Will, creamation, organ donation

[pt1]

Hi all,

I'm helping someone organise his will and arrange a funeral. I was wondering about the following from the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism:

1. After death occurs, how many days should expire before cremation, and does it matter at all?

2. What the teachers and lamas say on the issue of organ donation at the time of death?

Thanks.

Best wishes

[Yudron]

Hi all,

I'm helping someone organise his will and arrange a funeral. I was wondering about the following from the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism:

1. After death occurs, how many days should expire before cremation, and does it matter at all?

2. What the teachers and lamas say on the issue of organ donation at the time of death?

Thanks.

Best wishes

Is he a Buddhist practitioner?

[pt1]

Not an active one, without a teacher for a long time, seems on his last legs.

Best wishes

[Yudron]

Not an active one, without a teacher for a long time, seems on his last legs.

Best wishes

Lamas say various things about organ donation. Generally, if you are a practitioner then a greater good is served by leaving the body undisturbed until the signs that the consciousness have left the body occur--giving the opportunity for a practitioner to abide in thugdam for a while--potentially several days or more (keep things cool with icepacks, a cool room or bags of frozen peas.) So, no organ donation for serious practitioners. If one is not a practitioner, some lamas say the person's intention to offer the organ to save/improve the life of another is so positive, that probably no harm can come of offering it.

There are issues that come up in hospitals and nursing homes and with relatives about having a dead body around for an extended period. Generally it is said to be quite confusing for the dead person, to have the body carted away and cremated really rapidly. Better to leave it alone for as long as you can, a few hours or overnight are usually doable in our society. Keep the place cool. Traditionally, do not touch the body except for the crown of the head. But hospitals will want to clean up the body, so that is often not possible in a hospital.

Is there a good lama in your area who could come meet him now and come up with the best plan for him personally?

In any event, when he dies call up all the good lamas you know and ask them to pray for him--mail or bring them the offering that accompanies this request. Sponsor butterlamp offerings at a good monastery or Dharma center in his name.

[Tanaduk]

At the end of TBLD(see below)in Appendix Two,Questions about Death,
Sogyal Rinpoche addresses this question as follows:

"Should we donate our organs when we die?What if they have to be removed
while the blood is still circulating or before the process of dying is
complete?Doesn't this disturb or harm the consciousness at the moment
before death?"

Rinpoche answers:

Masters whom I have asked this question agree that organ donation is an
extremely positive action,since it stems from a genuinely compassionate
wish to benefit others.So,as long as it is truly the wish of the dying
person,it will not harm in any way the consciousness that is leaving the
body.On the contrary,this final act of generosity accumulates good karma.
Another master said that any suffering and pain the person goes through
in the process of giving his or her organs,and every moment of distraction,
turns into a good karma.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche explained:"If the person is definitely going to die
within a few moments,and has expressed the wish to give his organs,and his
mind is filled with compassion, it is alright for them to be removed even
before the heart stops beating."

from Yahoo! Groups -Kagyu
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kagyu/message/32021

[pt1]

Thanks very much for the information, I appreciate it. Seems a good idea to enquire locally about how long the body could be kept before cremation, etc.

Best wishes

[pemachophel]

pt1,

It's great that you are helping this person make this important transition. Good for you.

For best results, the date and time for the body to leave the house (or wherever the death occurred, i.e., hospital, hospice, nursing home ) should be determined by Tibetan astrology as should the date of the cremation. Generally, the body is left undisturbed for three days unless the astrology suggests otherwise. The body can be packed with dry ice if necessary during this time. If the body must be moved sooner than three days or sooner than the astrology recommends, the dead person should be explained the situation and asked pardon and permission before being moved.

I recommend you get in touch with Loppon Rechung at Mipham Shedra in Boulder, CO. He can possibly help get the astrology done when the time comes. This is one of the services he performs. I suggest you get in touch before the death happens so that Loppon-la knows who you are, what the situation is, and things are somewhat set up before the event occurs. Loppon Rechung advises people have their "bags packed and ready to go" before death occurs and not just wait till the last moment. He also teaches a great weekend class on death and dying from the point of view of Tibetan Buddhism, including how to handle and dispose of the body, how to read the Bardo Tho-drol (Tibetan Book of the Dead) to the dying and dead person, how to do the Amitabha sadhana, how to do phowa, etc. http://www.miphamshedra.org/

Good luck and best wishes.

[Bj Lhundrup]

Hi all,

I'm helping someone organise his will and arrange a funeral. I was wondering about the following from the perspective of Tibetan Buddhism:

1. After death occurs, how many days should expire before cremation, and does it matter at all?

2. What the teachers and lamas say on the issue of organ donation at the time of death?

Thanks.

Best wishes

Have you read Anyen Rinpoche's book: "Dying with Confidence: A Tibetan Buddhist Guide to Preparing for Death"? These very things are one of the big training programs he has been doing for the last 3 years. Death and Dying training for helping the dying and helping you at your time. For buddhist helping non-buddhist at their time; and for buddhist instructing their non-buddhist families for their own death. We just three days ago had a seminary on WIlls & Trust and Living-Wills & Living-Trust, for buddhist with a lawyer and Rinpoche's wife (also a lawyer). He teachings haw to make a "Dharma"-Will, and a lot of other things.
You can look into it at these place:

http://phowafoundation.org/
http://www.orgyenkhamdroling.org/

or you can contact me if this is moving very quickly. We can get you advice and help as need be.

2. What the teachers and lamas say on the issue of organ donation at the time of death?

As for this Anyen Rinpoche says that the person must first develop the aspiration strongly and maintain it and have 100% confidence throughout their time left alive before that time comes. Then they can be successful in "organ donation" and it will be a good act.