In buddhism, sentient life is a bundle of 5 aggregates. Some traditional sources, including some buddhist monastic codes, hold that life begins at conception, and that abortion, which would then involve the deliberate destruction of life, should be rejected. One fundamental belief of buddhism is that people are reborn after dying. Yet one of the broad teachings within buddhism is that people do not need to get annoyed.
Most scholars of buddhist ethics hold that buddhism in general is opposed to abortion. It is also equally clear that abortion has been tolerated in buddhist japan and accommodated under exceptional circumstances by some modern buddhists in the u. Bringing rights into question will not be raised here. In this provocative investigation, william lafleur examines abortion as a window on the culture. As the consciousness is held to enter the embryo at conception, it is felt to be fully human at that moment. One of the fundamental buddhist principles of moral thought and action is karma. If religion is to be of practical use it should, if not provide us with complete answers, at least make clear to us those principles of conduct that can safely guide. Abortion last updated 20091123 this article looks at the complex issue of abortion from the viewpoint of buddhists. Religious voices worldwide support choice 4 september 2005 and physical health and rape as grounds for abortion. She asked me for advice, but as a buddhist, i dont really know what to say. Despite all these, in india, thailand or japan the rate of abortions is very high, a situation caused mainly by the progressive secularization of these societies, since more and. Traditional buddhism rejects abortion because it involves the deliberate destroying of a life. First, the buddhist view of abortion does not include a concept of rights, either a right to life or a right to ones own body. Abortion is arguably the most controversial and divisive moral issue of modern.
Those sources most often cited that prohibit abortion are theravaadin and ancient. At the same time he contributes to the western debate on abortion, exploring how the japanese resolve their conflicting emotions privately and avoid the prolifeprochoice politics that sharply divide americans on the issue. American baptist resolution concerning abortion and ministry in the local church pdf buddhism. Damien keown, for example, holds that the first precept of buddhism means that abortion is morally wrong. These doctrines seem to be well illustrated in the buddhist view of abortion. Adopting a buddhist ritual to mourn miscarriage, abortion. The buddhist vie of abortion is more liberal this is because it leaves the decision to the person who engages in the act to a large extent. Buddhism abortion, buddhism and abortion, dr anthony. When i say buddhism, i mean what is common to all traditional forms of buddhism sravakayayana including theravada, mahayana and vajrayana. In buddhism, a primary guiding principle for ethical decisionmaking is the relief of suffering. However, approaching abortion as merely a rights issue doesnt seem to be getting us anywhere. Pdf buddhism, as with most other religions and spiritual traditions around the world, do not generally approve of killing. There is no official position on abortion among buddhists, although many buddhists believe that life begins at conception and that killing is morally wrong. Though buddhism has clearly a prolife position on abortion, the final decision should be left to the pregnant woman.
Buddhism and abortion damien keown palgrave macmillan. Inducing or otherwise causing an abortion is regarded as a serious matter in the monastic rules. Buddhists approach the issue through their belief in a continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth. However, most of them share a common set of fundamental beliefs.
Thus, buddhism strongly discourages abortion except in the situation of an immediate threat to the mothers life. After viability, the relevant procedure is referred to as a. Buddhism, like christianity and most of the other great religions of the world, is divided into many different traditions. Buddhism has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural, and social life of asia, and, beginning in the 20th century, it spread to the west. A buddhist view of abortion buddhist publication society. He was very clear about this in the pali suttas the teachings of the elders, the mahayana sutras the great vehicle and in the vinaya the rules of disicipline for monks and nuns that abortion is the taking of a life killing. It is imperative to note that buddha tried to avoid making rules and told buddhist believers not to believe.
Until such time as one becomes enlightened, ones actions in this life will determine the nature of future rebirths. Buddhist books and dharma talks in pdf plus audio and video downloads these ebooks and dharma talks are. Buddhist views on abortion about buddhist views on abortion. Global impact of abortion essays abortion is a very sensitive subject no matter where you go in the world. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 422k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. There are various buddhists views on abortion but this article takes a more comprehensive or global view of the issue in perspective. Religious groups official positions on abortion pew. A buddhist view on abortion and forgiveness huffpost.
This does not mean that buddhism allows abortion, but it means that, in the specific social circumstances that we find ourselves in, abortion performed by medical professionals in a modern and. In part, this is because buddhism is a very old religion, and the concept of human rights is relatively recent. Buddhism, religion and philosophy that developed from the doctrines of the buddha, a teacher who lived in northern india between the mid6th and mid4th centuries bce. A buddhist view of abortion odern life, with its fierce shifts and starts in social custom and technological capability, increasingly presents us with painful problems of conscience. It is suggested that buddhism takes a middle way on abortion, i. What the buddha said about abortion essence of buddhism. This dictionary features broadranging entries on the history and doctrines of the major buddhist schools, information on the spread of buddhism in asia and the west, and coverage of issues of contemporary concern such as human rights, abortion, euthanasia, engaged buddhism, and the role of women in buddhist teachings. The early prohibition of abortion was not based on concern about the fetus.
As buddhism continues to engage the attention of the west, the time is now opportune for its views on abortion to be heard. Buddhism and responses to disability, mental disorders and deafness in asia 5 168 goes online, within a few hours some people in 120 countries might find it on their screen, and some will certainly find words they dont like. This title examines abortion as a window on the culture and ethics of japan. Each situation needs to be considered on its individual merits, there are no hardandfast rules euthanasia is bad. Each abortion takes life in a new direction and interferes with the destiny of innumerable individuals. Buddhism is an ancient tradition which over the centuries has refined its distinctive beliefs and values in the course of a long interaction with the major cultures of asia. Adopting a buddhist ritual to mourn miscarriage, abortion more americans are using mizuko kuyo to grieve the loss of a child, whether it be from a miscarriage or an abortion. Buddhism the buddhas way and abortion loss, grief and resolution a lecture by yvonne rand, a zen buddhist priest and meditation teacher in the san francisco bay area. Buddhist monk even incites to abortion he is defeated and scourged with total exclusion from the monastic order, the severest punishment a monk can experience. Im concerned that it violates the first precept and will have negative karmic consequences, but in my heart, it feels more complicated than that. Every other week in this column we look at what it might be like if siddhartha were on his spiritual journey today. It was based on a view that only people who engage in forbidden sexual activity would attempt abortion and that abortion is wrong from either an ontological perspective or from a negative. The act of abortion becomes a grave sin and a complicated problem in hinduism because of its belief in karma and rebirth. Of course, abortion, from a buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking.
Abortions make the souls choice of parents very complicated. In sum, he advises that the precepts are guidelines, not set rules, therefore they can be broken in extenuating circumstances. We need a fresh perspective, and i believe the buddhist view of the abortion issue may provide one. As the con sciousness is held to enter the embryo at conception, it is felt to be fully human at that moment. By contrast, japanese buddhism as well as the traditions out of which a more lenient approach emerges. Equally puzzling to many westerners is the japanese practice of mizuko rites, in which the parents of aborted fetuses pray for the wellbeing of these rejected lives. Request pdf buddhism, abortion and the middle way what have modern buddhist ethicists to say about abortion and is there anything to be learned from it.
A 2007 study published in the lancet, one of the worlds bestknown and most respected general medical journals, found that the global rate of abortion was 45. Buddhism the buddhas way and abortion loss, grief and. In this provocative investigation, william lafleur examines abortion as a window on the culture and ethics of japan. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy. Why would a country strongly influenced by buddhism s reverence for life allow legalized, widely used abortion. Attitudes about abortion have given birth to heartbreaking polarization and violence. There is no single buddhist view concerning abortion, although it is generally regarded negatively. Downloaded from on january, 2017 published by group. Kingsborough, cuny i it is quite clear from a variety of sources that abortion has been severely disapproved of in the buddhist tradition. Buddhism and abortion there is no single buddhist view on abortion. Buddhism and the morality of abortion urban dharma. Abortion is an emotive and challenging subject for every religion.
The number of induced abortions performed worldwide is very high. As a buddhist, should i support the choice for an abortion. Abortion is the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before viability. The contemporary society is fuelled largely by the freedom of personal choice and technology. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Arguments have been made for or against abortion by many groups from religious to feminists. All and all abortion has been very controversial in many peoples mind. Though buddhism has clearly a prolife position on abortion, the final decision should be left to. It is clear that both abortion and restrictive abortion laws can cause great suffering for both mother and fetus. There is no single buddhist view concerning abortion. This paper examines the abortion issue from a buddhist perspective. Scholar jeff wilson discusses his research on the history of prolife movements in north america and japan amid a renewed push for restrictions on abortion in the us. Complicating the issue is the buddhist belief that life is a continuum with no discernible starting point. A friend of mine is considering getting an abortion.
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