Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 26, No. 3, Fall 1987

A B u d d h i s t V i e w of A b o r t i o n

P H I L L I P A. LECSO

A B S T R A C T : This paper examines the abortion issue from a Buddhist perspective. As the con- sciousness is held to enter the embryo at conception, it is felt to be fully human at that moment. Thus, Buddhism strongly discourages abortion except in the situation of an immediate threat to the mother's life. Though Buddhism has clearly a "pro-life" position on abortion, the final decision should be left to the pregnant woman.

The abor t ion deba te rages on. M a n y di f ferent secular and re l ig ious v iewpoin ts h a v e been expressed. To this date, l i t t le has been wr i t t en f rom the s t andpo in t of the Buddhis t teachings . I will a t t e m p t in th is pape r to p resen t Buddh i s t as- pects of the abor t ion issue. F i r s t will be a more t r ad i t iona l discussion based on s t a n d a r d t each ings wi th in M a h a y a n a Buddhis t sc r ip ture and c o m m e n t a r y . To m y knowledge the re a re no specific t each ings per se wi th in the vo luminous Buddh i s t sc r ip tures and c o m m e n t a r i e s on abort ion, so t h a t one m u s t ex t rapo- la te f rom ethica l and cosmological posi t ions impl ic i t w i th in them. Fol lowing th is discussion, I will u n d e r t a k e a shor t e x a m i n a t i o n of the poli t ical impl ica- t ions of the abor t ion issue f rom the Buddhis t perspect ive .

Wi th in th is pape r I have d r awn m a i n l y f rom T ibe t an Buddhis t sources for two m a i n reasons. First , t he re now exis ts a subs t an t i a l body of works t r ans - l a ted into Engl ish , ava i l ab l e for a gene ra l audience. Second, T ibe t an works, espec ia l ly those of the Ge lugpa sect, a re known for t he i r scholar ly and philo- sophical clar i ty. I t is a commonly held misconcept ion t h a t T ibe t an Buddh i sm is an u n u s u a l form of B uddh i s m o f f o f t h e m a i n s t r e a m . Most Buddhis t scholars now accept t h a t T i be t an Buddh i sm is solidly based on t rad i t iona l M a h a y a n a Buddhis t t each ings and its m a i n difference is in the cu l tu ra l expression, not in subs tance .

As wi th all re l ig ious t radi t ions , the re a re v a r y i n g opinions a m o n g s t Bud- dhists , especia l ly Wes te rn Buddhis ts , concerning abort ion. Abor t ion is widely pe r fo rmed in some count r ies in which Buddh i sm is inf luent ia l , such as J a p a n and Sou th Korea . In o ther Buddhis t countr ies , such as Sri Lanka , Tha i land , and B u r m a abor t ion is more res t r ic ted. The re seems to be a t rend toward in-

Phillip A. Lecso, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Office of Geriatric Medicine at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo.

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creased abor t ion pract ices direct ly re la ted to increased indus t r ia l iza t ion and move m e n t away from t rad i t iona l values.

The wr i t ings of Wes te rn proponents of Buddhism va ry on the topic of abor- tion. Rober t Ai tken, a t eacher of the J ap an ese Zen t radi t ion, focuses on the woman 's d i l emma but is unc lear on the ethical issues. ~ Roshi Phi l ip Kapleau , also a t eache r of the J apanese Zen t radi t ion, s ta tes t h a t "abor t ion is a g rave mat te r . ''~ However , he goes on to say, "There is no absolute r igh t or wrong, no clear-cut solution. '':~ A more clear s tance has been t ak en by the Buddhis t Churches of America, a J apanese Shin Buddhis t sect. In a recent posit ion pa- per on abort ion, they s ta te t ha t "abort ion, the t ak ing of a h u m a n life, is funda- men ta l ly wrong and mus t be rejected by Buddhists . TM

Key to the a r g u m e n t s in the abor t ion debate is the cent ra l quest ion of when h u m a n life begins. The answer to this ques t ion has m a n y t imes been obscured by the in t roduct ion of such concepts as viabi l i ty or func t iona l i ty of a cent ra l nervous system. Buddhis t teachings are explici t as to when h u m a n life begins. This is in clear cont radis t inc t ion to the following comment publ ished from a sympos ium on the abort ion issue, " . . . a l though Buddhism, the p redominan t religion, condemns 'ki l l ing of life,' it defines the commencemen t of life r a t h e r loosely. ''~ Buddhis t t each ing holds tha t h u m a n life s ta r t s a t conception.

F rom the m o m e n t of conception on, the embryo is a l ready a h u m a n being. 6 The corners tone of Buddhis t cosmology is a bel ief in rebir th . All sen t ien t be-

ings cons tan t ly undergo the cycle of b i r th -dea th - reb i r th and have done so from beginningless t ime. They will do so t h rough the foreseeable fu tu re unt i l ended by the rea l iza t ion of en l igh tenment , the goal of Buddhism. Be tween consec- u t ive lives, one's men ta l con t inuum passes t h ro u g h an in t e rmed ia te state, known in the T ibe tan t rad i t ion as the Bardo. 7 The following passage describes the emergence from the in te rmed ia te s ta te to a new rebi r th .

After that, these drops of semen and blood, which definitely do emerge from both male and female, are mixed in the mother's womb. The consciousness of the dying intermediate being enters into the middle of this . . . .

Thus, the men ta l con t inuum enters a t the m o m e n t of conception and conse- quen t ly the embryo is felt to be ful ly human . As opposed to the cu r r en t mate r i - alistic v iewpoint of consciousness as dependen t upon the cent ra l ne rvous system for its existence, Buddhism teaches t h a t this is not the case. Conscious- ness exists pr ior to the physical form. Therefore , a r g u m e n t s based on e i t he r deve lopment or func t iona l i ty of a cent ra l nervous sys tem as a basis for defin- ing h u m a n life are not acceptable. This does not deny t h a t the re is a qual i ta - t ive difference in the func t iona l i ty of a fe tus as it grows, bu t this car r ies no moral weight in a r g u m e n t a t i o n concerning abort ion. Consciousness is a whole, and its expression, not its development , follows along wi th the increas ing com- plexi ty of the fetus.

It is qui te difficult to defend logically any position t h a t a rgues t h a t one be-

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comes h u m a n at any o ther t ime t han at conception. A single h u m a n life s tar ts a t conception and ends at death. This is t rue of any sexual ly reproduced organ- ism. It is in te res t ing to note tha t one would be hard pressed to find a scientist who would a rgue t ha t a dog fetus is not real ly a dog unt i l some a rb i t r a r i ly des- igna ted t ime period has elapsed. As pointed out by Mary Meehan, m a n y of the a r g u m e n t s pu t for th in defense of abor t ion "appear to be guided by sociopoliti- cal goals r a t h e r t h a n scientific interest . ''9 Life is a con t inuum th a t one can ar- b i t ra r i ly divide into phases such as embryo-fe tus- infant -adul t . However , these are mere conventions, and to base actions on these re la t ive and a rb i t r a ry des- ignat ions is qui te logically unjustif ied.

Thus, to destroy an embryo or fetus would enta i l the t ak ing of a h u m a n life. This is in direct opposition to the first Buddhis t precept, which enjoins us to re- f ra in from des t roying life. l~ Does this apply to the "special c i rcumstances" common in the abor t ion debate: rape, fetal deformi ty or disease, a t h r ea t to the mother ' s physical or men ta l heal th? These are difficult and complex issues.

We are all the same in t h a t we wish to avoid suffer ing and desire to increase our happiness . In the "special c i rcumstances," s i tuat ions are such tha t in order to re l ieve her own suffering, a mothe r m a y seek an abortion. Where does this leave the life wi th in her? In the case of rape, the conception occurs dur ing a vi- olent assaul t , p lacing the woman in the difficult s i tua t ion of car ry ing the child of her assai lant . Does her suffer ing jus t i fy the t ak ing of the h u m a n life wi th in her as the means of resolving the problem? The Buddhis t would argue agains t this, bas ing the posit ion on the high value placed upon the h u m a n rebir th . The h u m a n reb i r th is "a life form hard to find and once found, very meaningful ; a t r ea su re more precious t h a n a wishfulf i l l ing gem. '''~ Also:

This body, the complete, opportune, fortunate basis, is of immense value, in no way to be conveyed even by such an example as finding a system of realms thrice- thousandfold, all full of precious jewels. ~2

Thus, the h u m a n reb i r th is considered rare , difficult to obtain, and to be h ighly protected. This in no way rel ieves the woman of her suffer ing but is m e a n t to encourage her to protect the life wi th in her. Buddhism encourages a l t ru is t ic a t t i tudes emphas iz ing the b e n e f t of others as opposed to our own na r row self- interest . Concern for the o ther life and its i nhe ren t va lue and po- ten t ia l m a y p reven t the woman from adding ano the r injustice to the si tuat ion.

The issue of fetal ma l fo rmat ion and/or disease is basical ly one of eu th an as i a for the Buddhist . I have deal t with this issue in more detai l e lsewhereY ~ In cases such as Down's syndrome or spina bifida where a meaningfu l life is possi- ble, Buddhism is s t rongly agains t abor t ing these individuals. There is insuffi- c ient reason to abort the i r exis tence mere ly because they cannot funct ion as ful ly endowed h u m a n beings. More difficult are cases concerning problems such as anencepha ly or Tay-Sachs disease. In these s i tua t ions where viable ex- t r a u t e r i n e life is ne i the r possible nor of prolonged dura t ion, for some it would

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seem jus t i f i ab le to t e r m i n a t e the life ear ly . However , Buddh i sm teaches t h a t life and life 's even t s a re complex, k a r m i c in te rac t ions and undue in te r fe rence in n a t u r a l processes is to be avoided.

Las t is the issue of a t h r e a t to m a t e r n a l hea l th . I f the mo the r ' s life is t r u ly e n d a n g e r e d by con t inua t ion of the p r e g n a n c y so t h a t both l ives a re a t s take , i t is pe rmiss ib le to abor t the fetus. 14 Much less c lear is the s i tua t ion of impl ied t h r e a t to the m o t h e r ' s m e n t a l hea l th . He re it is e x t r e m e l y difficult to predic t the ou tcome upon her hea l th and, therefore , abo r t i ng the fe tus would not be permiss ib le . I t does not seem reasonab le t h a t one could predic t inexorab le and p e r m a n e n t m e n t a l in jury f rom a comple ted p r e g n a n c y to the ex ten t t h a t the t a k i n g of a n o t h e r ' s life would be jus t i f iable .

Thus it is c lear t h a t B uddh i s m has a "pro-life" posi t ion on abor t ion. How- ever , un l ike m a n y f u n d a m e n t a l i s t Chr i s t i an posi t ions, B u d d h i s m does not agree wi th a t t e m p t s to legis la te ind iv idua l mora l i ty . I t is recognized t h a t we live in a p lura l i s t i c world and society in which to le ra t ion of d ive rgen t v iews is encouraged. As s t a t ed by his Hol iness the XIV Dala i Lama :

With the basic understanding of all humans as brothers and sisters, we can ap- preciate the usefulness of different systems and ideologies that can accomodate different dispositions, different tastes. For certain people under certain condi- tions, a certain ideology or cultural heritage is more useful. Each person has the right to choose whatever is most suitable. This is the individual's business on the basis of deep understanding of all other persons as brothers and sisters. '~'

Also:

At the same time, we must openly accept all ideologies and systems as means of solving humanity 's problems. One country, one nation, one ideology, one system is not sufficient. It is helpful to have a variety of different approaches on the basis of a deep feeling of the basic sameness of humanity. '~

Specif ical ly on the issue of abor t ion, I will a g a i n quote f rom the Buddh i s t Churches of Am er i ca posi t ion paper :

Although others may be involved in the decision-making, it is the woman carry- ing the fetus, and no one else, who must in the end make this most difficult deci- sion and live with it the rest of her life. As Buddhists, we can only encourage her to make a decision that is both thoughtful and compassionate/7

To s u m m a r i z e , Buddh i sm is f i rmly a g a i n s t abor t ion , only c lear ly a l lowing it in the u n u s u a l c i r cums tance of a phys ica l t h r e a t to the m o t h e r ' s exis tence. Hu- m a n r e b i r t h is rare , of g r ea t va lue , and filled wi th potent ia l . As has been shown, B u d d h i s m rejects the a r g u m e n t s f avor ing abor t ion and a rgues s t rong ly for p ro tec t ing all h u m a n life. However , the decision concern ing abor t ion should be left wi th the p r e g n a n t woman .

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Re f e rences

1. Aitken, R., The Mind of Clover. San Francisco, North Point Press, 1984, pp. 21-22. 2. Kapleau, P., Zen: Dawn in the West. Garden City, N.Y., Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1980, p. 248. 3. Ibid., pp. 249-250. 4. Buddhist Churches of America Social Issues Committee, "A Shin Buddhist Stance on Abor-

tion," Buddhist Peace Fellowship Newsletter, July 1984, 6, 3, 6. 5. Chow, L.P., "Abortion in Taiwan." In Hall, R.E., ed., Abortion in a Changing World, Volume 1.

New York and London, Columbia Universi ty Press, 1970, p. 251. 6. Rabten, G., The Essential Nectar, M. Willson, verse trans, and ed. London, Wisdom Publica-

tions, 1984, p. 122. 7. The Tibetan Book of the Dead, F. Fremant le and C. Trungpa, trans. Berkeley and London,

Shambha la Publications, 1975. 8. Rinbochay, L., and Hopkins, J., Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism.

Valois, New York, Gabriel/Snow Lion, 1980, p. 60. 9. Meehan, M., "More Trouble Than They're Worth? Children and Abortion." In Cal lahan S. and

D., eds., Abortion: Understanding Differences. New York and London, Plenum Press, 1984, p. 149.

10. Gyatso, T., The Opening of the Wisdom-Eye. Wheaton, Illinois, The Theosophical Publishing House, 1974, pp. 53-64.

11. , Essence of Refined Gold, G. H. Mullin, trans, and ed. Ithaca, New York, Gabriel/Snow Lion, 1982, p. 58.

12. Rabten, op. cit., p. 197. 13. Lecso, P., "Euthanasia: A Buddhist Perspective," J. Religion and Health, 25, 1, 51-55. 14. Based on an audience with His Holiness Ganden Tri Rinpoche (Jamphal Shenphen) during his

recent North American tour at Washington, New Jersey, September 1985. 15. Gyatso, T., Kindness, Clarity and Insight, J. Hopkins, trans, and ed. Ithaca, New York, Snow

Lion Publications, 1984, p. 60. 16. Ibid., p. 60. 17. Buddhist Churches of America, op. cit., 7.