Periodically someone will ask me about organ donation.

As Buddhists, we practice the six paramitas, or perfections, the first of which is giving. Wouldn't donating one's organs be a gift of great generosity?

First, let me give some background information. It takes many hours for the Alaya consciousness (the most subtle consciousness, which passes from one lifetime to another and that contains all our past karmas) to withdraw from our body. It takes so long because we are very attached to our bodies, viewing them as our "self."

While the consciousness is pulling out of the body, the body/consciousness is extremely sensitive to the lightest touch or even the gentlest breeze. This is why for a minimum of eight hours after a person has stopped breathing, we do not touch the body or even the bed on which the body is resting. Why? This is a time of great pain and difficulty, "like a turtle being skinned alive." If someone disturbs the body at this time, the consciousness will perceive it as an intense shock and very likely become angry. Since a person's final thoughts are what lead one to the next lifetime, we most certainly do not want to become angry during this time.

So in our decision to donate our organs, we need to ask "Have I attained the level of concentration at which my mind will remain perfectly calm while someone is cutting into my body and removing my heart, corneas, and so on?" If I can maintain this level of concentration, I can donate my organs. If I cannot, I have a very important decision to make for the wrong decision could cause me much suffering in my next life as the consequence of anger as one is withdrawing from one's body is rebirth into the hell realms.

As in everything we do, we need to temper our compassion with wisdom.