R.E. FLORIDA Buddhist Approaches to Abortion

Buddhist Ethical Principles 1. The interrelatedness of all phenomena (co- conditioned causality) 1. All things are fundamentally empty - Wisdom 2. Compassion 2. Karma All moral acts are understood either to be skillful deeds which are beneficial to self and others, or unskillful deeds that are harmful for the self and others

Human behavior  Skillful deeds Beneficial to self and others Works against greed, hatred, and delusion  Unskillful deeds Harm the self and others

The five precepts: 1. Killing or hurting any living creature 2. Stealing 3. Wrong indulgence in sexual pleasure 4. Lying 5. Use of intoxicants

 Buddhists aim to perfect themselves by following the Path to enlightenment  Morality, meditation, and wisdom constantly work together in the path of ultimacy and compassion

 Buddhist morality is contextual and relative, not absolute  The precepts of morality are not absolute commandments but “rules of training”  One’s karma obey fixed laws of causality that determine one’s destiny  The moral consequences of an act are determined by the will or motivation of the agent (p.284)

Human being – Human life Five traditional components of a living being (SKANDHAS) 1. Consciousness, “rebirth consciousness” 2. Form (body) 3. Feeling, sensations 4. Thought 5. Character/ disposition

Application to Abortion  Buddhist have traditionally understood that the human being begins at the instant of conception when sperm, egg, and consciousness come together  “there is no qualitative difference between an unborn fetus and a born individual”  The precepts of taking life applies to abortion

 Abortion is an unskillful act since it involves violence against a fetal human being  It involves various severe errors from the point of view of motivation: greed, hatred, delusion (called the three ‘poisons’)  In such actions wisdom is lacking, that leads to the lack of compassion and to unskillful acts

Wholesome motives:  Loving-kindness  Compassion  Joy for others  Equanimity Any pregnancy could be an opportunity to help one in perfecting selfless compassion.

Other consequences of abortion:  Physical and mental trauma to the woman  Karmic consequences on the physician, nurses, advisors, family, and friends  Also take into consideration the previous error that led to abortion: often involves the precept concerning sexuality, one unskillful act tends to lead to another  Contraception, if it does no harm to individuals involved, is considered to be skillful means  Abortion in case of rape: one unskillful act does not justify another, break the chain

Moral ideals  “voluntary sacrifice of one’s claims or rights”  The 4 virtues  Skillful acts that are beneficial to self and others bear good fruit while unskillful acts harm the self and others yielding bad fruit  Compassion for the aborted (temples for mizoku in Japan) and for the women undergoing abortion Pg. 288 (Roshi Aitken)