Comparing and Contrasting Christian and Buddhist Ethics
... philosophically sophisticated. Several other sects of Buddhism feel that only a few need to take this path, but the Mahayana argues a need for more Buddhas. “Thus the Bodhisattva is resolute in his efforts to save all , using his roots of good to save those that have no such roots” (Harvery 124). This foundation to Mahayana is the basis of all the ethics that it teaches. All ethical teachings and texts of Mahayana can be traced back to this path of the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva-path is followed by obtaining ten perfections or stages. In the first stage a person concentrates on developing the perfection of generosity. In the second stage the person concentrates on the perfection of moral virtue until his or her outward actions become spontaneously pure. The third stage is made up of perfecting patience. In the fourth stage a person develops vigor and strength. The fifth stage the person perfects meditation. The sixth stage is focused on perfecting wisdom. The seventh and eighth stages include becoming a heavenly being and non-relapsing. If a person reaches the seventh and eighth stages they are certain to obtain Buddhahood In the ninth stage the person perfects their power. Then in the tenth stage the person obtains a resplendent body and is surrounded by a retinue of lesser Bodhisattvas, and perfects knowledge. The final eleventh stage is called the Tathagata-stage. This is where the person reaches pure Nirvana and is a complete Buddha. The Lutheran religion conceptually is very different than the Mahayana faith. Lutheranism is strongly rooted in the Catholic faith. This is why many of the ethical principles of the Lutheran faith have their beginning in Catholicism. The Lutheran tradition places heavy emphasis on the Ten Commandments. These commandments are in order: Thou shall have no other god’s before me, thou shall not make idols, thou shall not use the Lord’s name in vein, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, honor your father and mother, thou shall not murder, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not steal, thou shall not give false testimony to thy neighbor, and thou shall not covet they neighbors possessions. These are the basic building blocks that Lutheran ethics are based off of. Even though these commandments are very general in the real world there are many specific ethical questions that can be asked. One of these such questions is whether we as humans should be allowed to experiment on animals. Our society uses animals for product testing and medical research. This to some people is wrong that we subject these animals to such aberrations even though our endgame of new products and medicines can help people to live cleaner and healthier lives. The Mahayana Buddhist is very torn on this subject. The Buddhist has an ideal of non-injury to animal life. Yet the knowledge gained from this could be used to save many lives. However, the Mahayana faith usually does not take into consideration utilitarian arguments except in skilful means theory. So the most common answer to this question a Mahayana Buddhist would give is: “This would entail trying to do as little harm as possible, using alternative methods if available, killing only if absolutely necessary, treating the being with tender respect and making sure the knowledge is put to good use.” (Shasta abbey, 1980). With the Lutheran tradition many believe humans have a responsibility from God to care for animals. With that said the ELCA and Missouri synods of Lutheranism have taken the stance that the use of animals in research is okay as long as the animal is treated in a just way and not used for any unnatural experiments. The issue that people in the US culture have really picked up in the last few years has been abortion. Any form of human life that is also considered a person, and thereby has civil rights, including the right to life. There is a consensus that a newborn baby is a human person, but people disagree about whether a zygote, embryo, or fetus is a human person. There are many different opinions about the stage at which human life becomes a human person. This is the fundamental disagreement that drives the abortion issue. The Mahayana view is that abortion is a serious act. The punishment for a monk causing an abortion is permanent expulsion form the Sangha. Abortion also goes against the Mahayana emphasis on compassionate cherishing of all beings. “The reason why Buddhist principles treat abortion as such a serious matter is that human life, with all its potential for moral and spiritual development, is seen as a rare and precious opportunity in a being’s wandering in the round of rebirths” (Harvey 314). The round of rebirths is the idea of incarnation where after a person dies then they are reborn. In many sects of Buddhism this is instantaneous, but in Mahayan...