June 3, 1976 : Los Angeles
Hari Sauri: A life member from Lusaka in Zambia wrote, requesting clarification on philosophy he could not resolve even after reading Prabhupada's books and Back to Godhead. "What happens when a heart transplant is done and that time heart is taken out and at times a donor's heart is replaced. Isn't it that the recipient loses his original individuality as a different soul is entering in that body along with that live heart of that donor and it looks as if that gets another's life because his own life-giving heart is already out. Will you explain in detail to solve this mysterious but sensitive problem?"
Srila Prabhupada answered his question at length, giving clear explanation to settle his doubt. "Life cannot be prolonged by heart transplant. You cannot increase the duration of life. One can perhaps give some relief to disease, that is another thing, but the duration of life is destined. From the dead body, one cannot bring life. Similarly, it may appear that one is prolonging the duration of life by medicines or heart transplant, but that is not the case. If one lives 4 years after having had a heart transplant, then by nature's law he was destined to live four years with or without having had a heart transplant. So what is the value of heart transplant?"
"Only by the yogic process can one prolong the life. By stopping the breathing process, keeping in samadhi, the breath period is not being misused, and he increases the life span. Therefore, destiny can only be changed by devotional service or yoga. Otherwise, what you must suffer, you must suffer, and what you must enjoy, you must enjoy. For a devotee however, whatever it may be, he takes the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna, and if by Krishna's Grace destiny is changed, then it is alright."
Srila Prabhupada answered his question at length, giving clear explanation to settle his doubt. "Life cannot be prolonged by heart transplant. You cannot increase the duration of life. One can perhaps give some relief to disease, that is another thing, but the duration of life is destined. From the dead body, one cannot bring life. Similarly, it may appear that one is prolonging the duration of life by medicines or heart transplant, but that is not the case. If one lives 4 years after having had a heart transplant, then by nature's law he was destined to live four years with or without having had a heart transplant. So what is the value of heart transplant?"
"Only by the yogic process can one prolong the life. By stopping the breathing process, keeping in samadhi, the breath period is not being misused, and he increases the life span. Therefore, destiny can only be changed by devotional service or yoga. Otherwise, what you must suffer, you must suffer, and what you must enjoy, you must enjoy. For a devotee however, whatever it may be, he takes the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna, and if by Krishna's Grace destiny is changed, then it is alright."
Reference: A Transcendental Diary Volume 2 - Hari Sauri Dasa
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