Organ Donation And Zoroastrianism

Query From Parsi Times reader, Yasmin Patel: “I’ve been reading the Religious Questions column in Parsi Times with great interest and feel emboldened to ask whether our Zoroastrian scriptures permit or forbid organ donations. I was told that organ donation is strictly forbidden and in fact it is part of our religious tradition to even consign amputated limbs to the Dokhma after performing sachkar ceremony.  Is this true? I was also told that human beings suffer blindness or other illnesses due to their Karma and we should not interfere with the law of karma and let such person suffer the consequences of their karma!”

 

Noshir Dadrawala responds:

What do the Zoroastrian scriptures say? The Zoroastrian scriptures are silent about organ donation, because surgery was not as advanced in those days.

The Ardibehesht Yasht  refers to five types of healers: Ashō-baēshazō (One who heals by means of purification rites or through his own Ashoi or piety); Dātō-baeshazō  (One who cures (social ills) by law and justice; Karetō-baēshazō (One who heals with the knife like a surgeon); Urvarōbaēshazō (One who restores health by means of herbs and vegetation); and Mānthrō-baēshazō (One who heals by means of reciting the mānthra or prayers).  

In other words, healing with the knife or surgery was known to our ancient healers. However, organ transplant is a very modern concept. In 1954, the kidney was the first human organ to be transplanted successfully. Until the early 1980s, the potential of organ rejection limited the number of transplants performed. Medical advances in the prevention and treatment of rejection led to more successful transplants and an increase in demand.

Dr. Christiaan Barnard with his team, performed the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant operation on 3^rd December 1967. Thus, organ transplant is a procedure that is not even a hundred years old whereas the scriptures were written several centuries ago.

Of course, when scriptures are silent, tradition is often invoked. But higher than tradition is the truth. And, the Truth is, our religion is based on Ushta or happiness and happiness comes to one who makes others happy. Let us never stray away from this fundamental precept. Our religion is also based on Asha or Truth and Righteousness. So first seek the truth before falling prey to myths. Ask yourself this question, is it righteous to allow human suffering to persist or perish?

Who’s Body? Who’s Soul? 

The human body is all that we, in our physical form, really own in this material world – it is the cover we acquire in our mortal existence through this temporary journey called life. Our soul is eternal and theologically, the soul returns to the spiritual world when we pass on and leave the mortal physical body behind. If that mortal outer coil could be of use to reducing the physical misery of another soul, sent forth by the same Creator that sent us, would that make it right or wrong?

Karmic Debt…

According to esoteric theories, the physically impaired are challenged due to some ‘karmic’ debt. In like manner, some are poor, hungry, and roofless, also due to ‘karmic’ debt. By this logic, the philanthropic Jeejeeboy, Petit, Tata, Godrej and the Wadia families should all have kept their wealth to themselves and let the poor and roofless endure their karmic fate! Who were they or who gave them the right to lessen the burden of those who suffer due to their past or present karma? Isn’t being charitable putting a spoke in the karmic wheel of Divine Retribution?

The real essence of charity is wilfully ‘giving away something even though we may need it’. But just as we give our wealth when alive and our estates after we depart in our will, we could contribute blood or plasma while alive to save lives, and organs when we are no more! Charity can be done as much during life as after death.

Amputated Limbs Must Be Consigned To Dokhma…

Some believe that amputated or severed body parts should be consigned to the Dokhma, after performing the Geh Sarna ritual. This indeed is a tradition. However, a limb is amputated only when it threatens the life of a patient (e.g., when gangrene sets in) or the limb is rendered useless during an accident. In such cases, the limb is of no use to any living being including the amputee and hence such a limb is traditionally consigned to the Dokhma for disposal in the traditional manner.

However, several other body parts like tonsils, appendix, gall bladder, uterus, etc., are not known to be consigned to the Dokhma after surgery. There is high incidence of breast and ovarian cancer among Parsi women and prostrate and testicular cancers among Parsi men. One really cannot think of priests performing ceremonies over these body parts and consigning them to the Dokhma!

If one goes strictly by the scriptures, the Dokhma should be situated far away from habitation. But we no longer abide by that scriptural mandate and have in fact, built a Parsi colony where there was once a jungle, be it in Mumbai or Pune! Also, according to esoteric Zoroastrianism, the body should be fully disposed by the fourth day and the ‘anasaar’ (spiritual components) handed over to Daham Yazata. But it is a fact that today, bodies take several months to decompose.

Would one rather have a crow or a kite peck out the loved one’s eyes or a surgeon skilfully save the cornea to light up someone else’s darkness? Think about it!

Personal Experience…

I have a dear Parsi friend (now 89 years young) who lost vision in one eye more than four decades ago. From a super active and creative Bank executive, he suddenly became a helpless, dependent individual. Seventeen years later, he lost vision in the other eye. Thanks to a donor, he got back his vision and his life returned to normalcy, and he is now immersed in social work.

 

Should he have accepted blindness as karmic retribution or undergone surgery and made a difference in this world with the gift of his sight restored? Thanks to this experience, several members of his family (including his mother and wife) donated their eyes after death!

Conclusion…

If you feel like donating blood to save a life, go ahead and donate. If you wish to donate your cornea, kidney, liver, or heart after death, go ahead! You could also donate your skin and bring relief to a person who is badly burnt and in agony. But, if you do not wish to do so, that also would be alright. After all, whose body is it anyway!

This question has been answered neither with the intent to fan the flame of controversy nor to offend any orthodox/traditional sentiments. To each their own!

Those who wish to donate their organs after death, no coaxing will be needed, and those who do not wish to, no argument will be convincing. From dust we came, and to dust we shall return, or from life we came and to life we shall give back and live on in someone else’s eyes or heart. That choice is entirely our own!