ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 465

4.6 The Ethics of Cloning On July 5, 1996 Scottish scientist Ian Willmut cloned a sheep named Dolly, he explained that he had replaced the genetic material of a sheep's egg with the DNA from an adult sheep and created a lamb that is a clone of the adult. He wanted to create new animals for medical research, and has devised the idea of cloning humans.
Yanaqimachi of the University of Hawaii and his team was able to make more then 50 copies of a mouse. Therefore we can see that the technology of somatic cloning is here.
Jains perceive the body of a living being consisting of:
A physical body: as we see body from outside A karmic body: consist of karmic imprints on the soul that get transferred with the soul in to the new body after the death of present physical body. A fiery body: consist of the body that gives energy for growth and function a physical body, which also gets transferred with the soul in to the new body.
Jain belief is that the process of cloning is limited to physical body and that individuality of a person is determined by karmic and fiery body that cannot be cloned. A duplicate body does not make a duplicate person as the clone's brain would be far deferent from that of the donor. Identical twins become different individuals though their physical body is identical.
Therefore Jain view is that the science of cloning may have produced a physical body but has not created a living being, a physical body produced through artificial scientific methods or produced through natural means the individuality of that living being will always be a natural process.
Another Jain view would neither approve nor disapprove cloning but would feel that this living being's physical body was meant to be born while the karmic and fiery body came into this physical body with the migration of soul in this body and cannot be cloned.
4.7 The Ethics of End of Life i.e. Death and Dying. (Sallekhan ) In USA a good death is when one has executed a legal document relating to his / her wants and wishes after death. A person is kept alive because of some legality or absence of some such directive. Case of Terry Schiavo in USA is well known, as she was kept alive by artificial means for several years in vegetative state.
Questions of life and death are fundamentally matters of religion philosophy and ethics.
Jain philosophy believes in transgression of soul i.e. soul reincarnates into another living being, until liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth (mok a). Quality of this new life is dependent upon the sum of accumulated good and bad karmas in the past lives. These accumulated Karma are carried with the soul into the new acquired body and give appropriate fruitions.
In Jainism value is placed to the soul and not to the physical body, as one will continue to carry the soul into a new body till liberation. Therefore when the physical body can no longer function towards spiritual progress a planed death is prescribed called sallekhan.
Sallekhan can be defined as planned detachment with the present body under special circumstances, for the purpose of decreasing the accumulated bad karmas, leading to purity in the thoughts. Person with right perception can only make such decision and per Jain scriptures is distend to liberation within maximum of eight lives. Death thus is a celebration. This therefore is not a suicide. Suicide is when one does a direct and deliberate act with the intention voluntarily to kill oneself for selfregarding motives. Jainism condones suicide.
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0