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How would you treat Vampires if you were a Buddhist?

Asked by shrubbery (10326points) September 24th, 2008

One of the requirements of a Buddhist following the Middle-Way/Eightfold Path is not to harm another living/sentient creature.
If you were to assume that they existed, Vampires aren’t exactly living, but they’re not dead, and they are sentient.
If you were a Buddhist would you have to let them suck your blood? After all, you’re not supposed to be attached to anything, would that include being attached to your blood?
Or since they are the undead, would you be just in killing one?
Also, if they’re the undead, are they or are they not part of the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth?
If not, if you were to kill one, would he attain Nirvana, since he is not in the cycle?
Or if yes, does that mean if you kill one he’ll be able to come back as something else? Or since Vampires are beautiful and invincible does that make them higher up than humans, and would they be able to attain Nirvana from there?
Then again, to go up a level in the cycle/caste system, would it be ok for them to go around sucking peoples’ blood? After all, they would only be fulfilling their nature. Or would this be considered ‘bad’, and they would go down a level? Or are they on a lower level anyway if it is ‘bad’?
Any random thoughts?

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