Page 57 - Applied Buddhism

(42 per cent perceived more risks; 32 per cent perceived more tend to veil their ulterior motives with noble ideas and excuses.
benefits). Basing on the assumption that journalists and scientists From the Buddhist perspective, one is responsible for one’s own
are better informed than the public on biotechnology, the correlation action (karma), and hence one who acts with bad motives will
above points to a need for better education in biotechnology. receive the results of his own bad action. However, this should
not be misconstrued as allowing individuals to act as they like.
Having the knowledge and knowing the actual risks (not the On the contrary, there should be greater public participation and
perceived risks) involved, the ethical issue would be to weigh the transparency in the above assessment, which can help to reveal the
benefits against the risks and thereafter make the choice or decision. real motives.
In this balancing act the primary consideration should not be purely
utilitarian or financial benefits as is usually the case but rather Sanctity of Life
due consideration must be given to the suffering of lives involved
should risks occur. In this case, the people involved in the choice Although Buddhism talks about the unsatisfactory nature of the
or decision-making must search their own conscience to arrive at world, the central teaching of the Buddha is not for us to weep over
their choice or decision. The choice or decision is therefore very dukkha and do nothing about it; rather we should walk the Noble
much dependent on one’s moral conscience, which is in turn very Eightfold Path that leads to the reduction of dukkha and eventually
much dependent on one’s moral upbringing or religious education. the attainment of supreme bliss or Nibbāna. Buddhism is therefore
a teaching that emphasises the path to happiness and the reduction
Buddhism sees all psychophysical lives as precious. Human of suffering.
lives, in particular, is the most precious as it is through human life
that one could attain the highest spiritual level. For a Buddhist who Within the Noble Eightfold Path is found the principle of
is brought up in this kind of ethical orientation, his moral conscience non-harming (ahiṃsā). Together with the principle of ahimsa
is likely to lead him to a more wholesome choice or decision. is compassion (karuṇā) which guides our action in dealing with
beings who are less fortunate.
The motives in making a choice or decision is very important.
One should sincerely ask whether a decision to go ahead with an Thus, Buddhism would not agree to any actions that inflict
experiment is really motivated by a desire to help others (inclusive harm and suffering to other sentient beings. Unfortunately, at the
of adequate compensation for one’s effort), or by a selfish desire present moment, both in conventional science and biotechnology,
to make a quick profit. When risks and benefits are assessed with much of the above rules are violated. In biotechnology, some of the
positive motivation, the decision or choice taken would be very horrific acts include intrusive and sometimes painful reproductive
different from when they were assessed with selfish motives. manipulation, repeated surgical operation to remove eggs from
female breeding stock, and to implant embryos to produce
However, motives are difficult to identify. Human beings transgenic and cloned animals. These horrific acts are committed,

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