[Buddha-l] Heart of the matter?

[Weng-Fai Wong]

Just want to add that there is a serious medical issue involve here: organ
donation.

I have read an article some time ago in Japanese where a Buddhist scholar
argued that brain death is not death. Death is only when the heart
completely stops and the breadth is no more. In Japan, apparently this is
the official definition of death. This definition severely the pool of
useful organs available for transplant. Even if the deceased had willed that
all his/her organs be donated for medical transplants purposes, doctors
cannot act till after the heart stopped. I was told by doctors that this
will severely reduce the window of opportunity for successful transplants. I
further understand that in Tibetan Buddhism, organ "harvesting" of the
deceased is strictly prohibited - since the dead cannot be touched till a
certain number of days later. What is their current position on this?

W.F. Wong