Body-Giving Bodhisattvas

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.