I am just getting into Buddhism currently and thought about something that I can't find answered anywhere. I understand that humans, animals, and maybe in the near future artificially intelligent robots (Even the Dali Lama says so) are sentient beings but plants are not (I think I am right about that), but where does that leave smaller organisms such as bacteria and viruses. If they are considered sentient beings then wouldn't vaccines be unethical? Just something I was thinking about, might not even make sense to anyone.
From what I read I thought plants cannot be sentient beings, however they have responded to outside stimuli before, so does that mean a plant can be a sentient being?
Uh.. what does being ethical or unethical have anything to do with vaccines? My definition is a little different tho. Replace "sentient" with "conscious". I believe we are all part of creating this matrix we live in from the smallest bacteria to us. Although individual bacteria dont have their own conscious line of thinking, like plants, and even ants. Ants are a good example of a hive mind. I disagree that you think plants don't hold any "sentient" or "conscious" being, they are alive and talking to us all the time! You just have to listen. (No, I am not a tree hugger) but I am attuned with the higher vibrations in this Matrix and anything that is resonating is ALIVE! Oh, and just wondering how you figure AI can actually be in pain, unless we give them pain receptors, even then they could just turn them off, which they would then not be "sentient" beings, right? Meretrix - love the sig. How far along would you say you are?>
Unethical wasn't the right word, but I couldn't think of anything else. I have currently only been studying Buddhism for about two or three months, and mainly only online and in books. I am waiting until I turn 18 to find a spiritual teacher. As far as my psychonautic studies go, I am still in the beginning as well. I have just started all this within the last year, but I believe I am progressing. As for artificial intelligence: http://eng.buddhapia.com/_Service/_..._cd=0000000442&Menu_code=0000008803&sub_menu= There is an interview with the Dalai Lama on consciousness and machines. The main point of this post was basically to see if bacteria and viruses were considered sentient beings (Had consciousness) to see if killing them was also wrong (To some extent).
Buddha studied for a time under the Jains, who take Ahimsa to very extreme degrees, wearing masks to kill less bacteria, sweeping their path in front of them so as not to harm insects. The general Buddhist line on this sort of thing is "middle way". Every movement of your bowels will kill some bacteria, every sneeze, every step. But you do not do so out of wicked murderous intent, it is a natural part of life, both for humans, and bacteria. As to whether they are sentient or not, I have no idea. But you're sentient. Which is as good a starting point as any. In regards to robots. Let's leap that hurdle when we come to it
Robert Pirsig treats this as a moral question. In his view a more advanced entity has a moral right to kill a lessor entity in order to survive. So a worm may eat bacteria, a bird a worm, a man a bird, and a city or country (a social organization) use men to fight another city or country.
Does Buddhism have lesser entities? And fighting another city or country isn't really surviving, unless they are attacking you. Which shouldn't happen in an idealistic world... but then again this world isn't idealistic.
