his monks went to an executioner and told the man to kill his victims compassionately, with one blow, rather than torturing them, the Buddha expelled the monk from the Sangha, on the grounds that even the recommendation to kill compassionately is still a recommendation to kill — something he would never condone. If a monk was physically attacked, the Buddha allowed him to strike back in self-defense, but never with the intention to kill." 

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Getting the Message" 

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/gettingmessage.html?fbclid=IwAR2dDUoLb9w47_M5-JG0X8Rk02KZODMXr310paiAlWbg4HuR-U0aTrtfLXI