Taking a Look at Buddhism

The religion of Buddhism is one of the largest in terms of supporters, its distribution across the globe, and its social and cultural influence. It is largely considered a religion of Eastern geographic origins but is becoming more and more influential in the Western world. Buddhism is a unique major world religion and at the core of their beliefs is that the ultimate goal in a person’s life is the achievement of enlightenment. This enlightenment is not something that is written in stone, it is how an individual perceives it to be. This is a very important distinction and one that is seen throughout the beliefs and values of pregnancy and childbirth.

Buddhism believes that human life begins as soon as conception takes place. The reason is that Buddhists believe in the idea of reincarnation. The reincarnated person has as much right to life as that of anybody else, regardless of where the fetus is in the gestation process. This of course leads to the subject of abortion and how the Buddhists view it. Traditional values are that a live should never be destroyed and death is considered morally wrong especially if it is done deliberately or through one’s own negligence. Thus, the idea of voluntarily having an abortion is considered wrong by those with strong traditional beliefs. Modern views of Buddhists are divided on the issue though. Buddhists believe that the overall purpose of life is to end suffering. With that thought process then the idea of abortion is made more plausible in that a woman can choose to have an abortion in times of medical emergencies or even if the idea of bringing a baby into the world is unrealistic due to financial or social concerns of the mother. The decision to have an abortion is a persona...

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...The mother may also have an equal say or may even by the overall decision maker of the family. It is imperative that the healthcare team realizes these subtle nuances of a Buddhist family and works with them during their care. However, mindfulness of patient rights need to be of utmost importance and should not be sacrificed based on the religious beliefs of the patient or their family.

Overall, Buddhism is a very unique form or religion with many different followers across the world. The entire healthcare team needs to be mindful of the unique and uncommon practices of some practicing Buddhists. Like other religions or cultures, Buddhism has its own particular beliefs and customs. The incorporation of traditional practices with current medical practice is an important part of care and should be utilized when possible in the care of the mother and the newborn.