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ABSTRACT
DEATH
age tend to accept empirical things, which are in line with science and
are not only ethical. The religious assumptions also play an important
assumptions and practices cannot be left aside since they are the
Hippocratic Oath which holds that the principle of Reverence for Life
and Preservation of Life at any cost is the top priority for medicos and
issues of life and death particularly the issues on suicide, euthanasia and
writing about these issues. All earlier works are mostly seen from the
Thailand, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries have confined themselves
memorizing the scriptures. They are not aware of applying the Buddha’s
teachings to day to day problems of modern life. This is the main reason
such issues at all. But in the early nineteenth century, when Buddhism
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what the Buddha really meant by those statements with the help of
Introduction
Chapter 3 Suicide
Chapter 4 Euthanasia
Chapter 5 Abortion
Chapter 6 Conclusion
Introduction
actions that come from his body, speech and mind according to
in the idea of karma and rebirth is one of the main reasons for Buddhists
to this proposition, the fetus, newborn infants, very young children, old
because they do not have those criteria. In this connection, I have tried
to point out some other criteria such as the ability to have social
relationship with others, the ability to pursue projects, the ability to have
desires and interests, and I have demonstrated that these criteria are
show that the individuals mentioned above are persons and killing them
teaches that there is no person in this universe. Only mind and body
constitute this world and the things, living or non-living, that rest on it.
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Humans are made of mind and body, and mind and body are
Furthermore, I have also dealt with the moral status of the fetus.
renders the fetus a person. I have observed three broad views on the
conservative view holds that the fetus is a person from the moment of
conception. The liberal view holds that one is not a person even after
birth, and thus the fetus is not a person at any point of pregnancy. The
birth, it is a person. I have pointed out the oddities that each of these
not the fetus is a person. Buddhist position on the moral status of the
human life. In the discussion about the sanctity of human life, I have
prerequisite for all other goods. Therefore life has value and it must be
legitimate killing to save the life of others. I have also discussed some
criticisms of this view and given my own analysis. Some critics say that
if taking life is always wrong, there should not be any exceptional cases
some moral principles that do not cover certain kinds of cases, citing the
fate of the individual and it undermines the security of all human beings.
life. I have pointed out that cost-benefit argument is also not very
helpful for arguing against the sanctity of human life as it causes social
towards the sanctity of human life. Buddhism regards human life as the
greatest not because of its divine origin, as other religions assume, but
due to various motives and reasons. Some acts are not considered to be
suicidal individual such as the case when the person really doesn’t wish
to die, but to put pressures and gain influence over other people. Suicide
by a gun, slitting one’s throat, taking sleeping pills over limit, refraining
treatment when one is ill etc. A person can commit suicide both with
the aid of other people and without getting any aid depending on
circumstances.
must have certain motives for his tendency of suicide. Motives for
suicide and its frequency have varied from culture to culture. But a
unhappy, how they perceive themselves, and why they want to die are
largely dictated by the time and place in which they live. The motives
for suicide of the young are different from those of the old. Suicides of
questions which arise from the ethical debate, namely, whether suicide
actions of others or by rules prohibiting him from doing so: a man’s life
or dies. In the third question, there are two versions viz., suicide for
and suicide for others which aims at preserving the lives of others. Most
to what is the cause for sacrificing one’s life and according to how the
material things such as wealth are the causes for sacrificing one’s life, it
ill person’s attempt to end his life considering this can free his relatives
of the burden caring for him is not acceptable because it would result in
the adverse effects to the relatives such as being unhappy for losing
is prevented by law.
serious offences which results in the total expulsion from the monastic
but also it harms those who are related to the person committing suicide.
there is a closing statement of the Buddha which says, “Channa used the
that the Buddha did not blame Channa’s suicide. What the Buddha
request of the person who wishes to die with dignity avoiding intense
pain. There are two kinds of euthanasia viz., active euthanasia and
altering some form of support and letting nature take its course. Another
to end his or her life. Non-voluntary euthanasia is to end the life of the
and many philosophers and religious thinkers, ranging from Plato and
Middle Ages, and Kant in more modern times have contributed different
if one kind is permitted, it will be used to support another kind citing the
of the fact that the patient’s right to die, right to refuse treatment, his
approve passive euthanasia while rejecting the active one saying that the
former does not involve any act of killing, but it is merely letting the
the rule that prohibits monks and nuns from killing human beings
Buddhist to abstain from the destruction of life. For lay persons, killing
suffering, to try to realize what things really are, how the suffering
comes about, how to get rid of it and act accordingly with patience.
face more and more suffering in the next life because it is considered as
an immoral act in Buddhism, and this kind of act will cause him to be
birth, which results in the death of the embryo or fetus. Abortion was
leaders. In the early 19th century, some western countries like UK and
century, the attitude towards abortion became more liberal and the
holds that abortion is never justifiable for the reason that life begins at
the mother’s life or some other similarly serious reasons. Of these three
abortion.
Chapter 6 Conclusion
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regard life as the most sacred in this universe. I have stressed and
Buddhism does not believe that life is given by God. However the
transplantation.
way for the successful healing of numerous diseases that are threatening
are on the growing rise, the organ sources for these patients are not
bodies without prior agreement of the donors and from illegal organ-
difference is that Buddhism does not consider the case where an organ
obtained from a live donor who is well informed, but who is opposed by
organ. And Buddhism does not consider giving one’s organ upon one’s
the sake of human beings, even if it can save the life of the patient
because it harms the animal’s life. Buddhism teaches that one should
not seek happiness and certain achievements at the cost of other’s life.