Buddhism and Organ donation

[hope rainbow]

We can donate organs while still alive also, thus without harming the donor.
There are many examples of organ donation among family members.
The most common organ donated is the kidney.
Parts of other organs that a living donor can give are liver, lung, and on some cases pancreas and intestine.
Tissue donations include bone marrow and blood cells.
And also, there is blood donation that one can do regularly throughout his life.
So we don't have to leave this for after death, we can exercise this practice of generosity now already.
Are you donating your blood regularly?

[buddhalovely]

There are no injunctions in Buddhism for or against organ donation. The death process of an individual is viewed as a very important time that should be treated with the greatest care and respect. In some traditions, the moment of death is defined according to criteria which differ from those of modern Western medicine, and there are differing views as to the acceptability of organ transplantation. The needs and wishes of the dying person must not be compromised by the wish to save a life. Each decision will depend on individual circumstances.

[brian]

Well then again, i feel the donor would have been well prepared to have his/her organs taken off even during the time he/she is in conscious mind. If you have already signed up to donate your organs out after the time of your death, then you should not be bothered anymore of your body's well being.

The very fact that when oneself would lose senses over his/her body at the time of death, i wonder will the person still be feeling any pain? I would also wonder whether will he or she be able to know what is happening to his/her body?

[Klein]

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?

To my understanding, we do not collect the karma indirectly. For example, if we raise our children and they become a serial killer when they grow up. Do we collect the karma indirectly? The answer is no because we did not plot with them to kill.

In other words, we are responsible for our own actions and motivation. If our motivation is to help others unconditionally, then we will not only gain good karma, we will also gain merits. Therefore, our motivation is the key.

[diablo1974]

I was told that when a person passes away, its needed hours for the conscious to leave the body...So if the consciousness is still residing in the body, it was not a good time to touch the body...this is one reason some buddhists disapprove organ donation unless the consciousness leave one's body.   

There are nothing against organ donation in Buddhism, instead i believe we encourages it if we are able to do this.  I've not experience death yet but am wondering if anyone who have just passed away and need to be operated on immediately, how would the process like between the consciousness and the physical body?

[brian]

I was told that when a person passes away, its needed hours for the conscious to leave the body...So if the consciousness is still residing in the body, it was not a good time to touch the body...this is one reason some buddhists disapprove organ donation unless the consciousness leave one's body.   

There are nothing against organ donation in Buddhism, instead i believe we encourages it if we are able to do this.  I've not experience death yet but am wondering if anyone who have just passed away and need to be operated on immediately, how would the process like between the consciousness and the physical body?

Maybe the doctors/surgeons should give pain killers then... LOL