In biomedical research and ethics, one of the most frequently debated issues regarding the use of animals in healthcare research is the concept of animal rights. Currently, a number of ethical concepts or standards tend to limit how scientists can use an animal in conducting research, which restrains biomedical research studies. The concept of animal rights has also triggered controversy, especially when animals are used in research to find solutions to the health problems that threaten human existence. While most critics of animal rights in biomedical science argue that humans have the rights to use animals in finding solutions to the existing health problems, proponents argue that animals, like humans, have their rights. Over the years, religious, philosophical and political approaches have been applied to determine whether animals should be used in laboratory studies. While none of these approaches has provided the best answer, it is clear that the Buddhist perspective considers both religion and nature in determining whether animals have rights and whether they should be exposed to laboratory use. Thus, this paper examines the Buddhist perspective on the animal ethics in healthcare research.
The Buddhist tradition, which originated in the 4th century in India before moving to the Far East, developed one of the strongest ethics in relation to animal handling. Like other Asian religions, Buddhism advocates for a non-violent handling of animals. Unlike the Abrahamic and other western religions, Buddhism rejects killing animals for the purpose of sacrifice. Most of the teachings given by the Buddha rely on stories in which animals play a significant role. In addition, Buddhism observes the “edicts” of Asoka, an ancient Buddhist emperor who accorded special protection to animals due to their position in the religious tradition.
The first of the Five Percepts of Buddhism states, “I accept the principle of refraining from destroying any living creature”. This percept is used to provide support to the strong belief in Karma and reincarnation or rebirth. In Buddhism, reincarnation is an important concept. It describes the life cycle of humans from birth to death and rebirth. When humans die, karma determines their destination. Reincarnation or rebirth takes place when an individual dies and comes back to life in another form, especially in the form of an animal. Therefore, the belief is that animals are the reincarnated ancestors. As such, they should not be harmed.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that some aspects of Buddhism allow the use of animals in health sciences. Apart from the belief in Karma and rebirth, the Buddhist doctrines are naturalistic. For instance, Buddhism appreciates the fact that animals have a significant role in improving human health. However, the experimenter is required to accept the karma of carrying out a study using animals. If the purpose of the research is not to improve human or animal health, the experimenter will acquire bad karma because of his or her actions. Thus, scientists should experiment only for the good purpose and use animals when an alternative is lacking. In addition, Buddhism requires an experiment to be conducted using a design that will do as little as harm as possible. Unless it is necessary, scientists must avoid killing the animal. Finally, Buddhism emphasizes on the importance of treating animals kindly and respectfully, which must apply in ethics of biomedical research.