A Buddhist Approach to the Controversies of Organ Donation Ethics: Based on Saṁyuktāgama-sūtra and Prajnāpāramitā-sūtra
Date Issued
2014
Date
2014
Author(s)
Liu, Cheng-Ming
Abstract
It is said that a lot of incurable patients can be saved by means of organ donation.
Indeed, it is one of the most popular surgical operations. Being popular, however,
does not entail its ammunition to moral criticism. Hence, I shall propose a Buddhist
account of organ donation and oppose the contemporary view of organ donation.
There are many controversies related to organ donation, such as brain death,
donation card, presuming donation, and organ market. From Buddhist point of view,
these controversies are caused because of people ignoring the reality of the world.
According to Buddhist path to liberation, treating everything as impermanent makes
people understand that this co-arising world is produced by related conditions. It is
based on ignorance of the reality that people presume the ideas of control, possession
and self. If these ideas are replaced by “impermanence” and “non-self”, the
controversies related to organ donation will be ceased.
In contrast to contemporary medical mechanism, living and dying are both empty
and equal in Buddhist perspective. It is incorrect to save recipients at any price while
ignoring donators’ need. In Buddhist path to enlightenment, dāna-pāramitā, which
means perfection of giving, could provide us guides to donate skillfully. Applying to
organ donation, it is important to benefit donators, recipients and doctors at the same
time, while not any immoral thing being caused or implemented.
Since there are big differences between contemporary and Buddhist idea of
donation, Buddhism shall not endorse organ donation.
Subjects
解脫道
菩提道
無常
非我
布施波羅蜜多
Type
thesis
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