Theos-Talk Archives (June 1997 Message tl00505)

Tom Robertson wrote:
>
> On Sat, 21 Jun 1997 11:27:53 -0400 (EDT) ramadoss@eden.com writes:
>
> >Mark posted a msg on the topic. Here is an article I read several
> >years ago.
>
> >===========================================
> >
> >Organ Transplant
>
> >The removal of organs for transplant might appear to be a noble action
> >on the superficial level, but if one thinks about it in the light of
> >Theosophy, one can see the emptiness of the whole effort of trying to
> >extend the life of an individual in this way.
> >
> >We should do whatever is reasonable to keep people alive, but we
> >should also remember that there is no death.
> >
> >If one has to sever their spiritual consciousness to remain alive, I
> >would think that it would be far nobler to die a graceful death than to
> do
> >so.
> >
> >An operation such as a heart transplant would have a very profound
> >effect on both individuals as their Karma would be mixed in a very
> >intimate way.
>
> Maybe I'm inferring more than was implied in this article, but it seems
> to be frowning on organ transplants due merely to the fact that it might
> mingle the donor's non-physical influence with that of the recipient.
> Any help that anyone gives to anyone is interfering with them, but that
> doesn't necessarily make it bad.  It also seems to say that extending
> life is futile, since death is an illusion, anyway.  If this is true, why
> not apply that principle consistently and not care at all in any way
> about the quality or the duration of one's life?  Maybe if children are
> starving to death, we shouldn't feed them, since the only thing that
> matters is their spiritual growth.  Maybe cleanliness should be
> neglected, since it only pertains to an illusory life, anyway.

I have not seen the original article that appeared in Theosophy in NZ.
It might bring other angles to this issue.

I think in all these matters, each one has to come to their own
conclusions.

On a lighter note, when someone asks me about cremation, I tell them
that one of the reasons for cremation is that most of us are such bad
people that we do not want to leave any trace of us after we die. So we
cremate and disperse the ashes in a river or sea. Most of the time,
those who listen to this enjoy this angle.

..........doss