<p>I am not a buddhist. But there is an article in wikipedia</p>

<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_euthanasia" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_euthanasia</a></p>

<p>Both talk about 2 people</p>

<p>Vakkali and Channa</p>

<p>Both committed suicide</p>

<p>And both seems quite okay</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-23T01:24:20.133Z
Apparently these acts were acceptable because they were already enlightened and/or blameless. I think most Buddhists wouldn't assume that of themselves. Also perhaps there's a difference between suicide and killing ... and killing (and recommending suicide) is described as (very) blameworthy, in the [Vinaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaya) for example.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-23T01:26:13.990Z
Also in another comment you wrote, "I keep trying to cure my old and dying cats till they died anyway. I wonder if it's a good idea" ... people make similar decisions with their own loved ones and family members. Maybe there's a middle way -- to neither kill nor cure but to try to provide comfort, ease, safety.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-23T15:33:31.740Z
@ChrisW, a *mind-blowing* practice at [Nánshān sì (南山寺)](http://8761780.yzbapp.com/ebrand/article/id/4647165.html) Guangdong China, there patients with terminal illness wait many days for their lives terminations, chanting Amitabha. Some peacefully gone, some miraculously recovered return home. The monastery headed by Ven. Dharma Master Rén-huàn (仁焕法师). This is the dying, a dying with dignity, imo.
Mishu 米殊
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-22T19:22:34.137Z
2018-02-22T19:22:34.137Z
user4951
<p>I've been to a lecture in which a Tibetan Buddhist monk (specifically, a nyingmapa) was asked the same question by a teenage girl. Basically, his answer was, such killing would both end some existing suffering and create some new suffering. Because regular person does not see all complexity of karma network spanning multiple lives, his or her acts are very likely to make the karmic situation even worse.</p>

<p>According to that monk, compassionate killing should be left to either dakas/dakinis (the crazy yogis capable of "eating icecream and shit at the same time" -- i.e. skilfully dealing with consequences of the bad karma they take on) or omniscient buddhas who can grant liberation at the time of killing, or at least create a favorable karmic condition in subsequent lives.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-23T18:40:27.427Z
2014-07-23T18:40:27.427Z
Andriy Volkov
<p>The first precept makes it clear that we should refrain from killing.</p>

<p>However let's say you have an animal (or worse, a human) who is going to die anyway (say from being attacked by another animal, or some incurable disease). He can either die on his own in agony, or you could end his life quickly.</p>

<p>The intention is not to end his life out of hate or anger, but out of love and compassion - and anyway, nothing you or anyone will do will change that their going to die.</p>

<p>Looking through the other questions on the topic, it's clear that you're going to get bad karma for killing something, even if it's (in your head) justified by self-defence or whatever - but in those cases you have a choice of killing vs something bad happening , while in this case you have a choice of killing vs watching die.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-16T08:19:24.880Z
euthanizing dogs and pets are very common in US. All are done under compassion.
user4951
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-16T12:37:43.447Z
@J.Chang The question isn't about what's common in the US, but about Buddhism.
ChrisW
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-16T16:13:49.770Z
I am just pointing out how important this question is. I keep trying to cure my old and dying cats till they died anyway. I wonder if it's a good idea.
user4951
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-23T08:21:47.233Z
What exactly is your question?
THelper
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-23T09:31:14.173Z
Are you asking if it's still bad Karma?
Sankha Kulathantille
<five-precepts><ethics><killing><right-intention>
Euthanasia and Buddhism
# Euthanasia and Buddhism

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-23)

The first precept makes it clear that we should refrain from killing.

However let's say you have an animal (or worse, a human) who is going to die anyway (say from being attacked by another animal, or some incurable disease). He can either die on his own in agony, or you could end his life quickly.

The intention is not to end his life out of hate or anger, but out of love and compassion - and anyway, nothing you or anyone will do will change that their going to die.

Looking through the other questions on the topic, it's clear that you're going to get bad karma for killing something, even if it's (in your head) justified by self-defence or whatever - but in those cases you have a choice of killing vs something bad happening , while in this case you have a choice of killing vs watching die.

**Tags:** five-precepts, ethics, killing, right-intention

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: What exactly is your question?  
> **username_4**: Are you asking if it's still bad Karma?  
> **username_1**: euthanizing dogs and pets are very common in US. All are done under compassion.  
> **username_2**: @J.Chang The question isn't about what's common in the US, but about Buddhism.  
> **username_1**: I am just pointing out how important this question is. I keep trying to cure my old and dying cats till they died anyway. I wonder if it's a good idea.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-07-23. Score: 8

I've been to a lecture in which a Tibetan Buddhist monk (specifically, a nyingmapa) was asked the same question by a teenage girl. Basically, his answer was, such killing would both end some existing suffering and create some new suffering. Because regular person does not see all complexity of karma network spanning multiple lives, his or her acts are very likely to make the karmic situation even worse.

According to that monk, compassionate killing should be left to either dakas/dakinis (the crazy yogis capable of "eating icecream and shit at the same time" -- i.e. skilfully dealing with consequences of the bad karma they take on) or omniscient buddhas who can grant liberation at the time of killing, or at least create a favorable karmic condition in subsequent lives.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2018-02-22. Score: 0

I am not a buddhist. But there is an article in wikipedia

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_euthanasia>

Both talk about 2 people

Vakkali and Channa

Both committed suicide

And both seems quite okay

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Apparently these acts were acceptable because they were already enlightened and/or blameless. I think most Buddhists wouldn't assume that of themselves. Also perhaps there's a difference between suicide and killing ... and killing (and recommending suicide) is described as (very) blameworthy, in the [Vinaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaya) for example.  
> **username_2**: Also in another comment you wrote, "I keep trying to cure my old and dying cats till they died anyway. I wonder if it's a good idea" ... people make similar decisions with their own loved ones and family members. Maybe there's a middle way -- to neither kill nor cure but to try to provide comfort, ease, safety.  
> **username_5**: @username_2, a *mind-blowing* practice at [Nánshān sì (南山寺)](http://8761780.yzbapp.com/ebrand/article/id/4647165.html) Guangdong China, there patients with terminal illness wait many days for their lives terminations, chanting Amitabha. Some peacefully gone, some miraculously recovered return home. The monastery headed by Ven. Dharma Master Rén-huàn (仁焕法师). This is the dying, a dying with dignity, imo.  

---

