Religion and Animal Rights
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There is much disagreement as to whether non-human animals have rights, and what is meant by animal rights.
Buddhist Attitudes to Animal Rights
Most Buddhists would agree that animals should be shown respect and consideration and should be treated with kindness. They believe this because: The First Precept states: “I undertake to abstain from taking life.” This includes the lives of animals. The Second Precept states: “I undertake to abstain from taking what is not freely given.” It seems reasonable to assume that most animals would prefer not to die, so taking an animal’s life is likely to break this precept. Buddhists try to cultivate the positive qualities of metta (loving kindness) and karuna (compassion) towards all sentient beings, including animals. Choosing to ignore the suffering of animals deepens negative habits and qualities of mind. Buddhists try to practise ahimsa (non-violence) and this applies to animals as well as humans. The Buddha said: |
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According to the Jataka Tales, when the Buddha attained enlightenment, he was able to remember his many previous lives, both animal and human. In some of these lives, the Buddha sacrificed his own life for that of animals. Many Buddhists believe that we have all lived as animals before and it therefore makes little sense to look down on animals as lesser beings. However, some Buddhists feel that animals are not as important as human beings and therefore should not have the same rights as human beings. Reasons for this attitude might include the following:
Some Buddhists believe that if a person is reborn as an animal, this is a result of that person’s unskilful actions from a previous life. This suggests that animals are spiritually inferior to humans.
Some Buddhists believe that because animals are unable to engage in conscious acts of self improvement, they will continue to be reborn as animals until their kammic debt is exhausted. Only when they are reborn as human beings can they resume the quest for nirvana. The life of an animal is therefore of less value than the life of a human being.
Buddhist Attitudes to Specific Animal Rights Issues :Vegetarianism
As a result of the First Precept, ahimsa, metta, karuna and the Buddha’s own words, many Buddhists are vegetarian.
The Buddha specifically forbade monks and nuns from slaughtering animals.
Many Buddhists feel that following a vegetarian diet does less damage to the environment and enables the earth’s resources to be shared more fairly.
However, other Buddhists, including some monks and nuns do eat meat. This may be because Buddhism expects the individual to exercise their own judgment about how to behave and they way in which these Buddhists interpret the First Precept might lead them to argue that eating meat is not the same as killing an animal.
Some Buddhists would argue that if you are offered meat, you should accept it as a gesture of generosity (dana). Some monks and nuns will eat meat if it is placed in their alms bowls for this reason. For some Buddhists, vegetarianism is not a practical option; for example, most Tibetan Buddhists eat meat because there is simply not enough suitable land to grow sufficient crops in Tibet.
Buddhist Attitudes to Specific Animal Rights Issues : Hunting
Those Buddhists who eat meat are likely to agree with hunting if this is the only way to get food. However, Buddhists are unlikely to agree with hunting for sport as the deliberate killing of a sentient being for pleasure certainly seems to go against the First Precept, ahimsa, metta, karuna and the words of the Buddha.
Buddhist Attitudes to Specific Animal Rights Issues : Experimenting on Animals
Most Buddhists are against animal testing for the reasons already given. The Noble Eightfold Path also instructs Buddhists to engage in Right Livelihood. Many Buddhists would say that a job which involves treating animals cruelly and subjecting them to painful experiments goes against this teaching.
Some Buddhists believe that if a person is reborn as an animal, this is a result of that person’s unskilful actions from a previous life. This suggests that animals are spiritually inferior to humans.
Some Buddhists believe that because animals are unable to engage in conscious acts of self improvement, they will continue to be reborn as animals until their kammic debt is exhausted. Only when they are reborn as human beings can they resume the quest for nirvana. The life of an animal is therefore of less value than the life of a human being.
Buddhist Attitudes to Specific Animal Rights Issues :Vegetarianism
As a result of the First Precept, ahimsa, metta, karuna and the Buddha’s own words, many Buddhists are vegetarian.
The Buddha specifically forbade monks and nuns from slaughtering animals.
Many Buddhists feel that following a vegetarian diet does less damage to the environment and enables the earth’s resources to be shared more fairly.
However, other Buddhists, including some monks and nuns do eat meat. This may be because Buddhism expects the individual to exercise their own judgment about how to behave and they way in which these Buddhists interpret the First Precept might lead them to argue that eating meat is not the same as killing an animal.
Some Buddhists would argue that if you are offered meat, you should accept it as a gesture of generosity (dana). Some monks and nuns will eat meat if it is placed in their alms bowls for this reason. For some Buddhists, vegetarianism is not a practical option; for example, most Tibetan Buddhists eat meat because there is simply not enough suitable land to grow sufficient crops in Tibet.
Buddhist Attitudes to Specific Animal Rights Issues : Hunting
Those Buddhists who eat meat are likely to agree with hunting if this is the only way to get food. However, Buddhists are unlikely to agree with hunting for sport as the deliberate killing of a sentient being for pleasure certainly seems to go against the First Precept, ahimsa, metta, karuna and the words of the Buddha.
Buddhist Attitudes to Specific Animal Rights Issues : Experimenting on Animals
Most Buddhists are against animal testing for the reasons already given. The Noble Eightfold Path also instructs Buddhists to engage in Right Livelihood. Many Buddhists would say that a job which involves treating animals cruelly and subjecting them to painful experiments goes against this teaching.
The Dalai Lama said,
“According to Buddhism the life of all beings – human, animal, or otherwise – is precious, and all have the same right to happiness. For this reason I find it disgraceful that animals are used without being shown the slightest compassion, and that they are used for scientific experiments. I have also noticed that those who lack any compassion for animals and who do not hesitate to kill them are also those who sooner or later, show a lack of compassion toward human beings.”
(The Dalai Lama, ‘Beyond Dogma: the challenge of the modern world’)
However, other Buddhists would approve of using animals in medical research if the benefits to human health would be great and if there were no alternative. These Buddhists might argue that the negative consequences generated by performing the experiments should be balanced against the reduction in
Suffering which such experiments could bring about for human beings.
If experiments were to be carried out, all Buddhists would agree that the animals involved should be treated kindly and compassionately and should not be killed if possible.
Suffering which such experiments could bring about for human beings.
If experiments were to be carried out, all Buddhists would agree that the animals involved should be treated kindly and compassionately and should not be killed if possible.
