Hello everyone
Sorry to see this so late. I’m glad somebody made this thread since this is a topic that came up once in a discussion between myself and another monk and I still had some unresolved questions on the matter.
I had a specific question about the issue of a dying parent being placed on or removed from life support; Does it count as an anantariya kamma if
1) a person chooses not to place a dying parent on life support or
2) if the person chooses to cease giving life support to a dying parent?
To be more technical about it, in the former case isn’t the person simply making a choice to not interfere with the natural outcome of the parent’s life and thus not creating any new kamma vipaka, thus no anantariya kamma? And in the latter case the isn’t the person deciding to STOP DOING a given action (continuing the life support) and allowing the parent die of natural causes? The person is not COMMITTING a deliberate action TOWARD the parent that TAKES or SHORTENS the parent’s life in an unnatural or violent way. The death of parent is inevitable and in both instances no deliberate harmful action is done against the parent and there is no hateful javana citta involved in any way. This is my perspective on the situation, but if I am mistaken then I’d appreciate being set straight.
I thought it was a question worth bringing up since many of us could face this situation one day, and it would be a difficult and painful ordeal for the parent and the child.
Thanks