In this week's class at Sacred Waters, a question was raised about the Buddhist view on reducing suffering for the terminally ill and on euthanasia.

First, we need to understand that illness and dying are two of the eight sufferings. The Buddha often spoke about them: birth, aging, illness, death, separation from loved ones, association with those we dislike, unfulfilled desires, and the suffering due to the five aggregates. These eight permeate cyclic existence.

Watching those we love suffer also entails the awareness that we may soon lose them and all that we had wished to do will remain undone. So watching another being whom we love undergo a terminal condition can entail four of the eight sufferings. This is a time of great emotional upheaval as we struggle to take care of the other person and honor their wishes. At the same time, we have to deal with our own sense of loss and, very often, our guilt.

We have learned that each of us has created our own destiny by our past karmas, or actions. And on an intellectual level, we may accept that. But watching someone suffer, we react emotionally, not intellectually. It hurts too much to watch their suffering and stand by doing nothing. But as in all of that person’s life, illness and death have been destined just as their lives were destined. By them.

Even if we could act with the purest of intentions—solely from the wish to lessen their suffering without any consideration of our own— it is not our right to end the life of any being. Not even if we do so out of love.

The reality is that although we may think we are ending their suffering, we are merely delaying it. The seeds for suffering will remain in the person’s, or animal’s, consciousness. The seeds will reappear in another lifetime. And next time, the seeds may be worse. Or there might not be anyone present who cares about the person as much as we care now.

Out of love, out of respect, out of wisdom, we need to set aside our own suffering and concentrate on easing the suffering of the one we love, to help them lay to rest those seeds of suffering now.

With love, with respect, with wisdom, we can help them do what they need to do and then die when their time has come.