درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: This study examines the widespread claim that Theravāda and Tibetan Buddhist traditions contain sufficient textual ambiguity to allow a “middle-way, pro-choice” position, particularly during early pregnancy. Its primary objective is to determine whether such ambiguity genuinely exists within the orthodox sources of either school and whether a coherent doctrinal basis can be found for reconciling elective abortion with the first precept. METHOD & FINDING: This study adopts a qualitative, document-based, historical-analytical method. It analyzes primary Buddhist sources—including the Pāli Canon, Vinaya, Buddhaghosa's commentaries, the Abhidhamma, Tibetan bardo literature, and Lamrim texts—together with relevant statements by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and Ganden Tri Rinpoche. The findings suggest that both traditions generally locate the beginning of consciousness (vijñāna / rnam-shes) and moral personhood at conception, and therefore tend to regard induced abortion as intentional killing, except in cases involving serious and immediate danger to the mother's life. Some contemporary moderate pro-choice readings, however, are based on biological and conceptual assumptions that diverge from canonical formulations. CONCLUSION: The evidence indicates that neither Theravāda nor Tibetan Buddhism provides a doctrinally defensible basis for elective abortion. The orthodox consensus of these traditions—contrary to the assumption of rigidity—offers what is understood as the most compassionate and karmically beneficial response through adoption, social support, and education, thereby constituting the authentic Buddhist middle way.

The Qur’an, an educational book with multilayered narratives, has strongly influenced dramatic arts in Iran since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. However, most contemporary Qur’anic plays focus narrowly on specific subjects, thereby diverging from comprehensive Qur’anic themes. This narrow focus has confined the works to repetitive and stereotypical surface-level topics. In the present study, the two plays Parizad of the City of the Forgotten and Four Chests are selected to identify, extract, and analyze the components of Qur’anic plays and the reflection of Qur’anic themes in dramatic works, aiming to provide a comprehensive definition of Qur’anic drama. The main research question is: ‘What characteristics cause contemporary plays to be classified as Qur’anic artistic works?’ The research method is descriptive–analytical. By rigorously examining the selected plays' content for Qur’anic components, this study establishes that the authenticity of Qur’anic narratives lies in their thematic substance, which, when preserved, can be successfully adapted into various contemporary dramatic forms with diverse subjects and modes of expression. Therefore, it can be asserted that there is no essential functional or message-based distinction between religious and non-religious plays, highlighting the universal adaptability and relevance of Qur’anic themes within modern dramaturgy