人類本身的情形呢？幾年前美國德州Granada Biosciences向歐洲專利局申請了一項專利––「藥劑女人」，就是用基因工程來培養女性，這樣她們的乳液種含有特定的藥品。在實驗室中生長人乳房的工作正在進展中，它們既可用來做癌症手術後的替代物，也可輕易地活躍在一個尋求「完美」乳房的廣大婦女市場。英格蘭Bath大學的基因學家Jonathan Slack最近建議培養無頭人，來為人類提供器官。一些傑出的基因學家，比如University College London的應用生物醫學的教授Lewis WolPert也支持這一觀點。
替換人類「缺陷」基因的治療，具有引起收縮性疾病的危險，這類病是由於故意改變人體基因而產生的。由於可以很容易地將基因從一個機體轉移到另一個機體，而植入一個新基因，可以產生無法預料的效果。此外，通向「預設的基因」時，我們會遇到滑坡。當用實驗培養的基因工程生長激素給健康但個子較矮的孩子，只因為他們的父母要他們高一點時，其問題更加顯著。
談到基因工程的治病潛力，我們應該記住佛教的開示，病有兩個主要原因。我們的四大可能會不調，用現代的話講，就是身體衰弱，免疫力降低。疾病和短命有時是殺生的果報。佛教徒要特別關注基因學家的墮落，其對人類的影響。我們是否要不計任何代價的治療？我們要問一下，用基因療法殺生所產生的業，會使我們造更嚴重的業。我們身體中用了移植基因的動物器官後，會如何影響我們日常的覺性？
病毒與基因工程的機體相互作用之後，會產生特別的危險。動植物和人的病毒在生態系統中扮演著主要角色。這些系統組成生物圈，有人視之為進化的一個主要因素。病毒能夠進入機體，將它分解，將基因重組以產生新病毒。這些新病毒接著會感染新機體，並將新基因傳過去，再產生的病毒中，基因就發生了變化。可以假設無論多毒的普通病毒，無論有多大的毒性，如果是自然形成的，在生態系統中都會扮演一些角色，並受其制約。
當病毒進入基因工程的細胞後，無論是人還是動植物的，它們都會轉化出新的病毒，並再傳播到新興的機體上。因為這些基因工程機體上的病毒，無法自然地從生態系統中產生，無法保證對其有自然的防禦能力。單這一個問題，就可能使人類及動植物大面積地傳播而造成死亡，暫時或永久地損壞了整個生態系統。一種植物的大面積傳播地死亡可能會影響整個生態系統，而人類大面積傳播地死亡的可能性，應該引起我們的重視。
以為生態系統終究可以應付任何威脅的觀念，是沒有科學根據的，也沒有證據表明，人類的生命福利在這些自洽組織的系統中占著優先的地位，也沒有證據表明，這些系統中有任何東西，能夠應付基因工程機體所帶來的所有威脅。
基因工程會影響整個自然界。佛教徒說的「自然」是只因果的模式，它是這一星球上眾生業力的表現。從生命的角度看，它是佛教一切修行的基礎，自然也可看成是維持生命的一切生態系統的總和。它是使眾生免受傷害的關鍵條件。人類、動物，及其他眾生的健康生活都依靠於一個良好的環境。對這個環境的損害，會使眾生痛苦，最終使它們夭折。即使在微生物的層次對生命能源的傷害，也會對更複雜的機體上產生毒害，因為一切生命都是相互關連著的。
待續
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What about humans, themselves? A few years ago Granada Bio- sciences of Texas applied to the European Patent Office for a patent on a so-called "pharm-woman," the idea being to genetically engineer human females so that their breast milk would contain specialized pharmaceuticals. Work is also ongoing to use genetic engineering to grow human breasts in the laboratory. Not only would they be used for breast replacement needed due to cancer surgery, but could easily foster a vigorous commercial demand by women in search of the "perfect" breasts. Geneticist Jonathan Slack of England's Bath University has recently proposed genetically engineering headless humans to be used for body parts. Some prominent geneticists, such as Lewis Wolpert, Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine at University College London, have supported his idea.
Gene therapy for replacement of 'defective' human genes that are associated with the risk of contracting diseases involves the intentional introduction of new genes into the body in an attempt to modify the genetic structure of the body. Since genes easily move from one organism to another, introduction of a new gene can have unforeseen effects. Gene therapy is also subject to the slippery slope that leads to 'designer genes.' One indication that the slope is becoming more slippery is the experimental administration of genetically engineered growth hormone to healthy children who are simply shorter than average but whose parents would like them to be taller.
When considering the potential of genetic engineering for curing illness, we should remember that, according to Buddhist teachings, we get sick for one of two main reasons. Our 'four elements' may become imbalanced, which may be roughly interpreted in modern terms as 'we are run-down and our resistance to pathogens is low.' And sickness or a shortened lifespan may in some instances be karmic retribution for the taking of life. As Buddhists, we should 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 ask ourselves whether the karma from the harming of life involved in the development and application of the gene therapy is going to cause us even heavier karmic problems down the road. Or how are transgenic animal body parts in our bodies going to affect the human quality of our everyday awareness?
Viruses pose special dangers when they interact with genetically engineered organisms. Plant, animal, and human viruses play a major role in the ecosystems that comprise the biosphere and are thought to be one of the primary factors in evolutionary change. Viruses have the ability to enter the genetic material of their hosts, to break apart, and then to recombine with the genetic material of the host to create new viruses. Those new viruses then infect new hosts, transferring new genetic material to the new host. When the host reproduces, genetic change has occurred. We can presume that ordinary 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 cells—whether human, animal, or plant—this material can also be transferred to the newly created viruses and spread to the viruses' new hosts. Since viruses with genetically engineered material could never naturally arise in an ecosystem, there is no guarantee of natural defenses against them. This alone might lead to widespread death of humans, animals, or plants, thereby temporarily or even permanently damaging the ecosystem. Widespread die-off of a plant species can affect its whole ecosystem, and the possibility of widespread die-off of human beings should command our attention.
The notion that ecosystems can ultimately deal with any threat, however extreme, is without scientific basis. No evidence exists that the life and welfare of human beings have priority in those self-organizing systems. Nor is there any evidence that anything in those systems is equipped to deal with all the threats that genetically engineered organisms may pose.
Genetic engineering can affect the whole of nature, as well. In Buddhist terms, 'nature' refers to the patterns of causes and conditions that reflect the karma of sentient beings. In terms of respect for life, which is the foundation of all Buddhist practice, nature can also be understood as the sum total of ecosystems that support life; it is the essential condition for preserving living beings from harm. Humans, animals, and other sentient beings are dependent upon a wholesome environment for a healthy life. Harming that environment causes those sentient beings to suffer, and, ultimately, to die prematurely. Harming life energy itself, even on the level of microorganisms, can have deleterious effects on more complex organisms because of the interconnectedness of all life.
To be continued
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