Lifechanyuan’s Viewpoint on Euthanasia
Xuefeng
August 26, 2019
(Translated by Qinyou and Translated by Kaer)
It is extremely difficult for people to live entirely smooth lives; only a small number of us can do this without ever suffering from diseases. Most of us either die young, are tortured to death by illnesses, die in natural disasters, or are forced to commit suicide by their emotions. Some are killed in the turmoil of war or die from starvation, thirst, exposure, car accidents, and so forth, and are unable to reach the end of their lives naturally and satisfactorily.
The most ideal way to end one’s life’s journey is to go to sleep in good health but not wake up. Another way is to use the “Chanyuan Meditation”; that is, to choose one’s day and time of death and then enter meditation to end their journey in this world. Neither method is easy for the public to grasp; sleeping without waking up is a method that requires a great deal of blessings, and the “Chanyuan Meditation” method requires long-term self-refinement and self-cultivation. So, is there an ideal way for the general public to meet their end? Yes, it is called “euthanasia”.
The general interpretation of euthanasia is: “to stop medical treatment for patients who cannot be cured so that the patient can die comfortably”. Lifechanyuan’s explanation is: “Anyone who does not want to continue their life, but wants to end it voluntarily should be allowed to do so”. People should have the right to decide their own life paths; in fact, most people are kidnapped by their reality, the environment, or by their relatives; they live passively, not actively. We should offer the right to choose and decide their own life’s ending to everyone.
Anyone who has reached the age of eighteen, dispares of life, and is willing to end theirs, should be offered the option to be euthanized; regardless of their situation, as long as someone still wants to live, regardless of their age or physical condition, they should be treated, given energy, and the hope to live.
How much time is enough for someone to live; a century, a millennium? The truth is that for most people, no amount of time is ever enough; immortality is everyone’s wish, however life is a short journey of LIFE in the mortal world. In the end, everyone has to part with life; no matter how much they love being alive, ending it is inevitable, and since farewells are inevitable, it is only a matter of time before everyone will sooner or later have to say goodbye. We associate closely with our friends and relatives, but no matter how close our relationships are with them, no matter how much we like them, or how much they want to stay with us, we will eventually have to say goodbye to them and leave; we cannot stay with anyone forever, so since we have to leave them, we should find the most suitable time to do so.
Is euthanasia not a kind of farewell? Why bother preventing anyone from leaving? It is better to arrange everything leisurely and give a decent goodbye in a cool and ready manner than to end one’s life in a hurry with regrets, remorse, anxiety, and fear, without saying goodby to those of whom we care.
Of course, the vast majority of people would not agree with this Lifechanyuan view of euthanasia and only those in extreme despair would accept it gracefully. Someone might ask: “should we euthanize someone who is nineteen years old, healthy, and in the prime of their life with a clear mind and a bright future? It would be the biggest joke ever but no laughing matter - it would be very cruel!”.
Of course, many people believe that the implementation of euthanasia would be murder if it were not only voluntary but also agreed upon by relatives, but hold on a moment; I have a question. Roughly one million people in the world end their lives annually. How many of their relatives have signed onto and agreed with those decisions? Of course not many, so why would anyone need anyone else’s consent if they are willing to end their life? If people could only do this with the consent of their relatives, then few would ever be able to.
Of course, this kind of euthanasia requires legislation and a “National Convention”, otherwise it would be difficult if not impossible to implement. I want to say that we can hardly imagine how many people in this world are living in extreme pain and despair. Many feel “tired of life” and do not want to continue on, but they have to “bite the bullet” and continue to live because they are kidnapped. Many others are in pain and are being tortured to death, such as those who are lying in hospital beds for long periods of time while incurable. They need to decide for themselves whether they are willing to accept euthanasia and should not require the consent of any relatives. Now that technology is developed, it is possible to video record the patients’ words and wishes; in other words, anyone who voluntarily accepts euthanasia can speak their own mind and record it in an environment in which they are free from any duress, coercion, or kidnapping. Without this legally binding video, euthanasia would not be implemented.
If a young person wanted to end their life, their relatives might call them selfish, but who is really more selfish, the young one or the relatives? Actually, I have thought about this. If Lifechanyuan were to implement euthanasia and hospice care, at least half of the people who want to commit suicide would give up those thoughts and that number might be saved every year.
By the way, it is better to deal with the people after euthanasia in accordance with the arrangement of the Lifechanyuan Funeral System. The more we open up, the easier and simpler things become; the more restrictive we are, the more difficult and complex they become.