In Buddhist ethical thought, abortion is considered a serious act because it entails the intentional ending of a sentient life. This view begins with the understanding that life starts at conception, when consciousness (viññāṇa) enters the womb. From that moment, the embryo is regarded as a full human being, not a potential one. But does the age or stage of the foetus affect the moral seriousness of abortion?
Peter Harvey explores this question in his analysis of Buddhist texts and commentaries. He notes that while all abortions are serious, there are grounds for evaluating them as more or less grave depending on various factors — including the foetus’s stage of development, the methods used, and the mental states of those involved .
For example, aborting a five-month-old foetus using induced contractions is considered more forceful and violent than aborting a two-month-old foetus by scraping out the uterus. The means used and the knowledge of their severity increase the karmic weight for both the abortionist and the mother .
Moreover, as a pregnancy progresses, a woman tends to develop a closer emotional connection with the foetus. Thus, choosing to abort later may involve a more intense — and possibly unwholesome — intention, increasing karmic consequences. Dr. Pinit Ratanakul, writing on Thai Buddhist perspectives, affirms that the karmic results depend on the intensity of intention and the stage of development, both of which reflect the potential of the foetus being destroyed .
Nevertheless, some scholars, like McDermott and Damien Keown, argue that the age of the foetus is not ultimately decisive in Buddhist thought. A two-month-old and a five-month-old foetus are equally considered sentient beings. Keown maintains that the moral gravity lies in the intentional act of killing itself — and that killing a human being, regardless of age or size, is intrinsically wrong .
That said, Buddhist ethics do allow for degrees of wrongness. Just as murder in legal systems varies in severity based on circumstances and motive, so too does abortion. For example, killing an enlightened being (an arahant) is considered far more serious than killing an ordinary person. Thus, the framework of graded moral responsibility allows for nuanced judgment — without minimizing the basic ethical breach involved in any abortion .
In conclusion, Buddhism teaches that abortion is ethically serious at any stage, as it interrupts a rare and precious opportunity for human rebirth. However, the age of the foetus can influence the karmic weight of the act, based on factors such as method used, emotional involvement, and the strength of intention. Buddhist ethics thus combines absolute respect for life with nuanced attention to context.