Abortion and Euthanasia- A Lama Marut Video Podcast

While the Buddhist text state that both abortion and euthanasia involve negative karma, the intention is critical. If one truly believes that a foetus is not a living being, for example, the karma of abortion is less serious than otherwise. Lama Marut here addresses some of the more difficult moral dilemmas of the modern age.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• morality
• abortion
• Buddhism
• Euthanasia
• killing
• ethics
• sprirituality
• Dalai
• Lama
• Tibetan
• religion
• sociology
• communication

[goochieguy]

very insightful and clarifying, this lama is very articulate

[KanelaNela]

what if you think it is a living thing, but you know that this life might lead to more suffering? then what?

About euthanasia, I want to tell you a story...my grandmother is paralyzed three years so far. My father takes care of her which makes him abandon his own life. She is not conscious any more. How this could be any good? I am doing my best as a non-violent person in this world, but honestly I think giving her medication to stay alive is a nightmare.

[TBrewer64]

He says fetus,which is post ten weeks. What about an embryo or a blastocyst?

[LUVallova]

What if, given the reality of the world the way it is, would put the lives of the

parents in jeopardy financially? What if the pregnancy was terminated in order

to be of more service to a wider populace? An analogy would be plucking a flower to save a forest.

If the termination was decided upon to give freedom to the couple as a catalyst in spiritual healing of many more people, is this morally logical?

I feel as though it would be cutting down everyones forest to save "My" flower..

[MyNutsAreCold]

@theralucasaccount It's not a cut-and-dried issue in Buddhism. There isn't a definitive right or wrong; only cause-and-effect. On one hand, it is killing. On the other; you may be minimizing potentially-great damage in the long run. Like Lama Marut said: karma is you. It is up to the individual to decide.

[duko70]

what is the stance on a woman falling pregnant from being raped? is she entilled to abortion?

[QTPaTooTie888]

@theralucasaccount that is not seen as a reason to abort a child.

[theralucasaccount]

hmmm..what about when the woman is very much aware that the fetus is a living human being, but she has nothing to offer him, and she believes that it will only bring him to a world of misery, because of material status, social status, maybe she is not marrried and with no family?

[doubleestark]

Litany of Buddhist Saint would be nice song which is played by Jiyu Kennet Roshi