Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Major/Program
Religious Studies
First Advisor's Name
Albert Wuaku
First Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Chair
Second Advisor's Name
Whitney Bauman
Second Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Third Advisor's Name
Steven Heine
Third Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Keywords
Buddhism, Spiritual identity, Suicide, Medical assistance in dying, End-of-life care, Euthanasia, Ethics, Religion, Mindfulness, Palliative care
Date of Defense
3-31-2023
Abstract
The concept of “whole person care” when addressing the end-of-life needs of terminally ill patients through the practices of palliative medicine has increasingly included attention to spirituality in addition to those of the mind and physical body. Medical Assistance in Dying or Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD) is a palliative care process that allows terminally ill patients to request and receive medications that they may elect to take to actively bring about a peaceful death. Unfortunately, the term “suicide” has been historically attached here to a great negative effect on the patients, families, and the caregiving networks that surround them and it is important to establish a distinction. For those that identify with or connect to it, Buddhism as a faith tradition has a dense history of actively addressing death and dying. To not intentionally kill or harm oneself or others is a primary tenet of the Buddhist faith tradition. This study investigates how this awareness connects to a patient’s choices at the end of life, providing insight into how they may be more effectively cared for, and how Buddhist practices may be utilized by others to ease suffering during this inevitable transition.
Identifier
FIDC011085
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Filippini, Jason, "Buddhist Spiritual Identity, Suicide, and the Choice to Engage with Medical Assistance in Dying" (2023). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5247.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5247
Included in
Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Buddhist Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons
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