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Body-Giving
Bodhisattvas
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People who donate their bodies to the Tzu Chi
Medical College for research and education are called "Body-Giving
Bodhisattvas." Master Cheng Yen commends these body donors
as brave champions of life and as bodhisattvas who give their
bodies. At the same time, she teaches the students: "People
who donate their bodies are truly performing profound giving.
They cannot do this unless they are bodhisattvas. You must be
inspired from within and constantly be grateful for the great
sacrifice of these bodhisattvas and the accomplishment of their
family [in consenting to the donation], as well as for the teachings
of your professors."
The life stories and achievements of these
Body-Giving Bodhisattvas can inspire and change the attitudes
of many toward death. They let people understand that there is
no real division between life and death. As long as one's mind
is unhindered and seeks to give profoundly to help others, then
one can move about between life and death without anxiety.
