Buddhism and views on death.

[bunny]

I respectively make the following comments and ask questions. I understand the purpose of The Five Precepts. When I read them I realised that I already live by these.

I have still to read about the The Four Noble Truths and the The Noble Eightfold Path. Please forgive me if I ask these questions that follow that will be answered in what I still have to read. After my long mediation last night/early this morning a few questions entered my head.

- What are the Buddist views on euthanasia? Is it better to let a man suffer in un-bearable pain so he lives or is it kinder to end his suffering?

- What are the Buddist views on abortion? I am not talking about abortion for birth control. It is of my understanding that Buddhism views a life from the moment of conception. I mean in the case of where a mother could die during childbirth. Is it kinder to let an unborn child die so that the mother might live? Or is it kinder to let a mother live so that an unborn child will die? Which is "easier" the loss that a parent endures of that of an unborn child or a child growing up without a mother?

[muni]

A talk; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7FwucXn ... re=related

[viniketa]

Searching euthanasia:

viewtopic.php?f=77&t=9711&p=121609&hilit=euthanasia#p121609

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=757&p=4608&hilit=euthanasia#p4608

viewtopic.php?f=101&t=6682&p=79620&hilit=euthanasia#p79620

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6157&p=71906&hilit=euthanasia#p71906

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=423&p=2813&hilit=euthanasia#p2813

Searching abortion:

viewtopic.php?f=66&t=213

[bunny]

Thank you so much viniketa I really appreciate it.

[Son]

Nice interests. I'd like to say though, the fourfold noble truth is the very foundation of all the Buddha's teaching, and the beginning of Buddhist tradition throughout the world. The Noble Eightfold Path is simply the very way to increasing enlightenment, and eventual cessation of suffering (it is actually the fourth noble truth).

But actually, the Buddha said this: "Those who understand dependent origination, understand the Dhamma." (absolute teaching, dharma means truth and refers to ultimate reality). So dependent origination, deep, subtle, and difficult to perceive as it is, is actually the heart of Buddhism.