Hare Krishna,
Does donating organ post death hamper the souls journey after death? In such cases does the soul remain attached to the material body and hence does not proceed to the spiritual realm?
Regards,
Karishma
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies
Dear Mataji,
Hare Krishna !
I completely respect your concern for Krishna conscious devotees. The arguments that you have raised are quite logical & practical.
In the earlier part of this discussion, I had inserted a link informing devotees about GBC's position regarding this issue. In case of any ethical dilemma, it is better to consult an enlightened person. Hence, let us relinquish our personal opinions and submit to what a higher body says regarding this.
GBC has mentioned in their last para that :
"We should be willing to give anything to a devotee to extend their life, and in this way the giver and receiver engage in an exchange that is of transcendental benefit to them both. However, while this seemingly supports the act of receiving an organ from a random donor, as it would be charity in the mode of goodness for the purpose of propagating Krishna consciousness, it raises the question of the degree of karmic exchange involved. Devotees therefore remain selective in receiving as well as giving."
Thus, GBC does not even support donation of organs to devotees since it involves charity in the mode of goodness, which causes karmic reactions. Here, charity in the mode of goodness includes donation of organs to the devotees for the sake of propagating Krishna consciousness.
JAYA SRILA PRABHUPADA
JAI ACHRYAJAN
JAI VAISHNAVAJAN
HARI BOL
JAI NITAI GAURAHARI
In this age of Kali, observing all sanskaras is very tough. Already Muslims, christians who also are embodied souls do not observe them. The only yajna prescribed for this age is Sankirtan yajna or Harinama Sankirtan.
Bg 3.14
TEXT 14
TEXT
AàaÙviNTa >aUTaaiNa PaJaRNYaadàSaM>av" )
YajaÙviTa PaJaRNYaae Yaj" k-MaRSaMauÙv" )) 14 ))
annäd bhavanti bhütäni
parjanyäd anna-sambhavaù
yajïäd bhavati parjanyo
yajïaù karma-samudbhavaù
Audio
SYNONYMS
annät—from grains; bhavanti—grow; bhütäni—the material bodies; parjanyät—from rains; anna—food grains; sambhavaù—are made possible; yajïät—from the performance of sacrifice; bhavati—becomes possible; parjanyaù—rains; yajïaù—performance of yajïa; karma—prescribed duties; samudbhavaù—born of.
TRANSLATION
All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajïa [sacrifice], and yajïa is born of prescribed duties.
PURPORT
Çréla Baladeva Vidyäbhüñaëa, a great commentator on the Bhagavad-gétä, writes as follows: ye indrädy-aìga-tayävasthitaà yajïaà sarveçvaraà viñëum abhyarccya taccheñam açnanti tena taddeha-yänträà sampädayanti te santaù sarveçvarasya bhaktäù sarva-kilviñair anädi-käla-vivåddhair ätmänubhava-pratibandhakair nikhilaiù päpair vimucyante. The Supreme Lord, who is known as the yajïa-puruñaù, or the personal beneficiary of all sacrifices, is the master of all demigods who serve Him as the different limbs of the body serve the whole. Demigods like Indra, Candra, Varuëa, etc., are appointed officers who manage material affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to satisfy these demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light and water sufficiently to produce food grains. When Lord Kåñëa is worshiped, the demigods, who are different limbs of the Lord, are also automatically worshiped; therefore there is no separate need to worship the demigods. For this reason, the devotees of the Lord, who are in Kåñëa consciousness, offer food to Kåñëa and then eat—a process which nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not only are past sinful reactions in the body vanquished, but the body becomes immunized to all contamination of material nature. When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Viñëu and then taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a person in Kåñëa consciousness, who eats only food offered to Kåñëa, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant reactions of all sins. The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasädam of the Lord (food offered to Viñëu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination.
Food grains or vegetables are factually eatables. The human being eats different kinds of food grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., and the animals eat the refuse of the food grains and vegetables, grass, plants, etc. Human beings who are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also depend on the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals. Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production of the field and not on the production of big factories. The field production is due to sufficient rain from the sky, and such rains are controlled by demigods like Indra, sun, moon, etc., and they are all servants of the Lord. The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices; therefore, one who cannot perform them will find himself in scarcity—that is the law of nature. Yajïa, specifically the saìkértana-yajïa prescribed for this age, must therefore be performed to save us at least from scarcity of food supply.
Dear Shubham Prabhuji,
Please...Please...do not say that since Muslims and Christians do not perform Samskars even we should stop performing such rites. Please...do not say that since it is very difficult to perform Samskars, we should not perform it. These are the words of a weak mind.
Muslims and Christians can not stop eating food in the mode of ignorance such as flesh, onion, garlic, so shall we Hindus/Vaishnavas start eating it ? We can not make a comparison of Amar with Akbar and Anthony. They are as different as chalk and cheese !
In the Bhagvad Gita : 3.12, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna that he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return (In the form of Yagnas) is certainly a thief. Thus, we should perform yagnas.
Here, Krishna is giving this advice to Arjuna, the foremost of all Vaishnavas. Even Lord Krishna performed Yagnas while He was playing the role of an ideal householder ! Are we above Krishna & Arjuna ?
As per Srila Prabhupada, Hinduism means Varnashrama dharma. As per Varnashram dharma, Yagnas and samskars are must. Srila Prabhupada supported Samskara rituals. Kindly go through this below link :
http://www.krishnaofvrindavan.com/services/yagyas-and-samskaras.html
Hare Krishna !
PURPORT
According to the Vedic system, when one is born in this material world he has many obligations. He has obligations to the demigods—the demigods of the sun and moon, King Indra, Varuëa, etc.—because they are supplying the necessities of life. We receive heat, light, water and all other natural amenities through the mercy of the demigods. We are also indebted to our forefathers, who have given us these bodies, paternal property, intelligence, society, friendship and love. Similarly, we are indebted to the general public for politics and sociology, and we are also indebted to lower animals such as horses, cows, asses, dogs and cats. In this way, as soon as one is born in this material world as a human being, he has so many obligations and is bound to repay all these obligations. If he does not repay them, he is further entangled in the process of birth and death. The gåhamedhé, however, who is overly addicted to material things, does not know that if he simply takes shelter at the lotus feet of Mukunda, he is immediately freed from all obligations to others. Unfortunately a gåhamedhé does not have any interest in Kåñëa consciousness.
SB 6.5.37
TEXT 37
TEXT
‰arMau¢-aNaaMaMaqMaa&iSaTak-MaR
ivgaaTa" é[eYaSa" PaaPa l/aek-Yaaeå>aYaae" k*-Ta" )) 37 ))
åëais tribhir amuktänäm
amémäàsita-karmaëäm
vighätaù çreyasaù päpa
lokayor ubhayoù kåtaù
SYNONYMS
åëaiù—from the debts; tribhiù—three; amuktänäm—of persons not freed; amémäàsita—not considering; karmaëäm—the path of duty; vighätaù—ruin; çreyasaù—of the path of good fortune; päpa—O most sinful (Närada Muni); lokayoù—of the worlds; ubhayoù—both; kåtaù—done.
TRANSLATION
Prajäpati Dakña said: My sons were not at all freed from their three debts. Indeed, they did not properly consider their obligations. O Närada Muni, O personality of sinful action, you have obstructed their progress toward good fortune in this world and the next because they are still indebted to the saintly persons, the demigods and their father.
PURPORT
As soon as a brähmaëa takes birth, he assumes three kinds of debts—debts to great saints, debts to the demigods and debts to his father. The son of a brähmaëa must undergo celibacy (brahmacarya) to clear his debts to the saintly persons, he must perform ritualistic ceremonies to clear his debts to the demigods, and he must beget children to become free from his debts to his father. Prajäpati Dakña argued that although the renounced order is recommended for liberation, one cannot attain liberation unless one fulfills his obligations to the demigods, the saints and his father. Since Dakña's sons had not liberated themselves from these three debts, how could Närada Muni have led them to the renounced order of life? Apparently, Prajäpati Dakña did not know the final decision of the çästras. As stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (11.5.41):
devarñi-bhütäpta-nåëäà pitèëäà
na kiìkaro näyam åëé ca räjan
sarvätmanä yaù çaraëaà çaraëyaà
gato mukundaà parihåtya kartam
Everyone is indebted to the demigods, to living entities in general, to his family, to the pitäs and so on, but if one fully surrenders to Kåñëa, Mukunda, who can give one liberation, even if one performs no yajïas, one is freed from all debts. Even if one does not repay his debts, he is freed from all debts if he renounces the material world for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose lotus feet are the shelter of everyone. This is the verdict of the çästra. Therefore Närada Muni was completely right in instructing the sons of Prajäpati Dakña to renounce this material world immediately and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unfortunately, Prajäpati Dakña, the father of the Haryaçvas and Savaläçvas, did not understand the great service rendered by Närada Muni. Dakña therefore addressed him as päpa (the personality of sinful activities) and asädhu (a nonsaintly person). Since Närada Muni was a great saint and Vaiñëava, he tolerated all such accusations from Prajäpati Dakña. He merely performed his duty as a Vaiñëava by delivering all the sons of Prajäpati Dakña, enabling them to return home, back to Godhead.
These verses and words show that a Vaishnava on madhyama adhikari or uttama adhikari level is not indebted to demigods. He knows that these organs are given ultimately by Krsna only.
Yes, many of us are on kanistha adhikhari. We are still bound in karma. But a pure devotee is never ruled by karma-kanda sections of Vedas.
In Vedic tradition, important life events are marked by religious ceremonies called samskaras. There are 16 Sanskars. The final samskara after death is antyeshti sanskar i.e final yagya (sacrifice), when the body itself is offered to the Agni (fire). This is the final purificatory rite for the gross body that reduces it to the five basic elements from which it was formed, besides detaching the soul from the body.
In the Antyeshti ceremony, the body’s five basic components - known as panch bhutas - prithvi (earth), jal (water), tej (fire), vayu (wind) and akash (space) are returned to the universe, thus maintaining the cosmic equilibrium.
As the fire is lit, Mantras are recited for the various limbs to go back to the corresponding deities – the eyes will go back to the Surya devata, the ears will go back to the directional deities.
Thus, each of our organ is given to us by corresponding deities. It has been given to us for a specific purpose and that too only for us (not for anyone else). Hence we should give our body back to these deities, otherwise we may incur a sin, for which we would be definitely punished in Yampuri or in the next life.
Nowhere there are references of organ donations after the death in our Hindu scriptures. In fact, it has been forbidden in our scriptures to part away with one's bodily organ while living. Whereas, after death, there are no references. It is not that there were no able surgeons in the Vedic times. There were, but it is a matter subject to faith and we should never tamper with the dead body, even though with the final wish of the deceased person.
People don't relinquish ownership over their body even after the death. They think that they have done a great charity by donating their organs. Why don't they understand that the bodily organs were given to them by corresponding deities and they are supposed to return it.
So after death, "Donating Organs is a good charity or not? ", because some people think when they are especially alive, they would do certain things which is good for other human being. so they contract with the doctors by written deposition (or so) and donate their organs (like eyes, kidneys, lever etc) after they die.
My question is this GOOD or BAD according to the scriptures?
I have already said that each of our organ is given to us by the corresponding deities. It has been given to us for a specific purpose and duration and that too only for us (not for anyone else). Hence we should give our body back to these deities during the antyeshti sanskar, otherwise we may incur a sin, for which we would be definitely punished in Yampuri or in the next life.
There is no reason to feel happy or elated by donating that which does not belong to us. Scriptures have no reference of donation of organs post life because it is unethical. Unethical because we are not returning to those demigods who gave us the organs for a specific purpose and duration.
All donations may seem superficially good but always it is not so. For example, sperm donation is also a kind of donation but it is still unethical as it destroys the varna order or caste system of Hinduism.
Hare Krishna!
Krishna Prabhuji..
..
But someone will get his missing organ. say if one is blind, one will get someone's eyes and can see the world. Whereas If one does not donate eyes one's eyes would be burnt to ashes after death. So is this not a Noble job to donate?
How one can give back his organs to the Demigods, after it is burnt to ashes after death? How is it possible?
I am not cleared by your post, so I want to know. Please do not misunderstand me.
Many Thanks in advance..
The answer lies in the Yagna system prevalent in Hinduism.
Rig Veda says that :
“Om Suryam te Chakshurgacchatu Vatamaatmaa Dyaam Cha Gachchha Prithivim Cha Dharmana / Apo Va Gachchha Yadi Tatra Te Hitamoshadhishu Pratimtishtha Sharirai svaha.”
It means that :
"O Jiva (Soul) ! After thy death, (may all the components of thy body be merged into the five elements). May the power of thy sight be absorbed in the sun and thy breath be absorbed in the air (atmosphere). May thy other parts be absorbed in appropriate elements. And in accordance with the meritorious deeds thou hast performed here, may thy spirit dwell in the appropriate body."
Rig Veda does not pray that "May the power of sight be donated to someone who is blind or may my kidney be donated to those whose kidney has failed...".
In fact, Rig Veda prays to return our organs to the demigods.
The final sanskara after death is antyeshti – final yagya (sacrifice), when the body itself is offered to the Agni (fire). This is the final purificatory rite for the gross body that reduces it to the five basic elements from which it was formed.
An essential element in yagna is the ritual fire – the divine agni – into which oblations are poured, as everything that is offered into the fire is believed to reach God.
In the Antyeshti ceremony, the body’s five basic components - known as panch bhutas - prithvi (earth), jal (water), tej (fire), vayu (wind) and akash (space) are returned to the universe, thus maintaining the cosmic equilibrium.
The son takes the srauta agni to the cremation ground. The cremation ground is purified. As the fire is lit, Mantras are recited for the various limbs to go back to the corresponding total deities – the eyes will go back to the Surya devata, the ears will go back to the directional deities and so on.
In the Bhagvad Gita : 3.12, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna that he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return (In the form of Yagnas) is certainly a thief. Thus, we should perform yagnas.
Krishna Prabhuji!,
Your answer is quite clear about returning the organs back to demigods and which accordingly goes back to the Supreme GodHead..
Is donation of Blood is good?
I am asking it because Blood is not an organ and within next 3 months this amount of Blood would be produced inside our body.
So is this act against Shastra/ religion?
Hare Krishna,
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
of 4 Next