What does Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism think about being an organ donor?
That was a question posed to me by a dynamic young person. It felt wonderful to see such vital topics being discussed by the youth.
I digress a little here — For whatever reason, at this point, most individuals who contact me for mentorship are youth. This inspires me to write and do more because seeing these youngsters willing to try new things is refreshing. I take a moment to thank each who has stepped out of their shells to follow their hearts.
Understanding SD
Sanatana Dharma (SD) has no universally defined stance on anything. It is guided by a single concept that appears in almost all worthwhile texts of this faith:
SD simply directs each of us to pursue our Dharma eternally. That means we’re forever encouraged to follow our hearts, use our brains, and be compassionate.
The above applies to every situation we face in life. Aside from the above, everything else mentioned in the scriptures is an optional suggestion, a recommendation based on the life experiences of a sage or scholar. Nothing more, nothing less.
Organ Donation
Following the same trend of Dharma, SD has no defined stance on organ donation. Many speculative beliefs and practices vary among its followers.
Nevertheless, SD strongly emphasizes Seva Bhaava — the attitude of kindness, compassion, selflessness, and community service to help others. These are the traits of a genuine Sanatani, a practitioner of Sanatana Dharma.
Further, the scriptures suggest two options for what we can do with our body, both of which are per Dharma:
- Give it back to Nature via the elements — earth, water, or fire. It recommends giving through fire, or cremation, as the best option because life itself is believed to be a Yagna or sacred fire sacrifice.
- The second option is to lay our bodies down in compassion, the crux of Sri Krishna’s teachings in the Mahabharata, where he guided Arjun to fight and even die if required for Dharma.
Based on the above, organ donation, an act of giving with compassion, is a noble and virtuous deed that aligns with the principles of Dharma.
Give More Than We Take
Each person or community within SD has its own beliefs about handling the body after death. That’s their thought and conditioning, which I don’t wish to comment about.
Ultimately, though, whether or not an individual chooses to be an organ donor is a personal decision. SD supports your decision by suggesting doing whatever gives you peace and joy. Everything else is immaterial.
Taking the approach of SD, I give recommendations but never force anyone (including my biological child) to do anything that they aren’t interested in. Regardless, just for the record, here’s my stance on this topic:
Based on my experiences, what causes our death severely impacts our rebirth, but what happens to the body after the soul departs has virtually no impact.
Also, for me, compassion is the Highest Dharma, and everything else falls far behind. So, per my Dharma, organ donation is something I strongly endorse.
Let’s be useful and purposeful when alive. Let’s try to give more than we take. And, if we can do these even after death by being an organ donor, then so much better.
Love,
Sri Devi Om
