Doctor assisted suicide - does doctor break the first precept?
Upvote:0
First among the five precepts, acknowledged by all Buddhist practitioners, is not to take a life, especially a human life. Consequently, from the Buddhist point of view, that the time of death is uncertain precluding the taking of life to be determinable, both suicide and the one who assists suicide generate extreme negative Karma. In the case of euthanasia, the individual concerned is already actively dying, and the outcome is certain. It can be argued that "mercy killing" in the last hours is an act of compassion where the Karma is neutral; i.e., the patient will die if I act...the patient will die if I do not act.
Finally, I would point out that your example of the patient who is brain dead, by definition cannot make a decision for Physician assisted suicide; and one cannot determine the number of years (with an otherwise healthy body) that that individual would live. So to take that individual's life would be a clear case of murder. It is the karma of such a person describe in your example to be and remain in that state until karma determines their life span.
Upvote:0
The Pali scriptures explain 'kamma is intention' (AN 6.63). Thus the results of kamma (an action) will follow the quality of intention. The moral precepts are training rules thus not 100% fixed for lay people (however, the killing precept is 100% fixed for monks, since many of the monks rules are about the public image). That said, it is not considered bad karma for a mind free from greed, hatred & delusion to commit suicide. Therefore, a person that commits suicide due to unbearable physically debilitating (rather than emotional) pain is blameless. As for the doctor or helper...?
[Channa said]...Friend Sāriputta, I am not getting well, I am not comfortable. My painful feelings are increasing, not subsiding;…their increase and not their subsiding is apparent. I shall use this knife, friend Sāriputta; I have no desire to live...
[The Buddha said]...Sāriputta, when one lays down a 'body' ['kaya': grouping of five aggregates] & takes up a new 'body', then I say one is blameworthy. This did not happen in the case of the bhikkhu Channa; the bhikkhu Channa used the knife blamelessly.
Upvote:0
Suicide is one of the greatest of sins that one could do unto self. In the Vinaya generally, suicide is condemned. Assisting or encouraging suicide is equal to the gravest offences. A monk who deliberately ends the life of a patient, even from compassionate motives, is expelled from the monkhood and can never re-ordain in this life, so there’s no room for assisted suicide in Supreme Buddha’s dispensation. It is said that this act will take you to the worst hell - the great hell / Ānatareika Niraya. Now you know the danger of this Samsara. You and I would have committed suicide a countless number of times in our previous births. This shows the urgency and importance of becoming a Sotha-Aapanna – to get into the stream – the Noble Eight-fold Path.
Upvote:1
Assisting suicide would be considered an offence of defeat in a monk.
Whatever monk should intentionally deprive a human being of life, or should look about to be his knife-bringer, he is also one who is defeated and is no more in communion.
More post
- 📝 Opposite of buddhism
- 📝 Is inventing "defensive" biological weapons right livelihood?
- 📝 Identify this deity?
- 📝 A beginner facing Culadasa
- 📝 why can't the spirtual experience explained from logic
- 📝 Is there any historical evidence or sayings that Buddha went to America and Africa continent for some discourses or teachings
- 📝 'Dukkha': What is the difference between 'suffering' & 'unsatisfactoriness'?
- 📝 Benefits of Vipassana Meditation
- 📝 Is procastinating lengthen the samsara?
- 📝 What is the benefit of staying with one method, lineage or Dharma tradition?
- 📝 How to identify a non-returner?
- 📝 Is there a finite amount of beings?
- 📝 The Law of One Form
- 📝 How much time it takes to experience 4th jhana?
- 📝 What's the shortest path to eradicate Mana (self-view)?
- 📝 How can I overcome the breathing trouble while meditating and increase concentration?
- 📝 What should I be mindful of in everyday mindfulness?
- 📝 Why Lord Buddha didn't stay alive till the end of this "Kalpa"
- 📝 How to understand lay equanimity from MN 137?
- 📝 Is the path of Zen compatible with computer science?
- 📝 What do the (Pali) suttas say about "sacrifice" in general (and why it's not necessary)?
- 📝 Relation of Productivity and Entertainment
- 📝 Relying on the Laity, monastics
- 📝 Do you have to follow a monastic lifestyle to attain enlightenment?
- 📝 What is MN 116 ( paccekabuddha sutta) about?
- 📝 What is the relation between Nirvana and Parinirvana?
- 📝 Knowledge as a bad thing
- 📝 Speaking falsehood is sinful. Does it mean speaking is the truth is no sinful?
- 📝 Were there 27 more Buddhas before Siddhartha Gautam Buddha?
- 📝 Where can I find the Chinese Canon Agama in English translation?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Doctor assisted suicide - does doctor break the first precept?
- 📝 Does the first precept require me to check the shower for bugs and make sure to remove all of the bugs before using it?
- 📝 Masturbation: Does it break the 3rd precept?
- 📝 Does hosting guests at home with meat and alcohol (because they are fond of it) amount to aiding the guests break their Sila?
- 📝 Does the fifth precept ban smoking?
- 📝 How does the first noble truth associate dukkha with each of the five skandhas?
- 📝 Does eating eggs break the precepts?
- 📝 Does not keeping a promise violate the precept on lying? What if I promised myself?
- 📝 Does the second precept only apply to theft?
- 📝 Does consensual sex break the five precepts?
- 📝 How does one effectively understand & navigate through the suicide cases found in the canon?
- 📝 Does consume eggs and fish oil violate the first precept?
- 📝 Does any/every form of lying violate the precept of "not-lying"?
- 📝 Does perspective to someone else break first precept?
- 📝 What does the first para of Lonaphala Sutta mean?
- 📝 Does this count as breaking the first precept?
- 📝 Not breaking the first precept vs. developing compassion
- 📝 Does illegal downloading or viewing of copyright material violate the second precept?
- 📝 Why does the Buddha call himself the Tathāgata?
- 📝 Found items and the Second Precept
- 📝 How does one explain consistency within phenomena if the mind generates phenomena?
- 📝 What does it mean to 'advert' to the factors of jhana after emerging from jhana?
- 📝 What does breaking the fetter 'Clinging to rites and rituals' actually mean?
- 📝 In terms of reliability of understanding reality, how does the scientific method compare with Buddhist insight practice?
- 📝 Does sutta recitation actually entail understanding of the text?
- 📝 "Guard the sense doors"- What does this mean, and what is it's application?
- 📝 Why does the Buddha always answer a question if asked three times?
- 📝 If a Buddhist believes lay life is not ideal for the practice, why does he or she continue?
- 📝 Why is the first lines of the Dhammapada twin verses sometimes translated using the word 'heart'?
- 📝 Role of suicide in the context of Dalai Lama's birthday and inevitable deathday