Donating one's organs at death

[Josef]

Q: Is it a good idea for Buddhists to donate their organs after death?

A: Donating organs after death is not as good as donating them while you're still alive—then it's for real! If you don't donate them until you're dead and can't use them anymore, what's the use? As it's said, "Don't give to others what you yourself don't want."

-Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

It's a good idea for buddhists to donate their organs BEFORE death.
Giving up the three roots of clinging; ones body, possessions, and roots of virtue is the ultimate chod practice.
No drums, phets, or bone trumpets required.
Just bodhicitta.

[pemachophel]

[Palzang Jangchub]

Q: Is it a good idea for Buddhists to donate their organs after death?

A: Donating organs after death is not as good as donating them while you're still alive—then it's for real! If you don't donate them until you're dead and can't use them anymore, what's the use? As it's said, "Don't give to others what you yourself don't want."

-Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

It's a good idea for buddhists to donate their organs BEFORE death.
Giving up the three roots of clinging; ones body, possessions, and roots of virtue is the ultimate chod practice.
No drums, phets, or bone trumpets required.
Just bodhicitta.

Josef beat me to it. In Chöd you're training your consciousness to eject and then to offer the body to thw buddhas and sentient beings. Having mentally prepared in such a way, it's easy to see how organ donation would be a natural thing for an authentic Chödpa operating in the West. And since Chöd can be seen as both Guru Yoga and Mandala Offering, so to could you view donating one's body parts.

As Garchen Rinpoche says, "May all beings have happiness and the single cause of happiness, which is love. May they be liberated from suffering and the single cause of suffering, which is self-grasping."

If anyone is interested in Chöd after reading these comments by Josef and me, please let me know. I'm currently watching some YouTube teachings given by Lamchen Gyalpo Rinpoche in 2016, and they're absolutely mindblowing!

[Grigoris]

Chod is one type of mind trip, giving somebody part of your liver, one of your kidneys, your bone marrow or blood is a completely different trip which involves body and mind.

I recommend people start with giving blood and then see how far up the scale they can climb.

[Josef]

Chod is one type of mind trip, giving somebody part of your liver, one of your kidneys, your bone marrow or blood is a completely different trip which involves body and mind.

I recommend people start with giving blood and then see how far up the scale they can climb.

The attitude of giving away ones body, possessions, and roots of virtue is the essential point.
But, I agree with the blood giving. Practitioners should certainly engage in that behavior and examine their attitude around it.

[drodul]

Haven't read every post, so sorry if someone mentioned this, but HE Garchen Rinpoche said during a recent teaching that, while Chod practice is only a mental exercise for most, donating one's organs at death "is the real Chod." I believe he also said something to the effect that there is no need to worry about disturbing the body after death if the deceased had practiced and was free enough of self-grasping, but I can't remember the exact quote.

[Karma Dorje]

Real Chod in the Western context:

[Palzang Jangchub]

Haven't read every post, so sorry if someone mentioned this, but HE Garchen Rinpoche said during a recent teaching that, while Chod practice is only a mental exercise for most, donating one's organs at death "is the real Chod." I believe he also said something to the effect that there is no need to worry about disturbing the body after death if the deceased had practiced and was free enough of self-grasping, but I can't remember the exact quote.

Can you please tell us which retreat this was at and when? Personally I'd like to hear the full context in which Rinpoche said this. Was it during the last Winter Teachings at Garchen Institute? I seem to remember that Garchen Guru taught on Chöd then...