Open AccessAn Asian Perspective on Organ Transplantation
Author(s) -
Michael Cheng Tek Tai
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
tzu-chi medical journal/cí-jì yīxué
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.343
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2223-8956
pISSN - 1016-3190
DOI - 10.1016/s1016-3190(09)60017-3
Subject(s) - buddhism , taoism , dharma , compassion , medicine , interpretation (philosophy) , value (mathematics) , hinduism , perspective (graphical) , transplantation , environmental ethics , organ transplantation , order (exchange) , epistemology , aesthetics , religious studies , philosophy , theology , linguistics , finance , machine learning , artificial intelligence , computer science , economics
Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Shintoism have largely shaped the ways of Asian living. Since these cultural and religious schools were established long ago before the dawn of modern medical technology, and all of them stress the importance of abiding in the natural order of Tao/Dharma, how would they view organ transplantation? This article discusses the teachings of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism with regard to organ donations from both traditional understanding and modern interpretation. We find that the literal interpretations seem to adhere to the value of integrity that what is given must be reverently safeguarded while the modern view emphasizes the value of compassion