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Another 'Killing' Question..

MegMeg
edited May 2011 in Buddhism Basics
I know, I ask too much. Anyway..
Killing is bad, I know that, you know that, we all do. Recently I've been thinking back to when I was little, we had a cat with a cancerous tumor. Of course, we had it removed, however, it came back. The second time we took her for surgery, the tumor was much bigger and her back leg had to be amputated as well.
She got along fine for a time, doing her three-legged hop-run all over the house, probably not even realizing what was missing (she wasn't too bright.. :rolleyes: ). Sadly, for the third time, the cancer came back. We ended up putting her to sleep, realizing she wasn't happy with life.
So, my question: Is it horrible to put an animal out of pain by ending it's life?

Comments

  • ihbryantihbryant
    edited May 2011
    It's really rare when an act is completely good or completely bad. It can be argued that such an act is impossible.

    Buddhism doesn't have a list of commandments--things you should always or never do. It has the Eightfold Path, a way of looking at life which helps you make the best decisions you can.

    Sometimes you will find yourself in situations where there is no clear right answer. If you leave things as they are, you have to watch the animal suffer. If you put the animal to sleep, you will have to live with the inevitable regret. These feelings are natural. These situations are a normal part of life.

    Either choice could be the right one. If I were in your position I would have probably made the same decision. I don't think that continuing to care for the animal is in any way an evil act, though. The important thing is to make your decision with compassion. There isn't any way to ask cat what it wants. You just have to do the best you can.

    Buddhism is about accepting that you have to make these decisions, understanding that they will make you feel sad, and not letting sadness and regret take over your life.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/187333#Comment_187333

    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/8215/euthanizing-an-animal.../p1

    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/130620#Comment_130620

    have a look at these threads....
  • Jason_PDKJason_PDK Explorer
    No, it's not horrible. In Buddhism it's the motivation behind the actions. You were motivated by compassion by stopping your cats suffering. I think it would have been cruel to leave him suffering like that.
    That's just my view.

    Jason
  • DhammaDhatuDhammaDhatu Veteran
    edited May 2011
    Is it horrible to put an animal out of pain by ending it's life?
    If you act with a loving intention, then, imo, "no".

    :)

  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/187333#Comment_187333

    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/8215/euthanizing-an-animal.../p1

    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/comment/130620#Comment_130620

    have a look at these threads....
    Fed nails it again. Too bad you're already spoken for- I was going to ask you to marry me... :thumbsup: :bowdown:
  • zombiegirlzombiegirl beating the drum of the lifeless in a dry wasteland Veteran

    So, my question: Is it horrible to put an animal out of pain by ending it's life?


    at about 44 minutes, ajahn brahm makes an interesting perspective on this topic. he says that we should really ask the animal and he says that we can receive an answer. i wonder what others here think of this and if anyone else has ever done this. at 47 minutes, he gives a very interesting story as well.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    We already had a thread about precisely this question: we're not able to know exactly what the animal is thinking. Maybe instead of thinking about the pain the cancer was undoubtedly causing, he/she was thinking about surviving. A member made that point. In the end, though, it's all about intent, as people have already stated. You acted out of compassion. No bad karma. End of story.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    There's more peace in death than renewed surgeries and pain over and over from cancer. Everything comes to live again, doesn't it? We fight against letting go because of our own attachment, but cats don't live very long and it was obviously suffering. Better to let go, to really free it, though I know this is hard to do (I'm a cat person myself, or at least I used to have a cat when I was growing up).
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    You could look at it this way, Meg, if it helps: your kitty burned off some bad karma from past lives by enduring the pain. Also, you released kitty to begin a new life, perhaps as a human. Maybe kitty earned a precious human rebirth, who knows? You did the right thing. :) Now you just have to do a little mourning, for your own sake, and let the emotions work themselves out and pass through you. Sadness is appropriate when a loved one dies.
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