Ky Thuat Di Truyen Danh Gia Theo Quan Diem Phat Giao - Ron Epstein

8/3/2019 Ky Thuat Di Truyen Danh Gia Theo Quan Diem Phat Giao - Ron Epstein

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THUYT TIN HA - PHT GIO V KHOA HOCK THUT DI TRUYN

NH GA THEO QUAN IM PHT GIORon Epstein(*)

Religion East and West, Issue 1, June 2001, 39-47.---o0o---Ngun

http://thuvienhoasen.orgChuyn sang ebook 8-8-2009

Ngi thc hin : Nam Thin [email protected] Audio Ti Website http://www.phatphaponline.org

---o0o---

Mt Pht T trong th gii tng lai c th s nh th no khi cuc i cabn khi u vi vic cha m bn thit k cc t bo di truyn ca bn?Ngoi vic thanh lc nhng bnh tt di truyn khng mun c, cha m bncn la chn gii tnh, mu ca mt, tc, da, v nu cha m bn l Pht t,c th h chn nhng t bo di truyn cho php bn ngi d dng trong tth kit gi. B p lc bi nhng tro lu x hi hin nay, cha m bn c thchn nhng t bo di truyn m chc nng tng qut cha c hiu r rngnhng c nghe n l lin h n tnh tnh, s thng minh, quan nim, vc l c thn thng na (khng cn c nhu cu tm kim nhng v lt ma tisinh - tulkus. By gi h t nhn ging di truyn v ti sanh trong ging ca

h). Nu cha m bn ngho, h c th c tr tin thit k kiu conngi cho bn vi nhng t bo di truyn thay i ph hp cho mt nghnghip c bit no , cng vi mt giao ko trc lc sanh l s c cngvic lm trong tng lai. Ging nh trong phim Gattaca, bn c l thuc vmt giai cp x hi c quy nh r rng ty theo mc tng cng ditruyn ca bn. D nhin c th vn cn mt t hnh gi k l, khng do tngcng di truyn, m do t chn t nhin ang thin nh trn nhng ngnni.

T nhng git sa u tin bn ung, thc phm ca bn b bin i bngk thut di truyn. Th gii t nhin hon ton b lm li, b xm ln vbp mo khng cn nhn ra v nhng cy ci, ng vt, cn trng, vi khun,siu vi khun b bin i di truyn, k c loi theo k hoch d tr vloi ngoi d tnh. Bnh tt cng rt khc xa. Hu ht bnh tt c binmt hoc t bin thnh nhng hnh th mi, tuy nhin hu ht mi ngiu kh s do hu qu ca tc nhn gy bnh to ra bi k thut di truyn,
http://phatphaponline.org/kinh/Audio/Thuyet%20Phap/Phat%20Giao%20Va%20Khoa%20Hoc/http://phatphaponline.org/kinh/Audio/Thuyet%20Phap/Phat%20Giao%20Va%20Khoa%20Hoc/


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hoc do c dng trong chin tranh sinh hc, hoc do lm ln thi vo mitrng, hoc ti kt hp thnh nhng hnh thc c hi t nhng sinh th b

bin i bng k thut di truyn nguyn thy vn v hi nhng b t bin ditruyn nhanh chng. K thut di truyn tht qu ph bin, bn khi s tlm th nghim n gin v k thut ny khi cn bc tiu hc.

Tng lai c th nh la bn hn bn ngh. Theo quan im Pht Gio,chng ta cn phn tch nhng pht trin v k thut di truyn hin nay angcung cp nhng ht ging ban u nh th no s nh hng n th giitrong tng lai. Bi v k thut di truyn c tim nng chuyn i cn bn cthin nhin v bn tnh con ngi, n em li mt s e da ln lao hnnhiu so vi nhng k thut khc.

Theo gio php Pht Gio, thin nhin m chng ta cm nhn ch l mt ci

nhn cho cng nghip ca cc chng sanh hu tnh trn hnh tinh ny, vbn tnh con ngi l hn hp nghip bo ca t tng v tnh cm cn phic chuyn ha trn con ng i n gic ng.

Bi v nghip- v au kh - s vn cn vi chng ta trong Th Gii MiCan m (New Brave World) ny, c ngi cho rng k thut di truynkhng quan trng lm i vi Pht t, nhng cng vic dnh cho chng tahin nay s ch yu l khng thay i. Nhng c l chng ta hy nn nhnsu hn.

V d, quan h ca k thut di truyn n tim nng gic ng v s nhnthc ca chng ta nh th no? Quan im Pht Gio cho rng tnh trng cathn th v h thng thn kinh ca chng ta c nh hng n tm cachng ta v ngc li. l l do ti sao nn o c da vo nn tngnghip bo nhn mnh rng v s thanh tnh ca c tm v thn nh l iukin tin quyt cho s tin b v tm linh. V d nh khi chng ta ngi thin,nhng thay i tm sinh l vi t xy ra bn trong thn th chng ta tngng vi mc tin trin tm linh ca chng ta. Cng thin nh thm su,cng c nhng chuyn ha thn tm su xa. Ging nh vy, t thi cPht, cc Pht t nhn ra rng c nhng ni chn no c nhng nnglc thin nhin gip thng tin v thin v trc gic.

K thut di truyn c tim nng thay i c thn th chng ta v mi trngbng cch lm gim i kh nng gip tin trnh chuyn ha bn thn. Vd, khi mt ngi dng thuc, sinh hc c th b thay i lm cho vic thinkh khn hn. Tng t nh vy, k thut di truyn c th nh hng c th


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ca chng ta bng nhng phng cch cha c bit r v s cn tr stin b ca chng ta trn ng o. Ngay c nu ch c mt kh nngtng i nh v vic k thut di truyn gy nh hng s tin b trn conng gic ng, cng l mt nguyn nhn quan trng cn quan tm. Biv khoa hc ch i ph vi th gii vt cht, khng c nhng th nghimkhoa hc c th nh gi c loi nguy him ny.

Gii cm th nh l ngn cm vic trm cp. Tuy nhin, cc cng ty k thutsinh hc v ngay c mt s i hc u ang n cp t bo di truyn, emng k pht minh nhng t bo di truyn ca nhng ngi th dn, ca cccy c a phng , v sau tnh tin cho vic s dng chng. nghng Pht gio th khc nhiu. c Pht dy rng, khi giao tip vi k khchay vi mi sinh, chng ta phi bt chc nh ong ly phn t hoa. S lich l h tng v khng c s gy hi.

Hn na, o Pht hiu rng v tr l mt h thng m rng. i chiu li,phng php khoa hc thng thng c iu hnh trong h thng nhnto theo gi thuyt v khp kn, c gi d l c mt s tng quan c ngha, nhng khng y v khng hon ho, tng ng vi th gii tht.

Nhng iu chng minh trong phng th nghim c th c hoc khng cgi tr trong th gii thin nhin. Phng php khoa hc khng th, bi vnhng gii hn ni ti ca n, nh gi c ton b cc hu qu c th cv s bin i bng k thut di truyn i vi cc sinh vt trong mt th giil h thng m rng.

T quan im o c Pht Gio cn bn, nhng pht trin c bit trong kthut di truyn tht rc ri v hng n mt tng lai y dy s phc tpv khng r rng v mt o c. Nhng ngi thc hnh theo Pht giou tin cn bit nhng g ang tht s din ra trong lnh vc ny, trc khih c th t phn tch v nghip bo v vic h v th gii chng ta angsng s b nh hng theo nhng hnh thc quan trng nh th no i vih, v h s c phn ng thch hp nh th no.

Di y n c tiu biu v mt vi lnh vc cn s quan tm ln nht vo c.

Cy ci v thc phm tip tc tr thnh i tng cho k thut di truyn.Cng ty Delta & Pine Land nhn c bng pht minh Hoa K v k thutthay i di truyn ht ging ht ging s khng ny mm nu trng li lnth hai, nh vy ht ging mt sinh tnh tr khi c phun mt hp cht


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c ng k pht minh khc, c cha ch yu l cc cht khng sinh. Cngty Monsanto mun dng K Thut Tiu Dit ny ngn khng cho ccnng dn thu thp ht ging c bin i di truyn, p buc h phi muaht ging mi nm.

trnh l thuc vo plastics ch to t du ha, mt s khoa hc gia tiHoa K, u Chu v Gia N i dng k thut bin i di truyn thcvt cy ci sn sinh plastic trong cu trc cung l ca chng. H tuyn

b rng cht ny s phn hy sinh hc trong vng su thng. Nu nhng tbo di truyn ny thot ra thin nhin, c kh nng rng nhng vng thinnhin s b lm nhim vi nhng cng l plastic ca nhng l b mcnt. L cht c hi, plastic ny cn to nn nhng nguy him tht s bi vn c tim nng chn ng hoc git hi ton b dy chuyn thc phm(food-chains). N c th b nhng loi sinh vt khng c xng sng n, loi

ny sau li b loi khc n, v c tip tc nh vy. Tin S John Fagan,Gio s Sinh Hc Phn T ti i hc Maharishi v Qun Tr v trc yng u nhm nghin cu ti Hc Vin Sc Kho Quc Gia, cnh corng nhng thnh t mi c s dng trong nhng plastic ny l cc loidu c l s c hi i vi loi vt.

Mt t tng ng bun khc l to nn nhng thc vt b bin i di truynbng cht c b cp nhng cn trng n cc thc vt s b cht. Mtnh di truyn hc ni ting, Joseph Cummins, Gio s danh d v Di Truyntai a Hc Western Ontario, cnh co rng nhng t bo di truyn nh

th c th truyn theo hng ngang qua nhng cn trng khc, nh vy cnguy him l tao nn loi cn trng lc chch nc hay cn s tim cht c

b cp vo nn nhn ca chng, gm lun c chng ta. Tuy nhin, nghincu v th nghim vn ang tip tc.

Nhiu nh khoa hc tuyn b rng vic tiu ha thc phm c dng k thutdi truyn l v hi bi v cc acid trong bao t s phn hy cc cht b kthut di truyn bin i. Tuy nhin, theo nghin cu, phn ln cc ch t ny vo n mch mu v cng n cc t bo no. Hn na, c ch t v t

nhin ca cc t bo c th khng hon ton hu hiu trong vic ngn khngcho cc cht b bin i bng k thut di truyn vo t bo. Nhng thnghim gn y cho thy rng cc sinh th bin i bng k thut di truync th t bin n 30 ln nhanh hn nhng sinh th bnh thng, do ctim nng nguy him v sc khe rt ln.


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Vic to nn xenographs (d th) nhng th vt b bin i di truyn vthng c cha t bo di truyn ca con ngi l mt trong nhng ngdng kinh khng hn na ca k thut ny. Thng thng nhng th nghimny a n kt qu l nhng th vt b bin dng kinh khng v chu nhngau kh khng khip. Ngay c khi nhng th nghim c thnh cng, mhnh khoa hc l con vt nh l mt nh my sn xut hu hiu mt s cht- nh tht, sa, hay thuc men- cho s tiu th ca con ngi.

Nhng iu ngi Pht t cn lu y l cc mc nghip xu. Vicgit hi loi vt ly tht l vi phm gii lut ngn cm git hi. Vic snxut chn nui cng nghip em thm nhng kh s khng tng tngni cho cuc i cc th vt trc khi chng b git. Vic to nnxenographs l s vi phm su xa hn na vo i sng loi vt. D nhng t

bo di truyn c a vo to nn loi vt mi c phi l t bo di

truyn t con ngi hay khng, xenographs c to nn cho s s dng cacon ngi v c cp bng pht minh v li nhun ca cc cng ty mkhng cn quan tm v s au kh ca nhng con vt ny, v cm nhn, ttng, np sng thin nhin, hoc tim nng gic ng ca chng.

Nhng v d gn y v loi k thut di truyn ny nh a t bo di truynca con ngi vo trong c v lm chng ln nhanh hn. Cng ty PPLTherapeutics, tr s ti Edinburgh, T Cch Lan, cc cng ty sinh hc

Nextran va Alxion ti Hoa K, v cc cng ty khc, ang chy ua a tbo di truyn ca ngi vo heo lm ph hp v di truyn theo tng c

nhn con ngi. Ni mt cch khc, bn c th c mt con heo c nhng bphn c th ghp cho bn vi nhng t bo di truyn ca bn c cy vo.Khi mt trong cc b phn ca bn b h, bn c th dng b phn ca conheo .

D nhin, nhiu ngi s ni rng th hy sinh con heo h hoc nhngngi thn yu ca h c sng, mc du nhng t tng v hnh ngnh vy khng ph hp vi l tng B tt. Tuy nhin, cn c nhng gii

php nhn o hn. V d, ti mt s quc gia u Chu, mi ngi u

c xem l c tim nng cho i b phn c th ca mnh tr khi h c npn yu cu r rng vi chnh ph l h khng mun nh vy. Do khngc s thiu ht c phn ghp v khng cn s hy sinh ca nhng con heo

b bin i di truyn.

Khi cng lc cng nhiu t bo di truyn ca con ngi c a vo nhngsinh th khng phi l con ngi to nn nhng hnh thc sng mi m


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c mt phn di truyn l ca con ngi, cc cu hi v o c li c tra. T l t bo di truyn ca con ngi trong c th mt sinh th phi l baonhiu phn trm th c xem l con ngi? V d, phi c bao nhiu t

bo di truyn ca con ngi trong mt tri t xanh th bn s cm thy ghtm khi n n? y khng ch l cu hi gi thuyt. Ngi Trung Hoa tii Hc Bc Kinh by gi ang a t bo di truyn ca loi ngi votrong c chua v t chng ln nhanh hn. i vi ngi n tht, cu higing nh vy c th c t ra v vic n tht heo c cha t bo di truynca con ngi. V i vi nhng con chut c bin i di truyn sn sinh tinh trng ca con ngi th nh th no?

Cn v con ngi th nh th no? Vi nm trc cng ty GranadaBiosciences ca Texas np n vi Vn Phng Bng Pht Minh u Chu(European Patent Office) xin vn bng pht minh v mt ci gi l

pharm-woman (thuc t ph n), t tng y l dng k thut ditruyn p dng vo ngi ph n sa ca h s cha nhng loi thucc bit. Cng vic cng ang tin hnh l dng k thut di truyn lmmc ln nhng b ngc ngi ph n trong phng th nghim. Khng nhngchng s c dng ghp ngc cho nhng ngi b gii phu ngc v ungth, m cn c th d dng tng cng nhu cu thng mi mnh m binhng ph n ang tm kim b ngc hon ho. Nh di truyn hcJonathan Slack ca i Hc Bath ti nc Anh, mi y ngh to nnnhng con ngi khng c u bng k thut di truyn dng ly b phnc th. Mt s nh di truyn hc ni ting, nh Lewis Wolpert, Gio s Sinhhc p Dng Y Khoa ti i Hc College London, ng h kin cang [Slack].

iu tr bng gen thay th cc t bo di truyn (genes) bi khim khuyt clin h n nguy c mc bnh do c a nhng t bo di truyn mi voc th tm cch bin i cu trc di truyn ca c th. Bi v t bo ditruyn (genes) di chuyn d dng t mt sinh th ny sang mt sinh thkhc, a vo mt t bo di truyn mi c th c nhng hu qu khnglng c. Thm na, iu tr bng gen cn ty thuc vo con dc trn

trt nhm n nhng t bo di truyn kiu mu. Mt ch du cho thy condc cng trn trt hn l vic qun tr th nghim v kch thch t tngtrng c dng k thut di truyn p dng cho nhng tr em khe mnhnhng ch c hi thp hn trung bnh m cha m cc em li mun cc emcao hn.


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Khi cu xt v tim nng ca k thut di truyn trong vic cha bnh, chngta cn nh rng, theo Pht php, chng ta b bnh v mt trong hai l dochnh. Bn yu t (t i) ca chng ta c th b mt qun bnh, c th dindch mt cch th thin theo ngn ng hin i l chng ta thiu nng lcv kh nng khng vi mm bnh thp. V bnh tt hoc i sng ngnngi c th trong vi trng hp l do nghip bo git hi sanh mang. Lngi Pht t, chng ta c bit nn nhy cm v vic nhng nh di truynlm suy i ngha con ngi l g. Chng ta c mun cha vi bt c gino? Chng ta c th mun t hi l nghip gy hi sanh mng lin quann vic pht trin v ng dng k thut tr liu bng t bo di truyn s gycho chng ta nhng vn nghip qu nng n hn v sau khng? Hoc c

phn ng vt i t bo di truyn ghp vo trong c th chng ta s nhhng ln phm cht con ngi trong thc hng ngy ca chng ta nh thno?

Si u vi khun a ra nhng nguy him c bit khi tng tc vi nhngsinh th b bin i di truyn. Thc vt, ng vt, v siu vi khun ng mtvai tr ln trong h sinh thi to nn sinh quyn v c mt s ngi xeml mt trong nhng yu t chnh trong s thay i tin ha. Siu vi khun ckh nng i vo nhng cht liu di truyn ca sinh vt ch, phn gii, v sau ti kt hp vi cht liu di truyn ca sinh vt ch to nn nhng siuvi khun mi. Nhng siu vi khun mi ny sau lm nhim bnh nhngsinh vt ch mi, truyn cht liu di truyn mi n sinh vt ch mi. Khisinh vt ch sanh sn, s thay i di truyn xy ra. Chng ta c th gi srng nhng siu vi khun thng thng, d c c hi n u i na, nusanh sn mt cch t nhin, u c ng mt vai tr trong h sinh thi vc iu hnh bi h sinh thi .

Nu cc t bo b bin i di truyn bng k thut, lc khi siu vi khuni vo cc t bo du l loi ngi, loi vt hay thc vt nhng cht liuny cng c th c truyn n nhng siu vi khun mi c to nn vlan n nhng sinh vt ch mi ca cc siu vi khun. Bi v siu vi khunvi nhng cht liu c bin i di truyn bng k thut c th khng bao

gi t ny sanh ra mt cch t nhin trong h sinh thi, khng c g bo mrng l c cch t v t nhin chng li chng. Ch ring vn ny cth a n s cht chc lan rng ca loi ngi, loi vt hoc thc vt, do tm thi hoc c th vnh vin lm h hi h sinh thi. S cht tri lanrng ca nhng chng loi thc vt c th nh hng ton b h sinh thi,v kh nng cht lan rng ca loi ngi cn c s quan tm ca chng


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ta. Khi nim cho rng h sinh thi cui cng u c th i ph c vibt c e da no, d t hi n u i na, l khng c c s khoa hc.

Cha c bng c hin hu no l s sng v an sinh ca loi ngi l u tinhn trong nhng h thng t t chc. Cng khng c bng c no cho thyrng trong nhng h thng c trang b i ph vi nhng e da donhng sinh vt b bin i i truyn bng k thut c th em n.

K thut di truyn cn c th nh hng ton th thin nhin. Trong thutng Pht gio, thin nhin lin h n cc hnh thc nhn qu phn nhnghip ca chng sanh sng trn hnh tinh. V vic tn trng s sng, lnn tng ca tt c cc hnh tr Pht gio, thin nhin c th c hiu ltng s tt c cc h sinh thi gip cho s sng; n l iu kin chnh yu

bo v chng sanh khng b hi. Con ngi, loi vt, v cc chng sanh hu

tnh khc u tu thuc vo mt mi trng nguyn vn c i sng lnhmnh. Gy hi cho mi trng ny s lm cc chng sanh au kh v cuicng l cht non. Gy hi nng lc sng, ngay c trn mc vi sinh, c thc nh hng tc hi trn nhng sinh th phc tp hn bi v cc s sngu h tng lin h ln nhau.

Hn na, thin nhin nh nhng ch hoang vu cung cp chn thin nh huhiu, mt ni c th t c nhng tin b nhanh chng. Trong vic t tutp, hi ha vi thin nhin bao gm kh nng tm c mt ch tu tp ni nng lc thin nhin tt lnh. Thin nhin tc ng nh tm king

phn nh thy nhng vn hnh su xa ca thn v tm chng ta. Khi chngta ch mt mnh trong cnh hoang d, nhng phin no th gian r nt canhng ngi khc vng bt, do khng th lm tng thm phin noca chnh chng ta. Hy th tng tng chuyn g s xy ra nu chng tat bin i di truyn ca mnh chng ta khng cng hng c vi chuk t nhin ca thin nhin. y khng phi l nhng loi quan tm c thgii p bng bt c nhng d kin khoa hc no.

Chin tranh sinh hc di truyn l mt e da ngn hn nghim trng nhtca k thut di truyn i vi i sng con ngi. Bi v Pht Gio l mttruyn thng cn bn yu chung ha bnh, nn cn phi quan tm su xa ivi vic s dng k thut di truyn trong chin tranh nh l nhng phngtin hu hiu gy ra au kh v cht chc lan rng. Nhng ngi khng

b quc t bt u cu xt nghim tc vic pht tn nhng siu vi khunb bin i di truyn. Vic s dng ny hu nh khng th no kim sotc bi v cng my mc trang b v k thut thng c dng trong


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thng mi c th chuyn i d dng thnh nhng ng dng qun s. Sutthi k cui thp nin 80, Lin Bang S Vit c c 60 ngn ngi lmvic v chin tranh sinh hc, gm c cc tc nhn gy bnh b bin i bngk thut di truyn. Mt trong nhng k hoch ng s hn na ca h l h c gng kt hp siu vi khun gy bnh u ma vi siu vi khun Ebola.Khng ai bit r hu ht nhng nh k thut i u, hoc h mangtheo nhng g.

Vo thng 6 nm 1977, B Trng Quc Phng Hoa K l ng WilliamCohen cnh bo v mt vi loi tc nhn gy bnh s c nhm chuyn

bit vo loi chng tc c th tiu dit nhng nhm chng tc no .Nhiu quc gia b bo co l bin i di truyn cc siu vi khun nhm chuyn bit vo nhng nhm chng tc no .

Mc du cc ch li ca k thut di truyn c bo ch c v ch yu l sa nhng khuyt im di truyn, tr bnh, v gia tng s sn xut thcphm trong rt nhiu trng hp, ti tin rng ci gi phi tr tht qu cao. bo m li nhun khng l cho cc i cng ty a quc gia trong th kti, chng ta phi th n sinh quyn, phi chu nhn nhng quan trng isng trn hnh tinh, v c th l h hi tim nng gic ng ca chng ta. Kthut di truyn a ra nhng nguy him trm trng i vi sc khe ca conngi v mi sinh. N t ra nhng cu hi o c quan trng v quynca con ngi i vi vic thay i i sng trn hnh tinh, c chng sanhhu tnh v v tnh, ch em li ch li cho mt thiu s.

Nhng iu lm cho k thut di truyn c c bit l quyn nng ca nv s khng o ngc li c. Kh nng ca n c th gy hi cho conngi, loi vt v i sng thc vt l mt bc nhy vt ln hn hu htcc k thut khc v khng th xy ra nhng sai lm. Nhng hu qu dokhim khuyt trong k thut ny khng th vn hi v sa cha c, m trthnh di sn xu cho v s th h trong tng lai.

Nu c vi lnh vc v k thut di truyn c th lm ch li mt cch an toncho nhn loi v ng thi tn trng cc hnh thc sng khc, th cn cnhng c gng tng gp i khng nhng trong lnh vc nh gi khoahc v s nguy him v s dng nguyn tc thn trng, m cn cn phttrin nhng hng dn o c rng ln. Bi v cc c s khoa hc nhn

bit nhu cu gp ca dn chng, do c mt ca s c hi gii thiuquan im o c Pht gio i vi nhng vn o c hin nay vnhng ngh nghin cu trong k thut di truyn. Cng l iu quan trng


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l dn chng yu cu s kim sot nghim ngt v iu hnh mi quan hcnh ca quay ca k ngh ny vi cc i hc v chnh ph.

Chng ta c th tht s c nh hng c khng? Ngay c lm chm linhng tin b khng mi lng ca cc tro lu hin nay cng rt kh khn.Tuy nhin vn cn hy vng. May mn thay, mt ting ni nh ca nhngkhoa hc gia c hun luyn thun thc trong lnh vc ny, nh cc gios Stuart Newman ca y ban Di Truyn c Trch Nhim, Gio sStrohman ca i hc Berkeley, Tin s Mae-Wan Ho ca i hc Open,cc Tin s Margaret Mellon v Jane Rissler ca Hip Hi Khoa Hc Gia cQuan tm, ch lit k mt t, h thy nhng nguy him ang xy ra v can m ni ln ting ni thc ca h.

R rng cha kho m ra l gio dc qun chng v nhng iu ang xy

ra. Chng ta cn c s tin cy rng nhng cng dn bnh thng cng lmvic vi nhau c th xy dng mt nn mng tr tu tp th c th ch ngcho chng ta i xuyn qua m l phc tp khng th tng tng ni canhng vn chung quanh k thut di truyn. Chng ta c th lm cho ccvn bin mt c khng? C l khng lm c. Nhng s thnh cngl iu c th: H Thng Th Gii Th ba, di s lnh o ca Gio SVandana Shiva, ng vin n v cc quc gia chm pht trin khc chng li cc i cng ty a quc gia trong vic tm li nhun di truyn.Tai u Chu, nng cao s hiu bit ca qun chng v nguy him ca ccthc phm dng k thut di truyn mi y buc cc cng ty ln tham gia

phi t b cc k hoch gii thiu m rng ti y. y ti Hoa K, vicvn ng cho thc phm hu c, t chc Nhng Ngi M i Hi LutThin Nhin, v nhng t chc khc phi hp mt cuc vn ng giodc qun chng v nguy him ca nhng loi thc phm nh vy, nh vynhng c gng gp chung thc phm b bin i di truyn vo loi hu ctheo iu L Tiu Chun Hu C quc Gia khng thnh cng.

T quan im Pht gio, cc vn v k thut di truyn v nguyn tckhng khc bit vi hu ht nhng vn khc chng ta i din hng ngy.

Tt c u l kt qu ca kit s dc vng, nng gin, v minh, v.vdieulm cho tnh trng k thut di truyn c c bit l s khc bit v mc thit hi c th nh hng n i sng trn hnh tinh ny v s khng ongc li c nhng nh hng ln chng ta v mi sinh. C l khng cmt cu tr li cho cu hi l nhng ngi pht t nn lm g v nhng vn ny. C nhng ngi c th quyt nh lm vic tch cc vi nhiu onth c gng nng cao s hiu bit ca qun chng v ngn chn nhng


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nguy him t hi nht. Nhng ngi khc c th thch lm vic trc tipngay trn tm a ca mnh sn sinh tr tu v t bi nhm chuyn ha tmhn ca tt c chng sanh i v hng gic ng. Tuy nhin cn c nhngngi khc s khng hoi nghi g c, h t vi u vo trong ct v c nghip dn dt.

(Source: http://www.dharmasite.net/KyThuatDiTruyen.htm)

Xem thm: Ethical Questions about Genetic Engineeringhttp://verewig.blog-city.com/ethical_questions_about_genetic_engineering.htm

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Genetic Engineering: A Buddhist AssessmentRon Epstein

Religion East and West, Issue 1, June 2001, 39-47.

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/GEBuddhism.html

What might it be like to be a Buddhist in a future world where your lifestarted with your parents designing your genes? In addition to screening forunwanted genetic diseases, they would have selected your genes for sex;

height; eye, hair, and skin color; and, if your parents are Buddhists, maybeeven for genes that allow you to sit easily in the full lotus position. Pressured by current social fads, they may also have chosen genes whose overallfunctions are not clearly understood but are rumored to be connected withtemperament, intelligence, mindfulness, and perhaps psychic powers. (Thereis no longer any need to search for reincarnated lamas. They now clonethemselves and get reborn in their own clones.) If your parents are poor,they may have been paid to design you with genes tailored for a particularoccupation, together with a pre-birth contract for future employment. As inthe film Gattaca, you probably belong to a clearly defined social class

according to the degree of your genetic enhancement. Of course there maystill be a few weird, unenhanced naturals-by-choice meditating in themountains.

In this future world, from the very first milk you suckle, your food isgenetically engineered. The natural world is completely made over, invadedand distorted beyond recognition by genetically engineered trees, plants,
http://www.dharmasite.net/KyThuatDiTruyen.htmhttp://verewig.blog-city.com/ethical_questions_about_genetic_engineering.htmhttp://verewig.blog-city.com/ethical_questions_about_genetic_engineering.htmhttp://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/GEBuddhism.htmlhttp://www.dharmasite.net/KyThuatDiTruyen.htmhttp://verewig.blog-city.com/ethical_questions_about_genetic_engineering.htmhttp://verewig.blog-city.com/ethical_questions_about_genetic_engineering.htmhttp://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/GEessays/GEBuddhism.html


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animals, insects, bacteria, and virusessome planned, some running amok.Illnesses are very different too. Most of the old diseases are gone or mutatedinto new forms, yet now people are suffering from the onslaught ofgenetically engineered pathogens that were either used in biowarfare, ormistakenly released into the environment, or recombined in toxic form fromoriginally harmless but rapidly mutating engineered organisms. Geneticengineering is so commonplace, you started your own simple experimentswith it in elementary school.

That future is more plausible than you might think. From a Buddhist perspective, we need to analyze how current developments in geneticengineering are providing the causal seeds that will influence the worlds ofthe future. Because genetic engineering has the potential to radicallytransform both nature and human nature, it poses a much greater threat than

other technologies.

According to Buddhist teachings, nature as we experience it is a label for theshared karma of sentient beings on the planet, and human nature is a karmicmixture of thought and emotion that has to be transformed on the path toenlightenment. Since karmaand sufferingwill still be with us in theBrave New World, some have suggested that genetic engineering is not a bigdeal for Buddhists, that the work cut out for us now will, essentially, notchange. But maybe we should take a deeper look.

What, for instance, is the relation of genetic engineering to our potential forenlightenment and its realization? The Buddhist view is that the condition ofour bodies and nervous systems affects our minds and vice versa. That iswhy karmic-based ethics insists on purity of both mind and body as a

prerequisite for spiritual progress. For example, when we meditate, subtlephysiological changes take place in our bodies that resonate with our level ofspiritual progress. The deeper our meditation, the more profound the body-mind transformation. Likewise, from the time of the Buddha, Buddhistshave recognized that certain geographical locations have special natural

energies that enhance progress in meditation and insight.Genetic engineering has the potential for altering both our bodies andenvironments in ways that lessen their ability to support the process of

personal transformation. For instance, when a person takes drugs, the bodilyphysiology becomes altered in a way that makes meditation more difficult;similarly, genetic engineering may impact our bodies in ways as yet


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unknown that will impede our progress on the Path. Even if there is only arelatively small possibility of genetic engineering affecting progress on the

path to enlightenment, it is a serious cause for concern. Because sciencedeals only with the physical realm, no scientific experiment can possiblyassess this kind of risk.

Another key concept, which Buddhism cherishes and science ignores, is thefirst moral precept: the principle of non-harming and respect for all sentientlife and for its potential for enlightenment. (Sentient beings have centralnervous systems, so they are aware of pain. Plants are not consideredsentient.) Important corollaries are the alleviation of suffering and the notionof selfless compassion as a guiding principle in our actions.

Buddhism, then, condemns any instrumental use of human or non-human

sentient life by geneticists, or anyone else. That means Buddhists shouldnttreat sentient beings as objects or tools to be used without regard for theirown wishes or aspirations. Thus, the Buddhist approach to geneticengineering begins with analyzing its effect on life, how it creates oralleviates suffering, and how it aids or cripples the efforts of sentient beingsto realize their potential for enlightenment.

Some geneticists are well intentioned in their desire to use geneticengineering in altruistic ways. For example, in agriculture they are trying toincrease yields and resistance to harmful insects. In the field of medicine

they are trying to develop new genetic cures for cancer and inherited geneticdiseases. Yet many get caught up in their own desires for profit, power, andfame.

Even well-intentioned efforts often look dubious from a Buddhist viewpoint.Animals are transformed genetically in ways that are often cruel, andhumans are being treated as guinea pigs to test genetically engineered food.The basic health of ecosystems and the long-term health of life on the planetare also disregarded.

The second moral precept is the prohibition against stealing. Yet, biotechcorporations and even some universities are stealing our genes, the genes ofindigenous peoples and of native herbs and plants, patenting them, and thencharging for their use. The Buddhist approach is much different. TheBuddha taught that, in interacting with others and with the environment, we


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should emulate the honey bee as it takes pollen from flowers. The advantageis mutual and there is no harm.

Furthermore, Buddhism understands the cosmos as an open system. Incontradistinction, the scientific method usually operates within hypothesizedartificial and closed systems that are assumed to have some meaningful, butincomplete and imperfect, correspondence with the real world. Whatseems to be the case in the laboratory may or may not be valid in the naturalworld. Scientific methodology cannot, because of its inherent limitations,assess the full extent of the possible effects of genetically engineeredalterations on living creatures in a world that is an open system.

From the viewpoint of basic Buddhist morality, specific developments ingenetic engineering are troubling and point to a future riddled with ethical

uncertainty and complexity. Buddhist practitioners first need to know whatis actually going on in the field, before they can do their own karmicanalyses of how they and the world we all live in will be affected in waysthat are important to them and what their appropriate responses might be.The following is a representative sampling of some of the areas of greatestethical concern.

Plants and food continue to be subjects for genetic engineering. The Delta &Pine Land Company received a U.S. patent on a technique that geneticallyalters seed so that it will not germinate if replanted a second time. The seeds

lose their viability unless sprayed with a patented formula, which containsprimarily antibiotics. Monsanto Corporation wants to use this TerminatorTechnology to keep farmers from collecting genetically engineered seed,forcing them to buy it every year.

To avoid dependency on petroleum-based plastics, some scientists in theUnited States, Europe, and Canada have genetically engineered plants that

produce plastic within their stem structures. They claim that it biodegradesin about six months. If the genes escape into the wild, we might find naturalareas littered with the plastic spines of decayed leaves. Aestheticallyrepugnant, the plastic also poses a real danger since it has the potential fordisrupting or killing entire food chains. It can be eaten by invertebrates,which in turn are eaten, and so forth. Dr. John Fagan, Professor of MolecularBiology at the Maharishi University of Management and formerly researchgroup leader at the National Institutes of Health, has warned that the newconstituents used in these plastics are oils that are probably toxic to animals.


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Another distressing idea is to genetically engineer plants with scorpion toxinthat would kill any insects feeding on the plants. The prominent geneticistJoseph Cummins, Professor Emeritus of Genetics at the University ofWestern Ontario, warned that such genes could be horizontally transferred tothe insects themselves, thereby risking the creation of insects whose stingsor bites would inject scorpion toxin into their victims, including us.

Nonetheless, research and field-testing continue.

Many scientists have claimed that the ingestion of genetically engineeredfood is harmless because stomach acids break down the engineeredsubstances. According to research, however, significant portions reach the

bloodstream and also the brain cells. Furthermore, the natural defensemechanisms of the bodys cells are not entirely effective in keeping thegenetically engineered substances out of the cells. Recent experiments show

that genetically engineered organisms can mutate up to thirty times fasterthan normal ones, so they are a serious potential health hazard.

The creation of xenographsgenetically altered animals which oftencontain human genesis one of the more horrendous uses of thistechnology. Often experiments result in horribly deformed animals that haveto undergo terrible suffering. Even when experiments are successful, thescientific model is that of the animal as a factory which efficiently producessome substancemeat, milk, or pharmaceuticalsfor human consumption.

What Buddhists need to pay attention to here are the degrees of negativekarma. The killing of animals for meat violates the precept against killing.Factory farming adds incredible suffering to the lives of animals before theyare killed. The creation of xenographs is an even more fundamental violationof the animals lives. Whether or not the genes inserted to create newanimals are human ones, xenographs are created for human use and patentedfor corporate profit without regard for the suffering of the animals, theirfeelings, thoughts, natural life-patterns, or potential for enlightenment.

Recent examples of this type of genetic engineering include putting humangenes into fish to make them grow faster. PPL Therapeutics, based inEdinburgh, Scotland; the Biotech companies Nextran and Alxion in theUnited States; and others are racing to place human genes into pigs in orderto genetically match them to human individuals. In other words, you can


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have your own personal organ donor pig with your genes implanted. Whenone of your organs gives out, you can use the pigs.

Of course, many would say that it is better to sacrifice the pig so that they ortheir loved ones can live, even though such thoughts and actions are not inaccord with the ideal of the Bodhisattva. Yet, other more humane solutionsare available. For instance, in some Western European nations, everyone isconsidered a potential organ donor unless they specifically file with thegovernment not to be, so there is no shortage of organs for transplant thereand no need for sacrificing genetically engineered pigs.

As more and more human genes are being inserted into non-humanorganisms to create novel forms of life that are genetically partly human,

new ethical questions arise. What percent of human genes does an organismhave to contain before it is considered human? For instance, how manyhuman genes would a green pepper have to contain before you would havequalms about eating it? This is not merely a hypothetical query. The Chineseat Beijing University are now putting human genes into tomatoes and

peppers to make them grow faster. For meat-eaters, the same question couldbe posed about eating pork with human genes. And what about the mice thathave been genetically engineered to produce human sperm?

What about humans, themselves? A few years ago Granada Biosciences of

Texas applied to the European Patent Office for a patent on a so-calledpharm-woman, the idea being to genetically engineer human females sothat their breast milk would contain specialized pharmaceuticals. Work isalso ongoing to use genetic engineering to grow human breasts in thelaboratory. Not only would they be used for breast replacement needed dueto cancer surgery, but could easily foster a vigorous commercial demand bywomen in search of the perfect breasts. Geneticist Jonathan Slack ofEnglands Bath University has recently proposed genetically engineeringheadless humans to be used for body parts. Some prominent geneticists,

such as Lewis Wolpert, Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine atUniversity College London, have supported his idea.

Gene therapy for replacement of defective human genes that areassociated with the risk of contracting diseases involves the intentionalintroduction of new genes into the body in an attempt to modify the geneticstructure of the body. Since genes easily move from one organism to


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another, introduction of a new gene can have unforeseen effects. Genetherapy is also subject to the slippery slope that leads to designer genes.One indication that the slope is becoming more slippery is the experimentaladministration of genetically engineered growth hormone to healthy childrenwho are simply shorter than average but whose parents would like them to

be taller.

When considering the potential of genetic engineering for curing illness, weshould remember that, according to Buddhist teachings, we get sick for oneof two main reasons. Our four elements may become imbalanced, whichmay be roughly interpreted in modern terms as we are run-down and ourresistance to pathogens is low. And sickness or a shortened lifespan may insome instances be karmic retribution for the taking of life. As Buddhists, weshould be especially sensitive to geneticists degradation of what it means to

be a human being. Do we want a cure at any price? We may want to askourselves whether the karma from the harming of life involved in thedevelopment and application of the gene therapy is going to cause us evenheavier karmic problems down the road. Or how are transgenic animal body

parts in our bodies going to affect the human quality of our everydayawareness?

Viruses pose special dangers when they interact with genetically engineeredorganisms. Plant, animal, and human viruses play a major role in theecosystems that comprise the biosphere and are thought to be one of the

primary factors in evolutionary change. Viruses have the ability to enter thegenetic material of their hosts, to break apart, and then to recombine with thegenetic material of the host to create new viruses. Those new viruses theninfect new hosts, transferring new genetic material to the new host. Whenthe host reproduces, genetic change has occurred. We can presume thatordinary viruses, no matter how deadly, if naturally produced, have a role to

play in an ecosystem and are regulated by that ecosystem.

If cells are genetically engineered, then when viruses enter cellswhetherhuman, animal, or plantthis material can also be transferred to the newlycreated viruses and spread to the viruses new hosts. Since viruses withgenetically engineered material could never naturally arise in an ecosystem,there is no guarantee of natural defenses against them. This alone might leadto widespread death of humans, animals, or plants, thereby temporarily or


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even permanently damaging the ecosystem. Widespread die-off of a plantspecies can affect its whole ecosystem, and the possibility of widespreaddie-off of human beings should command our attention.

The notion that ecosystems can ultimately deal with any threat, howeverextreme, is without scientific basis. No evidence exists that the life andwelfare of human beings have priority in those self-organizing systems. Noris there any evidence that anything in those systems is equipped to deal withall the threats that genetically engineered organisms may pose.

Genetic engineering can affect the whole of nature, as well. In Buddhistterms, nature refers to the patterns of causes and conditions that reflect thekarma of sentient beings. In terms of respect for life, which is the foundationof all Buddhist practice, nature can also be understood as the sum total of

ecosystems that support life; it is the essential condition for preserving livingbeings from harm. Humans, animals, and other sentient beings are dependentupon a wholesome environment for a healthy life. Harming that environmentcauses those sentient beings to suffer, and, ultimately, to die prematurely.Harming life energy itself, even on the level of microorganisms, can havedeleterious effects on more complex organisms because of theinterconnectedness of all life.

Furthermore, nature as wilderness provides an effective place for meditation,one where rapid progress can be made. In self-cultivation, harmony with

nature involves the ability to find a place for practice where the naturalenergy is auspicious. Nature acts as a mirror for seeing the deep workings ofour own body-minds. When we are alone in the wilderness, the distinctlyhuman afflictions of others are absent, and so cannot reinforce our ownafflictions. Imagine what would happen if we genetically engineeredourselves so that we could no longer resonate with the natural patterns ofnature. These are not the kinds of concerns that can be laid to rest by anyscientific data.

Biogenetic warfare is the most serious short-term threat of geneticengineering to human life. Because Buddhism is a fundamentally pacifisttradition, it should be gravely concerned with the use of genetic engineeringin warfare as an efficient means for causing widespread suffering and death.International terrorists have already begun seriously considering thedeployment of genetically engineered viruses. This use is almost impossibleto regulate because the same equipment and technology that are used


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commercially can easily be transferred to military application. During thelate 1980s, the former Soviet Union had 60,000 people working on

biowarfare, including genetically engineered pathogens. In one of their morefrightening projects, they attempted to combine smallpox virus with Ebolavirus. No one knows for sure where most of the scientists have gone, or whatthey have taken with them.

In June, 1997, U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen warned aboutcertain types of pathogens that would be ethnic specific so that they couldeliminate certain ethnic groups. Several countries have reportedly already

been genetically engineering viruses that target specific ethnic groups.

Despite the benefits of genetic engineering trumpeted in the mediaprimarily to repair genetic flaws, cure disease, and increase food production

in the overwhelming number of cases, I believe the price is too high topay. To insure megaprofits for multinational corporations well into the nextcentury, we will have to mortgage the biosphere, seriously compromise lifeon the planet, and maybe even harm our potential for enlightenment. Geneticengineering poses serious risks to human health and to the environment. Itraises serious ethical questions about the right of human beings to alter lifeon the planet, both sentient and non-sentient, for the benefit of a few.

What makes genetic engineering special is both its power and itsirreversibility. Its ability to harm human, animal, and plant life is a quantum

leap greater than most other technologies and does not leave room formistakes. Results of flaws in this technology cannot be recalled and fixed,

but become the negative heritage to countless future generations.

If there are some areas of genetic engineering that can safely benefithumanity while respecting other forms of life, then efforts need to beredoubled not only in the area of scientific risk assessment and use of the

precautionary principle, but also in developing broad ethical guidelines.Since the scientific establishment is acknowledging the need for publicinput, there is a window of opportunity for introducing the perspective ofBuddhist ethics to current moral questions about proposed research ingenetic engineering. It is also important for the public to demand scrutinyand regulation of the industrys revolving-door relations with academia andgovernment.


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Can we really have an influence? Even slowing the inexorable progress ofthe current trends will be extremely difficult. Yet there is hope. Fortunately,a vocal minority of well-trained scientists in the field, such as Prof. Stuart

Newman of the Council for Responsible Genetics, Prof. Richard Strohmannof the University of California at Berkeley, Dr. Mae-Wan Ho of OpenUniversity, Drs. Margaret Mellon and Jane Rissler of the Union ofConcerned Scientists, to name just a few, see the dangers of what isoccurring and are brave enough to voice their consciences.

Clearly the key is educating the public about what is happening. We need tohave confidence that ordinary citizens working together can build afoundation of collective wisdom that can show us the way through theincredibly complicated maze of issues surrounding genetic engineering. Canwe make the problems go away? Probably not. But successes are possible:

The Third World Network, under the leadership of Prof. Vandana Shiva, hasmobilized India and other underdeveloped nations to resist multinationalcorporations in search of genetic profit. In Europe, heightened publicawareness of the dangers of genetically engineered foods has recently forcedthe major corporate players to back off from plans for their widespreadintroduction there. Here in the United States, the organic food lobby, theMothers for Natural Law, and others have orchestrated a public educationcampaign about the dangers of such food, so that attempts to includegenetically engineered food as organic under the National Organic StandardsRule have not succeeded.

From a Buddhist perspective, the problems with genetic engineering are nodifferent in principle from most other problems we face in our daily life.They are all the result of afflictionsdesire, anger, ignorance, and so forth.What makes the situation with genetic engineering unique is the differencein the degree of damage it can do to life on the planet and the irreversibilityof its effect on us and on the environment. There is probably not a singleanswer to the question of what Buddhists should do about these problems.Some may decide to work actively with the many groups trying to raise

public awareness and stop the most blatant dangers. Others may prefer towork directly on the mind ground and try to generate the wisdom andcompassion that transforms the minds of all sentient beings towardawakening. Yet others will undoubtedly put their heads in the sand and letthe karma fall where it may.


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http://www.dharmasite.net/KyThuatDiTruyen.htm

(*) Ron Epstein has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley. He is a research professor at the Institute for WorldReligions in Berkeley and a lecturer at San Francisco State University, andhas been a practicing Buddhist for over thirty years. His website, GeneticEngineering and Its Dangers

, provides furtherinformation.

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