Buddhism and Organ donation

[Jessie Fong]

Would you allow your body to be harvested for organs to be transplanted to save lives?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/buddhistethics/organdonation.shtml

Buddhism and organ donation

There are no rules in Buddhism for or against organ donation, but central to Buddhism is a wish to relieve suffering.

There may also be occasions when organ donation may be seen as an act of charity.

In Buddhism the decision for or against organ donation relies very much on an individual's decision. People may decide for or against it, without one choice being seen as right, and the other wrong.

The needs and wishes of a potential donor should not be compromised by the wish to save a life.

The death process of an individual is viewed as very important, and a body should be treated with respect. However, there are no beliefs that say the body should be preserved in its entirety, so removing organs is not an issue from this point of view.

A dead body, however, should only be disturbed for appropriate reasons, and with special care.

It is also important to consider the consciousness of the dead person, and whether this might be adversely affected by organ donation, as the surgery takes place immediately after the donor takes their last breath.

Some Buddhists, including those who are followers of Tibetan Buddhism, believe the consciousness may stay in the body for some time after the breath has stopped.

Until the consciousness leaves the body it is important the body remains undisturbed, so Tibetan Buddhists may have some concerns that an operation so soon after death may damage their consciousness and cause harm to their future lives.

But others may decide this final act of generosity can only have positive ramifications.

[RedLantern]

There are no rules in Buddhism for or against organ donation but central to Buddhism is a wish to relieve sufferings.There may also be occasion when organ donation relies very much as an act of charity.
Organ donation relies very much on an individual decision.Those people who donate their bodies and organs
to the advancement of science and saving lives are honourable.
This final act of generosity can only have positive ramification. "giving is the greatest of Buddhist virtues,he Buddha in a previous life gave his body to a starving tigress who could 'nt feed her cubs.There are many such Jataka tales some in which he gave his eyes to someone who wanted them.

[dondrup]

It is really the donor’s choice.  Donors must be aware of the effect on their mind during the removal of the organs from their bodies.  Any disturbance to their bodies upon death affects the next rebirth.  Highly attained Buddhist Masters are able to control their mind upon death and determine their next rebirth. However, ordinary persons are not able to do so.  Any disturbance to their bodies may jeopardize their taking a smooth and good rebirth.

[DS Star]

I remembered asking a similar question to a visiting Tibetan Rinpoche.

He paused for a while before answer... he said, in Buddhism, especially in Tibetan tradition, we are not encourage to touch the body of the deceased person except his head area because we don't want to disturb the mind  of that person until his consciousness has left the body and the body becomes cold.

If we signed up to pledge for organ donation must be remove immediately after the person is declared as clinically death. Otherwise the organ is 'dead' and cannot be used for organ transplant to help save lives. And the process of harvesting the organs require major operation thus may have disturb the mind of the deceased.

However, he said, if our action to donate organ arises from a pure motivation to help others, due to our compassion, even if we are disturbed while doctors harvesting our organ, our minds will be able to endure and will not suffer much. Our compassionate act will help us to go for a good rebirth.

[AnneQ]

I remembered asking a similar question to a visiting Tibetan Rinpoche.

He paused for a while before answer... he said, in Buddhism, especially in Tibetan tradition, we are not encourage to touch the body of the deceased person except his head area because we don't want to disturb the mind  of that person until his consciousness has left the body and the body becomes cold.

If we signed up to pledge for organ donation must be remove immediately after the person is declared as clinically death. Otherwise the organ is 'dead' and cannot be used for organ transplant to help save lives. And the process of harvesting the organs require major operation thus may have disturb the mind of the deceased.

However, he said, if our action to donate organ arises from a pure motivation to help others, due to our compassion, even if we are disturbed while doctors harvesting our organ, our minds will be able to endure and will not suffer much. Our compassionate act will help us to go for a good rebirth.

Yes I agree with the last statement. Personally for me, I am all for donating my organs even though I know that by doing so, it may affect rebirth. However I look at it this way, there are no guarantees that rebirth will even take place as I am only an ordinary person but I believe that the decision to donate my organs even at the risk of disturbing rebirth is an act of compassion alone. So I hope that by doing so, I can somehow "save" myself from from whatever bad karma I carry on to my next life.

[fruven]

I remembered asking a similar question to a visiting Tibetan Rinpoche.

He paused for a while before answer... he said, in Buddhism, especially in Tibetan tradition, we are not encourage to touch the body of the deceased person except his head area because we don't want to disturb the mind  of that person until his consciousness has left the body and the body becomes cold.

If we signed up to pledge for organ donation must be remove immediately after the person is declared as clinically death. Otherwise the organ is 'dead' and cannot be used for organ transplant to help save lives. And the process of harvesting the organs require major operation thus may have disturb the mind of the deceased.

However, he said, if our action to donate organ arises from a pure motivation to help others, due to our compassion, even if we are disturbed while doctors harvesting our organ, our minds will be able to endure and will not suffer much. Our compassionate act will help us to go for a good rebirth.

Yes I agree with the last statement. Personally for me, I am all for donating my organs even though I know that by doing so, it may affect rebirth. However I look at it this way, there are no guarantees that rebirth will even take place as I am only an ordinary person but I believe that the decision to donate my organs even at the risk of disturbing rebirth is an act of compassion alone. So I hope that by doing so, I can somehow "save" myself from from whatever bad karma I carry on to my next life.

This is a very good way of looking at it.

In Tibetan study of the death process the mind is said to reside in the body and experience many small death process up to 49 days before it leaves the body. High level Buddhist monks have control over when they leave the body when the death process starts. However for majority of the people we don't have control over our mind to leave the body thus it is said the body must not be touched more so being operated on otherwise the mind very easily disturbed move to a bad migration.

[WisdomBeing]

I signed up at Uni before i knew anything about Buddhism but i would still sign up today if i had the chance. This is because i ardently believe that when I die, I would like to use my body to help others. After all, it's useless to me!

Please sign up... in the UK, you can sign up online here https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/how_to_become_a_donor/registration/consent.asp and i am sure other countries have their own registries.

Remember to tell your folks that you have signed up as a donor so that they know what to do. Imagine how many people you could help with your one body - you can gift your corneas, your heart, your liver, your kidneys, your skin even!

Since i came to know Buddhism, some of my Buddhist friends say i should rescind my organ donation offer because the body should not be touched after death so that i can transit out safely. My response was, what kind of buddhist am i if i think about myself instead of the several people i could help! If i go to the three lower realms cos my body was cut up as soon as i stop breathing, then so be it.
 

[bambi]

I agree with what you have said WB. In the first place, this body we have is just temporary and a shell. After we die, there is no use for it. Isnt it wonderful? Even when dead, we are still thinking of how to benefit others in any ways we can. Anyway, as mentioned, it is really up to donor to decide. If we are really worried about where we go if we donate our organs and our body disturbed, perhaps we can also arrange for the Sanghas to chant prayers for us.

[apprenticehealer]

Years ago, before i became a Tibetan Buddhist,  i have signed up to donate all my organs upon death. I carry with me at all times, a card that shows i am an organ donor, and i have also left instructions to my family that upon my death, to immediately call the hospital to come and collect my body. Time is a crucial issue here, as the body begins the decomposition process, and if the organs are not harvested in time, then all will be wasted.
Our bodies are only temporary, and 'on loan' to us. As said by AnneQ, ' there are no guarantees that rebirth will even take place'. If any part of my body can be used to help and save another, then i don't see why not. Otherwise, my entire body will either be cremated and the ashes thrown to the wind, or buried to feed the worms.
If this is the least i can do for someone else, then i will die happy knowing that i benefited one person.

[Q]

Well... If you can have a sky burial... which the purpose is a final act of giving (bya gtor), as your body would be fed to the birds... I don't see how organ donation can ever be against Buddhism or even have an issue for Buddhists. After all, is it not more meritorious for us to donate an organ that will keep a human being alive compared to being food for birds?

But it does make me wonder what happens if the person we donate our organs to... use his life to do horrible things... do we collect the karma too indirectly?

[pgdharma]

I feel this is a very personal decision  because each person has different concerns and capabilities. Someone who feels that his or her mind or meditation practice may be weak at death may prefer to not give their organs in order to avoid possible harm to their future lives. Others who have a strong meditation practice may not be concerned with this. Those with strong compassion may be willing to risk possible danger to themselves in order to benefit others. Each of us must look inside honestly and choose what we consider best according to our capabilities and level of practice.

However,  I chose to be a organ donor, a decision made long before I knew about Buddhism. Yes it is said that our body cannot be touched or disturbed as it will affect our next rebirth but being a lay person I do not think I have much control of what my next rebirth will be.  I feel that to donate organs is a powerful act of compassion which may help me take a good rebirth as giving one's body for the good of others is seen as a virtue act.

[Tenzin K]

If being a Buddhist practitioner is to benefit others, this is very matching with the action to donate our organ to save more lives and more people will be benefited.  Personally after we die our body is just an empty vessel. No point keeping the body for selfish reason. I do feel bless if after I died my organ could be used by others to relief their suffering. At least after I died I still make good use of what remain to benefit others.

[yontenjamyang]

In Buddhism the act of organ donation can be considered a final act of charity. It is a very virtuous act and will no doubt collect vast amount of merits as the dead person literally cannot have any more selfishness because he is already dead. If the deceased pledge the organs well before death I think it is more virtuous then if the family decided to donate the organs to others because the intention for the charity in the former is by the donor but for the latter it is by loved ones. Anyhow, both are very virtuous. If the merits generated cannot help the deceased in the next life, it will definitely help the deceased in subsequent lives.

If is said that to save 1 live is more virtuous than building a stupa. So the benefit of saving lives via organ donations if tremendously vast.

Hence, I think we need not worry about the timing of the consciousness leaving the body. The karma for the next rebirth is almost upon the deceased. Donating the organs will definitely be of tremendous help in the longer term.

Lastly, I encourage everyone to pledge your organs to be donated when one passes on and live a healthy life so that the organs can be of use. Haha.

[kris]

I like the reply from a Rinpoche as written by DS Star. It totally make sense to me I have signed up for organ donations quite a few years back even before I become a Buddhist, and I am glad this has no conflict with Buddhism at all. After all, Buddhism is about compassion and serving others, and if our body can serve others are it is "not functioning", why not use it to benefit others?

On top of organ donation, there is currently a hot topic about donating the entire body to medical school where the students can use the body for study and practice.

To me,, I felt the second option of donating the entire body to medical school has even more meaningful, because the body is used by the medical students, who in turn will help many others.

[brian]

I remembered asking a similar question to a visiting Tibetan Rinpoche.

He paused for a while before answer... he said, in Buddhism, especially in Tibetan tradition, we are not encourage to touch the body of the deceased person except his head area because we don't want to disturb the mind  of that person until his consciousness has left the body and the body becomes cold.

If we signed up to pledge for organ donation must be remove immediately after the person is declared as clinically death. Otherwise the organ is 'dead' and cannot be used for organ transplant to help save lives. And the process of harvesting the organs require major operation thus may have disturb the mind of the deceased.

However, he said, if our action to donate organ arises from a pure motivation to help others, due to our compassion, even if we are disturbed while doctors harvesting our organ, our minds will be able to endure and will not suffer much. Our compassionate act will help us to go for a good rebirth.

Yes I agree with the last statement. Personally for me, I am all for donating my organs even though I know that by doing so, it may affect rebirth. However I look at it this way, there are no guarantees that rebirth will even take place as I am only an ordinary person but I believe that the decision to donate my organs even at the risk of disturbing rebirth is an act of compassion alone. So I hope that by doing so, I can somehow "save" myself from from whatever bad karma I carry on to my next life.

Well said, I signed up for organ donation too recently and did not thought about the fact that the mind will still be conscious in the dead person's body during the organ removal process and may well affect the mind eventually affecting his/her rebirth. But I agree with this sttatement that even if it will affect the mind and the rebirth, the merits collected would be enough to pull thru.

I have heard of mahasidas in the past that would request their bodies be cut into pieces to feed vultures and other hungry animals so that these hungry meating eating animals would not prey onto another animal at least for a meal.. One would imagine how the mahasiddha would feel when his fleshes and bones are torn apart? This is really a selfless act for me.