Doctor assisted suicide - does doctor break the first precept? Doctor assisted suicide - a hot potato in the western countries these days. Although this is a kind of suicide, the patient is fully awake and living human being in contrast to a patient in life support due to brain death. According to the Buddhist teachings, what are the karmic repercussions for the doctor who assists the suicide?
Assisting suicide would be considered an offence of defeat in a monk.


  Whatever monk should intentionally deprive a human being of life, or should look about to be his knife-bringer, he is also one who is defeated and is no more in communion.


-- Attitudes to Euthanasia in the Vinaya and Commentary