Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Organ donation

  1. #1
    Join Date
    August 2013
    Location
    Entre Rios, Argentina
    Age
    39
    Posts
    109
    Rep Power
    163

    Organ donation

    Hello, I have a question regarding organ donation from hindu metaphysics perspective.
    If I die being organ donor, then part of my gross body will keep on living in another person's body.
    The question is: Will my subtle body remain attached to the transplanted person's gross body?
    I mean, part of my gross body didn't die and is living now in another body.
    Will there still be conection between the living transplanted organ and the deceased donor's subtle body?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    November 2010
    Posts
    1,278
    Rep Power
    1651

    Re: Organ donation

    Hi,

    Nice question.

    Few things from Hindu metaphysics perspective.

    Consciousness can only be predicated of the self (jiva/purusha). Prakriti (body) is considered insentient. So, it neither "lives" nor does it "die" nor does it "feel". It constantly keeps changing and that is the essense of prakriti.

    (Nyaya/Vaiseshikha have a slightly different metaphysics but roughly the broad principles are the same.)

    Consciousness is unchanging/indestructible.

    So, what we refer to as "death" is a "detachment" between the self and its prakritic body. This "detachment" need not only be physical such as during organ donation.

    The existence of "subtle" body is posited for two reasons in Hindu metaphysics:

    (1)How does Purusha interact with prakriti? They are so different from each other. The subtle body is posited to act as this interface. It is a complex object that helps it in this bidirectional relationship.

    (2)What is the subtle body composed of? It is composed of subtle elements that help establish an identity between the subtle body and gross body.

    Actions, impressions and karma shape the subtle body so that it can obtain an appropriate gross body for further fruition of karma in the next incarnation.

    It helps me to think of the subtle body as a malleable and flexible jigsaw puzzle piece that can earn merit (get good shapes) or demerit (get bad shapes). Karma/reincarnation ensures that a good jigsaw piece becomes a part of a good larger jigsaw puzzle (gross body) while a bad jigsaw piece becomes part of a bad jigsaw puzzle.

    The above skips over multiple other interesting issues but should be of help.

    You may also be interested in the Ship of Theseus problem in philosophy.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    August 2013
    Location
    Entre Rios, Argentina
    Age
    39
    Posts
    109
    Rep Power
    163

    Re: Organ donation

    Hello, wundermonk.

    Quote Originally Posted by wundermonk View Post
    Prakriti (body) is considered insentient. So, it neither "lives" nor does it "die" nor does it "feel".
    You're right, I used the wrong word, let's say "keeps on functioning".
    To be more specific with my question...
    If I die (my heart stops), but my liver is transplanted to another person and it keeps on functioning well, does my subtle body still attach to this liver that was part of my gross body?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    November 2010
    Posts
    1,278
    Rep Power
    1651

    Re: Organ donation

    Hi,

    The problem with being able to answer this question is, it is not clear in our living life what it means to die and what happens when we die.

    So, we have to rely on scripture/philosophical speculation.

    Scripturally, there are instances (Yogavasishta) when a person (and therefore one subtle body) simultaneously assumes different human forms to experience karma quicker.

    The Brahmasutras mention that it would be possible to "distribute" a stack of karma to other people.

    I do not have these verses handy at the moment. But they are there.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    December 2013
    Location
    Anāhata
    Age
    49
    Posts
    394
    Rep Power
    1771

    Re: Organ donation

    Namaste ji,

    I am also interested in hearing more about what scripture might say on this.

    there is enough anecdotal correlation between transplant recipients reporting changes in personality that appear to match the likes/dislikes etc of the person from whom the organ came that it has spurred many scientific studies and much speculation - all of which has still ended in a giant question mark as there is no convincing proof of "Cellular Memory Syndrome" in a strictly objective and controlled sense at this time. That said, I have a niece who had a bone marrow transplant and our whole family can attest to changes in her that seem to be more than simply the trauma from the illness and treatment. But again, this is anecdote and speculation.

    While it's true that the "personality" of a material being is not the same as the purusha of that material body, if the hypothesized "Cellular Memory" syndrome is indeed true, might there be some lingering connection between the purusha of the organ's original body and the material form and purusha of the recipient? Is this at all possible or even probable?

    Not that it would stop me from donating. I would rather help another even with my dying breath, if it were needed. But it is a very interesting question with some even more interesting implications.

    ~Pranam
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

  6. #6
    Join Date
    September 2006
    Age
    71
    Posts
    7,705
    Rep Power
    223

    Re: Organ donation

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~
    namasté
    Quote Originally Posted by wundermonk View Post
    Hi,

    The problem with being able to answer this question is, it is not clear in our living life what it means to die and what happens when we die.

    So, we have to rely on scripture/philosophical speculation.

    Scripturally, there are instances (Yogavasishta) when a person (and therefore one subtle body) simultaneously assumes different human forms to experience karma quicker.

    The Brahmasutras mention that it would be possible to "distribute" a stack of karma to other people.

    I do not have these verses handy at the moment. But they are there.
    I will assume you are taking about the brahmasūtra's 3rd chapter, (sādhana adhyāya) 2 pada in particular. If you would be so kind as to point out the sūtra-s that infers this idea, in whole or in part, I'd appreciate it.

    iti śivaṁ
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  7. #7
    Join Date
    November 2010
    Posts
    1,278
    Rep Power
    1651

    Re: Organ donation

    I managed to track down the specific Samkhya Karika sutra that deals with the discussion of "subtle body". It is aphorism 40.

    The discussion on this (source Samkhya Karika, Sri Ramakrishna Math publication) is:

    "Produced primordially,..., at the beginning of creation by the Pradhana, the subtle body was evolved one for each Purusha."

    This should answer the OP's question that the subtle body has a one-to-one relationship with the purusha.

    So, organ donation does not lead to the original purusha's subtle body being attached to the recipient under normal circumstances (see below)

    However, as mentioned earlier, the Yogavasishta and the Brahmasutras talk of the advanced Yogi being able to exhaust remaining karma by simultaneously assuming different multiple bodies.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    November 2010
    Posts
    1,278
    Rep Power
    1651

    Re: Organ donation

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    If you would be so kind as to point out the sūtra-s that infers this idea, in whole or in part, I'd appreciate it.
    Hi yajvan,

    I did some digging around. The references are

    BS 3:3:27-31.

    BS 4:1:17

    Best.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Women and any caste priests at Pandaripur
    By Viraja in forum On Dharma
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 22 July 2014, 08:07 AM
  2. All About Mahesvara Name
    By shian in forum Shaiva
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 28 December 2011, 03:45 AM
  3. Organ Donation
    By Arjuni in forum On Dharma
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 04 September 2011, 08:01 PM
  4. Donation for priest - how to present it?
    By ScottMalaysia in forum New to Sanatana Dharma
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 08 March 2010, 11:38 PM
  5. moral dilemmas ... hundi donation
    By Eastern Mind in forum New to Sanatana Dharma
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 23 October 2009, 12:52 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •