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THE NATURE OF BUDDHISTE THICS
Buddhis&m Bioethics
Damien Keown
LectiuInrn edrRi ealni gion
GoldsUmniitvheosrLf,so intdyo n
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St.M artinP'rse ss
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DamienK eown1 995
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Contents
Ackwnloeedmgetns viii
Introduction ix
1 BuddhiMsemd,i cainndEe t hics 1
I Buddhiasnmdm edicine 1
IIB uddhiasnmde thics 6
IIDIo inBgu ddheitshti cs 11
IVH umanasn,i maanldps e rsons 21
V Ethicsh uamnagdno od 37
VIA tecsats e 57
2 Att hBee ginnoifLn igf e 65
I Whend oelsi bfeeg in? 65
IIR eflectointo hntesh rceoen ditions 73
IIEIm brlyoosa nsd t winning 82
IVA bortion 91
V Embrryeos earch 118
VIF ertciolnittryo l 122
3 Att hEen do f Life 139
I Defindienagt h 193
IIB uddhiasnmdd eath 144
IITIh ep ersivsetgeenttas ttaitvee 158
IVE uthaneaaslriysa o:u rces 186
V Euthanmaosdieavr:in e ws 137
Notes 188
Biibolgraphy 199
Gloys sar 204
Index 206
vii
Acknogwelmeednts
Iw isthor ecomrydt hantkoms y b rotJhoehrLn e,c tuirnte hrLe a w
andE thiocfMs e dicaitnC ea mbriUdngiev teyrf,so igre nerously
sharhiniges x peritndi issec ustsoioo nnsu mteorr oeucsaa lnldf, o r
hicso mmenatnsds uggieosnotsn d rafotfts h em anuscrMiyp t.
thanaklsst oo Jasofno rL dyhioilnsi pgreonotf reIar deimnagoi.fn ,
course,r essoploenflsoyir b altcehc eu roafwc hyat f ollows.
viii
Introduction
Thibso oiksa na ttetmopa tpl pyB uddhpirsitn ctiops loemmsea jor
contemporaryi nbp iroombeldeeitmchsai Ilcit sst . hf ei rcsotn tribu
tioni tkosif na dn di wsr itftoearbn r ogaedn eral readership ranging
frosmp eciailnB iusdtdsh iwshmom ayk nowl itatbloeum etd ical
ethtioce st hicwiistahtni s n teirnme esdti icsasluw heosk now little
orn othinogfB uddh.iI stwm ilall sboeo fi ntetroet shgter owing
numbeofrB uddhiinst thWsee sta nde lsewwhheorw eo ulldi kteo
seteh eisses ureesc eaih vieg hperri otrhiattnyh ehya vbee egni ven
sof aeri tbhyet rh ter adiotrti hoaenc adecmoimmcu nity.
Myi ntenhtaibsoe ne tnom akteh beoo ka ccestsoi bwtlihede e st
possiabuldei ence by expriedsesaainsndc g o nBcueidpndat h si st
forimn telltiotg higebe lnee rreaald Ietar s.s umneops r ikonro wl
edgoef e ithBeurd dhiosrem t hiTcecshn.i ctaelr masn df oreign
wordhsa vbee ekne tpt oam inimuamn,dE ngleiqsuhi vsau lseendt
wherepvoesrbs lieD.i acrimtairckhasal v e boemeint tweidtt hh e
exceopnot fti he t(i�wl)hd iecf hu nctaiso naasint d op ronunciation.
A brisekfe tocfhB uddhiissgm i vebne loawn da glossary of
Buddhtiesrtim sps r oviadtte hdee n d.
Desptihtceeo ntempiomrpaorryt oafin scseus eusca hsa bortion
ande uthantahseihraae,sb eecno mparatliivtdetillsyec usosfi on
thefmr oamB uddhpiesrts peOctthipevrreo .b lienmm esd iectahli cs
sucahse mbrryeos eaarncdh d tehfei noiftd ieo�n'h avsec arcely
I
beernas iedM.y i ntenitsi oetnxo p ltohrieas r chipoefll aigtot le
knowmno rails laannddis n s od ointgoc onstarnui cntt ellectual
bridogfse o mkei nbde twetehne Imn.m orper ostaeirctm hsae i ims
tof orlmtauea s eotfp rincipwlhiecsch a bn ea pplwiiehtd c on
sitsencayc roasr sa ngoefb iomedical Ipntr eorbmolsfet mhse.
acadedmiiscc iipnlvionlewv eeu dn derstand thea spa r esent study
contribtuott hifeoi ne ladp polfni oerdm aettih.viA1ecs t shtew enty
first cfeinlttlhhuseo r ryi zoonneo, f tghree actheasltl efnagceisn g
Buddhiissm e tvoo lavp ee rspeocntb iivoee tihsiscuwaehlsi cihs
botcho mpreheannsdsi yvset emIatit sbi ecy.o tnhdse c oopfea ny
singslteu tdoya chibeovteoh ft hegsoea alnsdt, h per esveonltu me
mayb et houogfh taa p sr olotgou ewt ohrewk h iclhia ehesa .dE ach
oft hseu bstainstsiudveeesa w litth he rdee seravtlee assa vt o lume
toi tsaenldif it,s bteho o petdh attho ep portwuinlilt yina druies e
IX
x Inotdruction
cousret o proavm iodrseee lecttrievaet omfet nhtme y riad issues
herlee ufnter svoeld.
Buddhisma: t humbnasikle tch
vVhaitsk nowtno t hWee sta s' Bdudhisimsa' b odoyf r eligious
teachaitntgrsi buatnhe ids ttooir nidciavliw dhuola ilv ienNd o rth
EasItn diinat hfei fctehn tBuCr Fyo llowaip nrgo fosupnidr itual
transforamcahtiieaovttne h dae g oef t hirthye-b feicvaekm neo wn
byt hheo nortiiftoilfc'e B uhdad('e'n lightoenn'ee)Td.h eB uddha
claimneodd i vipnreo venfaonrc et heiasc hingusn dearnsdt ood
theams beginrgo unidnet dh e naotftu hrienF gostr.ih sr eason the
worfdo trh tee ach(iDnhgasr amlasr)oe fteort sh e immultaawbsl e
ofb otthh e naatnudmr oarlao lr deorfws h icthh eayr e the expres
sioPne.r sorneaall isianBt uidodnh itshme,r ecfoonrseoi,fs l tisv ing
ina ccordwaintcDheh armaan,da nyownheo f ollBouwsd dhist
teachcianrnge sp litchaet es ptirraintsufaoln ancahtiiebovynte hde
foundTehret. e achairneegx sp ounidnet dhf eo ronflf oubras ic
proopistikonnosw anst hFeo uNro blTeru thTsh.e se nltahiantt ain
liafsew en owk nowi ti si mperafnedcu tn satisftahcatttho er y;
causoefs tuhnissa tisfaacrtceor raivnaiennsdgis g noratnhcaet;
theerxei ass ttsa otfpe e rfecfrteifeor noam l dle fici(eninracvniaes) ;
andt hatw atyht eop erfeicstt ihEoein g htPfaotlhd. E iTghhet fold
Patihs p rao grafmomre rliigvhwithn igc ehm phastihsreteshe i ngs:
moraclu ltivmaetdiitotinao,an n,dk nowleodftg hete r unea tuorfe
thheu macno nditAisfo anar.s m oraclo nduicsct o ncertnheed
Budhdal aid cdeowrntb aaisni c pTrheecraeerpm eta sn.fy ormula
tioonfps r eceipnBt usd dhibsutmth bee sktn owanr teh Fei vPer e
cepts for lFaiyvPmere enc.ef poTtrhsbe i d:
1.T akinlgi fe
2.S tealing
3.S exumails conduct
4.L ying
5.T aking intoxicants
TheB uddha apnpoos iunctcoeerdas, ns dm andyi fferent schools
aroasfeth eirs dBeuadtdhh.is spmr ewaidd ealnyid n flueenvceerdy
Asiacni vilibzauttii tho ansn, o h eaadn dt heriesn oc entral
authowrhiitcyih st hceu stoodfio arnt hodTohxeBy u.d dhiosfm
southAesrinia s p redomintahnattl yo mfo rtech oen servative
Theravsacdhaow ohli,l e otfnh oartt hAesrina betloto hnmego sr e
Introduction xi
doctriinnanlolvyam toivveem eknnto wansM ahayanav.i eTwhse
expreins tshebidos o ka rbea sdo ent hcea nonaincdca olm mentarial
literoaftt uhTerh ee ravadaT hsecssheoo uorlcr.ee sc,o ridnte hde
Pallia nguaargteeh ,ce l osweeas rtle i kteogl yet tot heet hitceaalc h
ingosf t heB uddhaan,dI wiluls et hema sa touchsftoorn e
valiidnavgti ewosp,i niaonndas r gumeWnhtest.h oernr o tth ese
sources rreeclotirhadBeb u dldyh 'aste achtihnegaysr a em ong the
mosatn ciaenndat r aetl eaassat u thoriatsaa ntoyit vhee r.
Thec anoanlsi ccriepo tftu hrTeh reavasdcah oioscl on tnaeidi n
ac ollcetni konowanst hPea ilC ano.Tn hicso nsoifst thsrs eeeap r
atceo llecotfti eoxnttshs De:i scou(rstsaute)ws,h icfhot rh meo st
paratrt ee achainndsge sr mognisv beyn the BudMdohnaa;s ttihce
Rul(ev in)wa,hy iaccho ntatihenets h icor-ulleweghsai lcr he gulate
thec onduocftt h eO rde(rs anagnhdai )tm se mberasn;dt he
ScholaTsratetiics( easdb hhmaimaw)h,i cahr es lighltaeltrty e xts
deovtetdo t hea nalyasnidsc laisfsicaotfit ohnet eachings.
Accordtiotn rga ditthiceoa nn owna sf ixaetdt hFei rCsotu ncil,
whictho opkl ascheo ratflttyeh rBe u dhda'dsea tThh.e texts them
selvweersne o cto mmtiettdow rituinntgti hlfe i rcsetn tBuer.Ty h e
commentalriitaelr oantt uhrceea noinse xtensbiuvtte hm,eo st
influecnotmimaeln tsaa rrtiehe oastet ribtuoat meodn kn amed
Budhdahgoswah,o f louriisnth hefedi fctehn tAuDri ynS rLia kna.
Int eromsfs attuhsem ayb et hougohfat st hBeu dhdisAtqu nias.
Fooru prr espeunrtp otsheseso urwcheisca hr oefm osrte levance
arteh Meo nasRtuilcae n dB uddhhaogsac'osm mentuaproyin t .
The tesxotuurauclse esd arveai rotuhse edoift itPohanelTs iex t
Soci,ae ntdayb brevifaotliltoohnwsesy t leT hoPefa TlexitS ociety's
Pal-iEnsf\hlD iitcioyn.Ta rnraslatairoemn ys o wnu nlessatst ed
othweirse.
Aristoatnlden aturlaalw
Wed on obte gionu re nquiernyt iwreiltyh oduitr ecatnidot nh,e
approaadcohp theedri esb asoendt hceo nclucsoinoncniesnr tgh e
theorebtasiiocsfBa uld dheitshtri ecasc ihneT dhN ea tueor fB uddth is
EhtcisI.wt a ss uggetshteetrdhe aB tu ddhisbme suitns d ersatso oad
teleolvoigritecutaehl T ihci.ms e ans Btuhdadth ipsoms tulaa tes
certgaoiaonlr e nd(e tl)oa sst hfeu lfiolfmh eunmtap no etntiaanld,
maintatihnastt h igso ailst ob er ealtihsreodu tghche u ltivoaft ion
partipcrualcatrIi ncB eusd.d htiesrtmt sh,ge o aolfh umapne rfec
tioinsn irvaannadt hiissa ttadi tnheroutghhpe ro ceosfsm oral
