preview

Bio Ethics Essay

Better Essays

Bioethics is a very diverse and subjective issue in Buddhism that bases its self around fundamental Buddhist laws such as the five precepts, the four Noble Truths and The Noble Eightfold path. Each Buddhist variant approaches bioethics differently based on the variants primary goal, ideals or practices. However all Buddhists views of bioethics are somewhat influenced by the universal goal of Buddhism to become liberated from the constant cycle of reincarnation or samsara. In conjecture with Buddhism, the occurrence of samsara allows for one to attain a new view on everything including bioethics allowing for the chance to discover or come to an ultimate realisation which in turn allows for the ultimate realisation of issues relating to …show more content…

The Theravada commentator Buddhaghosa held that "killing produces karma through the mental effort and intensity of the desire to kill, and the virtue of the victim". Since killing big animals required more effort, and was therefore "worse than killing small animals", the karma of killing a foetus would be "less than murder of adults", and less in earlier stages of pregnancy. On the other hand for Buddhaghosa, the killing of a foetus would be "greater than that of killing villains in self-defence". This view implies upon a hierarchy within the living world and the state of consciousness and physical development is what is used to determine the justification of abortion.
Abortion in many Buddhist positions appears to be justifiable when it conflicts with bodily autonomy or maintain the idea that a foetus is closer in status to a small or undeveloped animal. Although most views conflict with the first Buddhist precept of not bringing harm to sentient beings, living humans seem to be the most important when considering this and preference is given to the mother of a foetus as well as a foetus not being fully recognised as a human being by some Buddhist variants. Abortion in a Buddhists view however, is seen as a last resort by all variants.

Euthanasia (assisted suicide) is another issue that conflicts with Buddhism’s first precept of not killing. Buddhist literature, particularly the Tibetan Book of

Get Access