Birth Control, Abortion and Suicide
節育.墮胎和自殺
Although man has freedom to plan his family according to his own convenience, abortion is not justifiable.
人類可以根據自己的條件而調整家庭的人口，但是，墮胎是一種不當的行爲。
There is no reason for Buddhists to oppose birth control. They are at liberty to use any of the old or modern measures to prevent conception. Those who object to birth control by saying that it is against God”s law to practise it, must realize that their concept regarding this issue is not reasonable. In birth control what is done is to prevent the coming into being of an existence. There is no killing involved and there is no akusala kamma. But if they take any action to have an abortion, this action is wrong because it involves taking away or destroying a visible or invisible life. Therefore, abortion is not justifiable.
節育：
佛教徒沒有理由反對節製生育。他們可以自由的使用各種古老的或現代的方法來節育。有人說「節育」違反了「神」的旨意，因此反對「節育」，這些人必須了解，他們這種觀點是不合理的。節育，是防止促成生命，不是殺生，因此不造成惡業。但是，墮胎是一種無可分辨的錯誤行爲，這涉及摧毀或殺害一個看得見或看不見的生命，對佛教而言，墮胎是絕對不允許的。
According to the Teachings of the Buddha, five conditions must be present to constitute the evil act of killing. They are:
按照佛教戒律，造成觸犯殺生戒的條件有五種：
a living being
一、必須是生命。
knowledge or awareness it is a living being
二、知道這生命是活的。
intention of killing
叁、有殺害的意圖。
effort to kill, and
四、有殺害的行爲。
consequent death
五、造成生命的死亡。
When a female conceives, there is a being in her womb and this fulfills the first condition. After a couple of months, she knows that there is a new life within her and this satisfies the second condition. Then for some reason or other, she wants to do away with this being in her. So she begins to search for an abortionist to do the job and in this way, the third condition is fulfilled. When the abortionist does his job, the fourth condition is provided for and finally, the being is killed because of that action. So all the conditions are present. In this way, there is a violation of the First Precept ”not to kill”, and this is tantamount to killing a human being. According to Buddhism, there is no ground to say that we have the right to take away the life of another.
當婦女懷孕時，生命已存在于她體內(第一條件)，兩個月後，她知道這生命是活的(第二條件)，她爲了某種理由，不想要肚裏的生命(第叁條件)，她去墮胎(第四條件)，肚裏的小生命因此而被摧毀(第五條件)。這整個過程，五項條件都具足了，因此觸犯了殺生戒。墮胎的整個過程，表面沒有殺生的迹象，而事實就是在殺生。墮胎違反了佛陀的教義，佛教徒都不應該墮胎，對佛教徒而言，我們並沒有權力去拿掉另一個生命。
Under certain circumstances, people feel compelled to do that for their own convenience. But they should not justify this act of abortion as somehow or other they will have to face some sort of bad karmic results. In certain countries abortion is legalized, but this is to overcome some problems. Religious principles should never be surrendered for the pleasure of man. They stand for the welfare of the whole mankind.
在環境的壓迫下，人們爲了自己的方便被迫去做這種不道德的事。但是，人類不應該認爲墮胎是合理的，墮胎造成惡業，將來要受到果報。在某些國家，墮胎是合法化的。然而，不要把宗教牽扯進去。這是世界性的問題。宗教原則絕對不是爲了某些人的個人享受或方便，而是爲全人類的福址。
Committing Suicide
自殺：
Taking one”s own life under any circumstances is morally and spiritually wrong. Taking one”s own life owing to frustration or disappointment only causes greater suffering. Suicide is a cowardly way to end one”s problems of life. A person cannot commit suicide if his mind is pure and tranquil. If one leaves this world with a confused and frustrated mind, it is most unlikely that he would be born again in a better condition. Suicide is an unwholesome or unskillful act since it is encouraged by a mind filled with greed, hatred and delusion. Those who commit suicide have not learnt how to face their problems, how to face the facts of life, and how to use their mind in a proper manner. Such people have not been able to understand the nature of life and worldly conditions.
Some people sacrifice their own lives for what they deem as a good and noble cause. They take their own life by such methods a…
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