同體共生——從佛教觀點看器官捐獻

Organ Donation from a Buddhist Perspective

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

隨著現代醫療科技的發展與人類對生存質素的要求漸高，器官捐獻已成為廣受議論的倫理難題，也是現代佛教人文關懷必須面對的議題。佛教教理與生命觀自成體系，當能回應現代人因這項抉擇所帶來的煩惱，如指引他們採取何種態度、或真正面臨死生交界之時，應如何在小我利益與大我利益之間抉擇，以發起悲願心，實踐菩薩行中最難以割捨的大體佈施等。本文從中國佛教倫理的觀點立場，反省人類器官捐獻的困惑與迷茫，說明供體的一方如果自願效法菩薩大行、捨身肉頭目髓腦以利濟眾生，其“身佈施、無畏施”的慈悲心行是可貴的。我們可從佛陀釋迦牟尼本生故事中找到菩薩割肉喂鷹、捨身飼虎的豐富例證，以及由佛教“緣起緣生”之基本教義所導出的“護生”精神。

With the rapid development of medicinal technology, organ transplantation and donation have become an important issue in contemporary bioethics. On the one hand, organ transplantation is an effective means to saving lifes which has benefited from the incredible progress of medical science in the past few decades. On the other hand, organ donation involves profound ethical dimensions and ambiguities. This paper attempts to examine the issue of organ donation from a Buddhist viewpoint. Through textual exegeses and the explication of some key Buddhist ideas, such as the Bodhisattva’s great compassion and doctrine of inter-dependent origination, it seems that organ donation is accepted by Buddhism. Nevertheless, whether to donate or not is entirely a personal choice, and a dead body should be handled with special care. The conclusion states that organ donation is an act of giving/charity (dāna) to those who need relief from their suffering and thus is seen as a great virtue through which we can create a world of co-existence.

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