鯨落 林鈺堂 簡繁轉換 - 繁體
昨天觀視頻得知「鯨落」的生態，亦即鯨魚在海中死後，尸體漸漸落入深海，在長達數十年的過程中供養千多種有情，形成深海裡一方的綠洲，最後枯骨散落海床，還可提供庇護之居所。不由得讚歎此種廣大長遠的供施，真是菩薩行！ 今晨忽然憶起，25年前，有佛友提問：從佛法看來，捐贈遺體之事宜否？當晚我夢見鯨魚。我想，這是「大心眾生」的意思，而菩薩也叫做「大心眾生」，也就是說，捐贈遺體以利益他人，是屬於「菩薩行」。次日，我即如此回應。並且說明，雖然佛法教示，在死亡的過程中不宜觸動遺體，以免干擾自然的神識分離軀體的微細過程，而引起亡者的痛苦；最好等到遺體全涼纔觸動。然而，捐贈遺體以利益他人，是菩薩行，因此，此功德可以使亡者得到消業往生的淨果，而不會對亡者造成覺道上的傷害。所以，捐贈遺體可以不受對一般死亡過程的教示之拘束，而依醫師之決定。然而，菩薩行是基於菩提發心，所以本文所說的是指逝者或其親屬自願的捐贈遺體。 現在想來，其實當年的夢示，就有「效法鯨落」的意思；可惜我當時尚無此知識，不能了解其中的深義。現在憶起補述，或可利益將來之解夢，並且加深大家對效法菩薩行的認同。
二○二一年六月二十日
Whale Fall Yutang Lin
Yesterday I learned, through watching a video clip, about the ecological phenomena of ″Whale Fall″, namely, after a whale died in the ocean, the corpse gradually sinks into deep sea, and during a process lasing over several decades it offers sources of nutrients for over one thousand species of living beings, thus forming an oasis in an area of the seabed, and eventually its dried bones scatter over seabed and yet still offer shelter for some marine lives. I couldn′t help but admire such kind of long-term and widespread offering as, indeed, a Bodhisattva way! This morning it suddenly occurred to me that, over 25 years ago, some Dharma friend asked me, ″From the Dharma point of view, is it proper to donate organs upon deceased? ″ That night I saw whales in a dream. I thought, this meant ″sentient beings with great mind″ while Bodhisattvas are also called ″sentient beings with great mind″, and hence, it meant that, organ donation to benefit others belongs to the ″Bodhisattva Way″. The next day I replied accordingly, and I also explained, even though in Dharma teachings it mentioned that it is improper to touch a recently deceased corpse during the dying processes lest the natural and subtle processes of awareness separating from the body be disturbed and causes pain to the deceased being, and it is better to touch the corpse after it is completely cool off. However, donating organs to benefit others is a Bodhisattva way, and hence, its merits will enable the deceased to gain the pure fruits of purification of karma and rebirth in Pureland without causing any harm to the deceased on the enlightenment path. Therefore, organ donation can ignore the Dharma teaching on dying processes in general but carried out according to the physician′s professional decisions. Nevertheless, Bodhisattva way is rooted in Bodhi aspirations, and hence the organ donations mentioned in this article are referring to voluntary donations made by the will of the deceased or family only. Now it seems to me that, indeed the revelation I received in that dream did imply the meaning of ″following the example as set in Whale Fall″; what a pity that I did not have such knowledge at that time, and hence couldn′t comprehend its profound significance. Now that I have recalled it and described it fully, maybe this will benefit future interpretation on dreams, and enhance people′s agreement on following the Bodhisattva way.
Written in Chinese and translated into English on June 20, 2021 [Home][Back to list][Related work:Crossing the Gate of Death in Chinese Buddhist Culture] |