(English subtitles) Master Jianyin (鑑因法師) Talk Dharma.
Subtitles:
Someone asked a question: Many dharma master talked on TV, the dead shouldn’t be moved in 8 hours, just help with chanting the buddha right there. But I have a vow that when I die, I want to donate my body to Tzi Chi medical university for teaching purpose for anatomy and experiment. If I die, my family notices Tzi Chi medical university immediately, they will carry me away within 8 hours. What can I do? Is that ok?
Everyone, listen to me carefully. This is a good question. Nowadays, many people join charity foundation. Most of them vow to donate their bodies to charity after their death. I am inquired about this question a lot. In the Buddhist view, we need to give. It’s very good to give your body. There are wealth giving, dharma giving, and fearlessness giving.
2:00
There are wealth offering, dharma offering, and body offering. How do we offer our bodies? For example, we leave home and give our bodies and minds, which is called a great giving. You give a thousand, a million dollars, this is called wealth giving. Lecturing sutras and talking dharma is called dharma giving. You leave home and devote your body and mind to Buddhism is a great giving.
Many people make a vow to give their organs. Some make a vow to give their bodies for anatomy. There are 2 kinds, one is to give the organs to others. Now this person wants to donate his organs to Tzi Chi, perhaps for anatomy teaching, not give organs to the patients. These are 2 different meanings.
People want to give organs, which are still useful after their death. You take it, for example, my eyes are still good. Take out my eyes and put them on the blind, and they can regain their eyesight. This is donating organs. My liver is still useful, and that man’s liver is bad, so cut my liver off for him.
4:00
My kidney is good, and that man’s kidney shrinks, so cut my kidney off for him, this is giving organs. Giving organs is different from giving body. Giving body is that I give you my body for anatomy after my death. Because some patients die of diseases. He have cancer and the body is full of cancer cells. What want your organs? And that can only be used for anatomy. Therefore, there are 2 kinds of purpose. For those who give organs, the fresher the better. A man just died, go get him right away and cut if open. If the organ is bad, it is useless. Must be as fresh as possible. It will be more effective if it’s fresher. If it’s rotten, it has no effect. When our 8th consciousness is gone, the organs will rot. If your 8th consciousness isn’t gone, your body still keeps warm, and organs are not going to rot so quick.
So if you are going to give organs, when you die, they will notice the hospital immediately and hurry to take you away. But the Tzi Chi hospital is far away. Suppose you live in the west, it’s in the east, and it will rot when being carried there. Or, they have to carry it to another nearby hospital. They will cut it off right away when your body reaches there.
But I want to say that it is not quite good for your vow. If you make a vow to donate organs to others, it is better to donate when you are alive rather than dead. Till that time you die, your 8th consciousness hasn’t come out yet. In other word, the soul has not come out.
6:00
The dead is the same as the living except talking or acting but have the remain senses, can hear who is talking. Only can’t utter sounds. You must feel in pain when being cut. You’ll feel upset, angry and in pain. So, if you are really capable, while you are alive, donate your organs to someone who needs them.
I have 2 kidneys. Why do I need that many? I will donate one to others. I have 2 eyes, that’s too many, give one to others. You can donate now, don’t wait till you die. If you donate after your death, maybe because of this reason, you can’t be reborn in Sukhavati. Pain. You won’t feel pain when you are alive. They will inject anesthetic for you and get ready.
After your death, doctors think you’re dead, take the knife and cut you right down and you will be in great pain. To the contrary, it is very painful. So if you want to give organs to others, give them when you are alive, and it’s fresher. So I often say, for those who have this vow, take a needle and prick yourself. See if you feel pain. Those who are great bodhisattvas, come here and manifest as people. They know the body is empty and let you cut as much as possible. I grows out after a while, it doesn’t matter. After the kidney is cut off, it grows out later.
Sakyamuni Buddha met Kalingaraja and was cut into 4 pieces. Asked, are you angry? No, he said. The Diamond Sutra says that his body was cut into 4 pieces. Asked, are you angry? No. He really has the ability to put up with insults.
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