The Diamond Sutra teaches us that it is impossible to distinguish between sentient and non-sentient beings.
The First Precept is born from the awareness that lives everywhere are being destroyed. We see the suffering caused by the destruction of life, and we undertake to cultivate compassion and use it as a source of energy for the protection of people, animals, plants, and minerals. The First Precept is a precept of compassion, karuna — the ability to remove suffering and transform it. When we see suffering, compassion is born in us.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
That’s key: How can we determine, without a doubt, who is and is not sentient? Who is aware? Who is not? Who suffers? Who thinks? And who decides?
