无限延续慈悲爱心 -- 【编辑室】

以修行佛法的角度来看,往生后,把身体上还有用的器官捐赠出来,对佛法中的布施而言,那是最为殊胜的做法。事实上,布施的行持,是“三福行”,即:布施、持戒、生天(禅定法)或难行能行之菩萨道的六度法门中,皆为修持佛法的重要法门。学佛的人都会明白,布施除了增长本身的福德因缘之外,更重要的是在学佛的过程里,学会如何培育去除我执,降低不善之根中的“贪”;因为,人类与生俱来的“贪”是引发烦恼的根源。要成就佛法中的菩萨行,就更须要从布施行持中累积成佛的资粮,从历经累劫的修行过程里,学习以种种波罗蜜法完成修学成佛之道的历程。

事实告诉我们,想要从布施的行持中去增长个人的福德因缘、累积菩萨资粮之外,最重要的莫过于“慈心”利他之行持,是修持佛法最根本之修行方法。

相信所有学佛的人都会明白,捐献器官是菩萨行,是神圣的。作为一名佛教徒,能发心把器官捐献出去,是一种菩萨道,是利益众生的事,是最有价值、最有意义的事,明白这个道理而真诚发心,在活着时立下捐献意愿,就清楚地说明了在一生中做到真正的布施。

世间万法,皆因缘生而有;人与人之间也是依缘而存在。人的生存必须依靠各种因缘提供了衣食住行我们才能生存;因此,我们仰赖世人的因缘而活,所以我们也应给人因缘。器官移植打破了人、我的界限,实践慈悲的胸怀,体现同体共生的生命。只要有愿心,人人皆可捐赠器官;透过器官移植,我们就能把慈悲、爱心,无限的延续、流传!

Gifts of Life

Your organs are still good and functioning but your time is up. Do you want to take them to the grave with you or leave them behind to save more lives?

Today, severe organ donor shortage is robbing many chronic patients from a second chance to live. Potential donors of healthy organs are taking their invaluable organs to the grave with them instead of donating them to save lives. This is probably due to the lack of public awareness; distrust of health providers and how death is determined; wanting to keep the body intact, etc.

Buddha's teaching supports organ donation. Two years ago, a monk gave up part of his liver to save a life. Full story can be found on page 36. In the suttas, it is mentioned that the bodhisattvas or great beings relinquish their belongings, body parts and lives to those in need in order to fulfill the perfect virtue of giving that culminate in Buddhahood. In other words, Buddhist practitioners who donate their body parts, do so out of compassion and volition to save others and to purify their own minds. To find out how relinquishing of belongings and body parts helps in spiritual practice, turn to page 40.

I hope you find the above information helpful in making your decision.