Abortion in Buddhism

There have been a lot of significant sources that indicates abortion has been disapproved of in the Buddhist tradition. Yet in the midst of this, abortion has been tolerated in Buddhist Japan and accommodated under exceptional circumstances by some modern Buddhists in the US. (1) Their defence was that prohibiting abortion are Theravādin and ancient. Japanese Buddhism as well as the traditions out of which a more lenient approach emerges are more recent and Mahāyāna traditions. In this essay, a look at this aspect will be looked at more closely in the Buddhist context. One of the strongest evidence against abortion emerges in Damien Keown 's analysis of Buddhism 's bioethical ramifications in the book Buddhism and Bioethics. (2) Keown argues that the preponderance of the Buddhist traditon is overwhelmingly antiabortionist. In support, he develops two lines of argument. The first relies on rejection of abortion, in ancient Theravāda texts, which was regarded as the core of the tradition. The second argument is of his interpretation of these sources and their connection to the basic tenets of Buddhism regarding the nature of personal identity and the skandhas, karma and rebirth, life and death. One might, of course, argue that abortion in self-defense is acceptable. Keown seems to feel that killing in self-defense is not itself an example of taking life but pregnancy and its associated dangers present a wholly different kind of situation from that of self-defense. Hence, the question why such special exceptions to a general prohibition on abortion are acceptable remains unanswered. Keown argues that the First Precept and its prohibition against taking life is part of a much larger reverence for life, life being one of Buddhism 's three basic goods -- life, wisdom and friendship. While respect for life is undeniable, the abortion issue usually hinges on whether the fetus is indeed a life in the relevant sense, and one could challenge either Buddhism or

References: 1. William R. LaFleur, Liquid Life: Abortion and Buddhism and Japan (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992). pp 131-134 2 3. W. Henry, There is no Ego (New York: Atheneum, 1974). 4. W Norman et al., The Eastern Buddhist 5 (October 1972). pp129-140 5 6. William R. LaFleur, Liquid Life: Abortion and Buddhism and Japan (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992). pp 169-170 BIBLIOGRAPHY • K Damien, Buddhism and Bioethics (London: Macmillan, 1995). • W. Henry, There is no Ego (New York: Atheneum, 1974) • W Norman et al., The Eastern Buddhist 5 (October 1972) • William R. LaFleur, Liquid Life: Abortion and Buddhism and Japan (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992)