Uthanasia?

[Ervin]

Peace. I was wandering as to what would be a Budhist stance on unthanasia? Would it be a good thing where someone's suffering is great to have their lives ended or not?

Thanks

[kirtu]

Peace. I was wandering as to what would be a Budhist stance on unthanasia? Would it be a good thing where someone's suffering is great to have their lives ended or not?

Thanks

The general Buddhist stance is that euthanasia is killing and is wrong. In general pain management is the better course. However even some great lamas have been reluctant to state categorically that euthanasia is absolutely unacceptable in the face of truly inevitable death although hastening death is not preferable. A being has their karma and if death is hastened then that karma has not been worked through so it is far better for the being to work through that karma. Of course it would be even better if they didn't suffer unbearable pain.

Kirt

[catmoon]

I think it is as much a dilemma for a Buddhist as anyone else. On the one hand we have a very solid belief that killing is a wrong thing to do. On the other, there is the problem of the frame of mind of someone entering the Bardo. Finding oneself in the Bardo, fresh from the experience of agonizing pain, or with a head full of weird experiences induced by morphine or something, is not going to help you navigate the Bardo well.

Ideally, death should occur in a peaceful place free from pain and intoxicants, with a clear mind well focussed on virtuous objects. Such fortunate circumstances are a matter of karma, which makes it pretty important to get to work on that right away.