What do Buddhists with pets think about euthanasia?
This question often comes up, and did so just yesterday on e-sangha. I thought I’d repeat the answer I suggested to someone else a month or two ago, where the animal involved was a cat:
Dear …,
I do feel for you, as a cat lover myself. Many Western Buddhists have been through this. I can only offer you my opinion, based on discussions with quite a few other people.
1) You have already given your cat a far better, longer life than nature would.
2) The ulitmate critereon has to be compassion.
3) It’s obviously got to the stage where all that awaits your cat is more suffering.
4) *If* there is something “bad” about the euthanasia, take the consequences on yourself (the “bad karma”, if there is any, and the heartache) gladly out of love for your cat.
I have known people who have wished that they could be given the same release.
Like I say, only my opinion, but one that is widely shared.
Obviously, if you also know any prayers for the dead, they may help a bit, especially with your own feeling.
Best wishes to you both
It really gets up my nose when people start to put rules and speculations about the way karma works (suggesting, for instance, that you should leave the animal to suffer so that it can “complete working out its karma”) above compassion.
A suffering being may be experiencing the karmic results of bad actions–but what’s the karmic result for someone who ignores the suffering of another sentient being? One of the things I like about Buddhism (as a newbie) is the no-nonsense attitude that suffering is Not Fun, wanting happiness is Okay, and trying to relieve suffering and create happiness for oneself as well as others is morally right.
I have heard my teacher, Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, address this very question. He says that euthanasia is killing, and that if the animal can be allowed to die on its own, “That particular cycle of suffering is ended.” If euthanized, the animal will have to continue that cycle of suffering in the next life, until the cycle is finished. This does NOT mean, according to Rinpoche, that animals cannot be given pain medications or have other actions taken to alleviate their suffering.
I know this thinking is hard to accept. I have had one pet euthanized since I heard Rinpoche say this; I have worked hard to allow others to die naturally, yet comfortably. It’s hard work. I also do wonder how much of “euthanasia” is done for the sake of the animal vs. the animal’s owners.
I would never presume, however, to tell someone else what they should or should not do with regard to this question–I’m just relaying what I’ve heard my own teacher say.
Hi Lu,
Well as you’ll guess Bardor Tulku is someone I would listen to. Did he offer any way to think around the fact that the kind of owner that an animal has is also presumably part of its karma?
The problem I still have with that kind of thinking is that it would tell us never to do anything to mitigate anyones suffering – we should leave them to complete their “cycle of suffering”. Obviously (I hope) that’s not a position I can embraced. Do you think Bardor Tulku might have a way to deal with this?
I think EUTHANASIA should be allowed world-wide for every person, no contest.
All though, I do understand the “greif” part… because, me, well, myslef and my mother, had to put down our pet (GOD BLESS HER SOUL)Its a very hard thing to do… but what u have to think is that you are doing what he/she wants, that your putting them out of their pain and they will thank you for that… doesnt matter what other people think.
Your cat/dog/hamster whatever, will always love you and be greatfull for what you did, you saved him/her.
All my love.
Yours, J.Wafaquani
A quick comment that I heard a teacher say once: Euthanizing anyone, be it human or animal is based on the very western assumption that their suffering will be stopped by death. But what if they were to be reborn in the deepest hells? Would it not be more compassionate to simply do one’s best to relieve the (relatively) minor suffering of the present rather than opening up the potential for much greater future suffering?