Voluntary Euthanasia

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
SarathW
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Re: Voluntary Euthanasia

Post by SarathW »

:cry:
"Pain and suffering is not that bad after all!"
:cry:
==================
Buddha once explained the entire chain of causes leading to Nibbana:
Ignorance is the proximate cause of mental construction.
Mental construction is the proximate cause of consciousness.
Consciousness is the proximate cause of name-&-form.
Name-&-form is the proximate cause of the 6 senses.
The 6 senses is the proximate cause of contact.
Contact is the proximate cause of feeling.
Feeling is the proximate cause of craving.
Craving is the proximate cause of clinging.
Clinging is the proximate cause of becoming.
Becoming is the proximate cause of birth.
Birth is the proximate cause of ageing, decay and death.
Ageing, decay and death is the proximate cause suffering.
Suffering is the proximate cause of faith.
Faith is the proximate cause of elation.
Elation is the proximate cause of joy.
Joy is the proximate cause of calmness.
Calmness is the proximate cause of happiness.
Happiness is the proximate cause of concentration.
Concentration is the proximate cause of seeing and knowing reality.
Seeing and knowing reality is the proximate cause of disgust.
Disgust is the proximate cause of disillusion.
Disillusion is the proximate cause of mental release.
Mental release is the proximate cause of ending all mental fermentation
linked with ignorance, associated with becoming, and caused by sensing.
Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Freedom..
Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Peace..
Ending all mental fermentation is the proximate cause of Bliss..
This - only this - is Nibbana ...

http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... start=1640
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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greenjuice
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Re: Voluntary Euthanasia

Post by greenjuice »

Go to the rule 3 here on this page, and there is a somewhat comprehensive explanation of the Tipitaka's view that all euthanasia is wrong:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... .ch04.html
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DNS
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Re: Voluntary Euthanasia

Post by DNS »

greenjuice wrote:Go to the rule 3 here on this page, and there is a somewhat comprehensive explanation of the Tipitaka's view that all euthanasia is wrong:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... .ch04.html
Not necessarily. That is the list of pārājikas, defeats from the monkhood. Monks are not physicians. That explanation does not apply to lay people. There are other arguments against euthanasia, but the pārājika are not one of them.
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greenjuice
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Re: Voluntary Euthanasia

Post by greenjuice »

Parajika rule 3 is the same as the first precept, is it not? Also, the Commentary on Pj 3 mentions medical-care and life-support, look on the link.
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DNS
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Re: Voluntary Euthanasia

Post by DNS »

That section appears to be saying for the bhikkhu to not be responsible for the medical treatment of the patient. The bhikkhu is a samaṇa, ascetic, sometimes a teacher, not a physician.
The Great Section on Virtue in the Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2) lists the types of wrong livelihood from which a bhikkhu should abstain. Among them is the practice of medicine, or in the words of the sutta:

"administering emetics, purges, purges from above, purges from below, head-purges; ear-oil, eye-drops, treatments through the nose, ointments, and counter-ointments; practicing eye-surgery (or: extractive surgery), general surgery, pediatrics; administering root-medicines and binding medicinal herbs — he abstains from wrong livelihood, from lowly arts such as these. This, too, is part of his virtue."
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... .ch05.html
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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: Voluntary Euthanasia

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

greenjuice wrote:Parajika rule 3 is the same as the first precept, is it not? Also, the Commentary on Pj 3 mentions medical-care and life-support, look on the link.
You are correct. The reason why aiding and abetting suicide is an offence of defeat for a monk is because it violates the precept of killing a human being. In four ways one violates the precept:
  1. One kills with one's own hand
  2. One urges another to kill
  3. One condones it,
  4. One speaks in praise of it.
A monk is allowed to provide medical treatment, just as a physician can do, but only for his fellow monastics. It is a violation of Right Livelihood to provide medical treatment or medicines for lay people. There are ways and means to let lay people know how to treat a certain disease without violating the training rule.
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