Yale University Press, 1996. Oxford University Press, 1987. In the Hindu tradition, the self will continue after death in another physical form. Karma determines this form. The otherworldly journey taken after death is influenced by surviving family members who perform rituals.
Organ transplants are controversial in India.
Taking a kidney, for example, from someone from a different caste will change the recipient's karma. This may be advantageous if the donor is from a higher caste, or it may pollute the recipient's karma if the donor is from a lower caste. In the media, there are often stories of dreams or changes in characteristics after organ transplants. Different fields of science may offer vastly different perspectives on death. In contrast, Western medicine often tends to deny death.