Buddhist Teachings And Abortion

Buddhist teachings can be defined as principles which govern the way a buddhist thinks, acts and behaves. They are teachings provided by the Buddha also known as Dhamma which have had an immense impact on the lives of adherents and the community itself called the Sangha. Buddhist teachings and worship along with the Buddha himself and the Sangha combine to produce the three jewels which is centered around an Buddhist. It is important to note that to become a buddhist, one must take refuge in these three jewels - usually in front of a monk. In living these three jewels, a Buddhist is able to remove one’s self from dukkha through the eightfold path and be one step closer to reaching, not producing, nirvana. Like heaven, nirvana, goes beyond the …show more content…
Nearly everything a Buddhist thinks, says or does is guided by the five precepts and the eightfold path. In the bioethical issue of Abortion, the first and second precepts are essential for Buddhists if abortion were to ever be considered. The first precept states to “not take the life of a sentient being” whilst the second states “taking what is not given”. Since buddhists believe life begins at the moment of conception, abortion is generally disapproved because of the ability for it to be interpreted as murder regardless of what age or physical or mental state that the being is in. By committing abortion, which is basically taking another one’s life one is with bad intention, bad action, bad judgement and bad mindfulness. However, unlike Christianity, in Buddhism abortion can only be an exception if the the child will be born with a serious physical or mental issue which could affect others around them. Therefore, teachings such as the five precepts as well as the eightfold path undoubtedly guide the way of Buddhist adherents in making the right decisions in their everyday lives and in any issues that they may come across. This is seen in the issue of abortion where a Buddhist is highly influenced or affected by the teachings which govern his or her life. By living these teachings provided by the Buddha himself, a Buddhist is on the right journey to