Euthanasia

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JackV
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Euthanasia

Post by JackV »

Hi.

My dog has bone cancer and in a short while will not be able to walk. Despite this she will still be 'with it' in the sense that the cancer isn't yet affecting the rest of her, only her legs.
The vets say that when this time comes then the most loving thing to do is to Euthanise the animal as they will have no quality of life and the pain willl be increasing.
I agree with this but my question has to do with the moral repurcussions of such an act. Firstly, unlike a person going to say Dignitas clinic etc, my dog isn't aware of what is going to happen when I take her to the vet. She will be excited and happy to go there oblivious to the immenant end of her life. This seems incredibly underhand and sly. Secondly it is my decision to do this and as such I am responsible for the ending of a life a thing which I try with much effort to avoid.
What has the dhamma to say about this? Would the right thing to do be to let nature take its course and leave my dog to slowly decay whilst her pain increase, taking a step back to avoid responsibility and hence negative kamma?
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tiltbillings
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by tiltbillings »

Bone cancer is extremely and increasingly painful, making almost, if not, impossible to control the pain via medication.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

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PeterB
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by PeterB »

I wouldnt hesitate if she were my dog to have her euthanised , and to accept the kammic consequences.
David2
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by David2 »

PeterB wrote:I wouldnt hesitate if she were my dog to have her euthanised , and to accept the kammic consequences.
In this case, I don't think there are any bad kammic consequences. The intention is the only important thing. If the intention is compassion, even killing has no bad kammic consequences
JackV
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by JackV »

Rahula wrote:
PeterB wrote:I wouldnt hesitate if she were my dog to have her euthanised , and to accept the kammic consequences.
In this case, I don't think there are any bad kammic consequences. The intention is the only important thing. If the intention is compassion, even killing has no bad kammic consequences
Yeah I thought that would propbably be the case. I fully agree with PeterB as well; it will be done regardless of the consequences since it is for the best. It's just that for something which is compassionate it is probably the least enjoyable thing I can currently think of.

Alas, what can you do eh? Sucks but thats life.

What is the view then do you think of Euthanasia in terms of people? I would think that the desire to end ones life would be considered grasping or Tanha for escape from pain. I mean I can completely understand it, yet with a system of thought that is designed to face these experiences head on, too see them for what they are and to remove clinging to them it seems as though the Dhamma would be opposed to it on a philosophical level.
Does anyone have any ideas about the mainstream view of this?
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Fede
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Fede »

Euthanasia for people is a whole different ball-game, and I think merits a thread of its own.

And I believe we have had several. if I am not mistaken.....
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


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Kim OHara
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Kim OHara »

Fede wrote:Euthanasia for people is a whole different ball-game, and I think merits a thread of its own.

And I believe we have had several. if I am not mistaken.....
One long one here: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6087
(This link provided purely as a public service. I am not personally interested in the topic!)

:namaste:
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DNS
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by DNS »

Definitely, a difficult issue . . . do you let someone wallow away in pain and suffering when the condition is terminal . . . or do you break the First Precept?

Dr. Kevorkian once said something like, "we have so much compassion for our pet dogs and cats. when they are terminal, we euthanize them. when it is a human, the best we can do is cut-off their food and water, which is pure torture and agonizing for the patient so that it dies a slow and painful death."

Bhante Dhammika has a good analysis of euthanasia in this article:

http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Euthanasia" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Other considerations regarding euthanasia:

http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.ca

A reminder of what Buddha said in Sutta-Nipata:
Laying aside violence toward all living creatures,
both the firm & unfirm in the world,
one should not kill a living being, nor have it killed,
nor condone killing by others.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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anthbrown84
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by anthbrown84 »

Ajahn brahm is amazing at helping people with these decisions

https://m.youtube.com/results?q=ajahn%2 ... nasia&sm=1
"Your job in practise is to know the difference between the heart and the activity of the heart, that is it, it is that simple" Ajahn Tate
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

A good look at Buddhism on euthanasia is in Peter Harvey's Introduction of Buddhist Ethics, chapter seven.

An excerpt:
As Buddhism sees intention as crucial to the assessment of the morality of an act, however, it would not differentiate between active and passive means [or euthanasia] if these were intended to cause or hasten death. The Buddha’s strong condemnation of a monk or nun praising or aiding a suicide (see p.289) is here relevant. To kill a person deliberately, even if he or she requests this, is dealt with in the same way as murder.
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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Kim OHara
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Kim OHara »

Modern medicine has opened up a large grey area which did not exist in the Buddha's time, since we can now keep people alive for far longer in spite of grave and inevitably terminal illnesses. In some cases, they will have a reasonable quality of life; in others, not. They may be in constant pain, or immobilised, or both. Rather than relying entirely on the scriptures, I think we need to ask ourselves how the Buddha might have approached the question in our circumstances.

:meditate:
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Nicholas Weeks
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Nicholas Weeks »

Maybe the most comprehensive site on euthanasia and related topics:

http://www.euthanasia.com
Good and evil have no fixed form. It's as easy to turn from doing bad to doing good as it is to flip over the hand from the back to the palm. It's simply up to us to do it. Master Hsuan Hua.
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Kim OHara
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by Kim OHara »

Will wrote:Maybe the most comprehensive site on euthanasia and related topics:

http://www.euthanasia.com
May not be, too, because it is totally unbalanced. (Poorly organised and presented, too, but that's less significant.)
For a more balanced overview, why not start with wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia.
The BBC has an old but well-organised page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/ - on the topic, with 'pro' and 'con' arguments presented fairly.

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dylanj
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Re: Euthanasia

Post by dylanj »

It is killing & against the 1st precept. It is better to not do it.
Born, become, arisen – made, prepared, short-lived
Bonded by decay and death – a nest for sickness, perishable
Produced by seeking nutriment – not fit to take delight in


Departure from this is peaceful – beyond reasoning and enduring
Unborn, unarisen – free from sorrow and stain
Ceasing of all factors of suffering – stilling of all preparations is bliss
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