'Santhara' is a practice (in jainism) of giving up the materialistic wants in life... from food to water to all ur possessions.. there has been a lot of misconception about this practice... unlike sati, where the woman is asked to burn herself on her husbands pyre (most of the time forcefully), santhara is a spiritual practice where a person gives up everything on his own free will and only after he has completed all his responsibilities in life or if he is critically ill... i came across an article by Shri Surendra Bothra a few days back n would like to share it with all of u...
Santhara is neither a cause nor an instrument of death. It is a name given to the last part of an elaborate Jain spiritual practice called Sallekhana or Samlekhana (ultimate vow). The meaning of the term Sallekhana is: to properly emaciate passions and body. Santhara literally means a bed of hay; the practice derives the name because when the time of death approaches the aspirant sits or lies down on a bed of hay renouncing all possessions, attachment and intake. The reflection of this practice can be seen in every household when a person is brought down from his cot to a mattress on the ground during presumed last moments of his life.
The oldest, authentic and first mention of Sallekhana is found in Acharanga Sutra, accepted by Shwetambar Jains as the first sermon of Bhagavan Mahavir. According to philologists the first Shrutskandh of Acharanga Sutra depicts the earliest phase of Jainism of about 3 rd century BC. It is the oldest available text in Jain tradition. All other discussions about Sallekhana belong to later periods. Here is whatAcharanga states --"If an ascetic realizes that now it is gradually becomingimpossible for him to sustain the body for his essential (ascetic) duties, he should gradually reduce his food intake through austerities. While reducing the food intake he should also reduce his passions. After reducing passions he should acquire mental serenity. Becoming thin by honing both sides, body and passion, like a plank of wood, that ascetic should make himself stable (free of agitations of body and mind) and rise (prepare to embrace meditational death or Samadhi Maran). If that ascetic has enough energy to walk, he should go to a village, city, … or capital (any populated place) and beg for hay or a stack of straw. When he gets a stack of straw he should retire into seclusion … … He should then thoroughlyclean that spot and make a bed of straw ( Santhara) there. Now he shouldoccupy the straw-bed and observe itvarik fast (fasting for a predeterminedperiod)." ( Acharanga Sutra 8/6/225)
There is a code defining conditions and circumstances when this spiritual practice can be accepted. " Sallekhana is done in circumstances like drought, old age, incurable fatal disease, and gradual depletion of the strength of the body." (Ratankarandak Shravakachar 122). Unlike suicide that is done in an agitated state of mind, Sallekhana is accepted in a peaceful state of mind and after much deliberation as well as seeking permission from family members and the guru. According the commentary on Acharanga Sutra there are two specialprovisions – 1. If an ascetic observing sallekhana practices gets sick, unconscious, or dizzy due to lack of food and nutrition, he should stoprigorous austerities, terminate the sallekhana process and accept food. 2. If he develops an aversion for food or has lack of appetite, he should give up food.
The practice loses its spiritual value if there is intent of death at any time during this practice. In fact desire for death is listed as one of the faults in practice of Sallekhana. "An ascetic, who is practicing sallekhana or anashan, should neither desire to live nor pray for death. He should remain detached both from life and death ( Acharanga Sutra 8/8/233)
Sallekhana is a spiritual practice dissociating one's mind from the body in order to attain a tranquil and equanimous state of mind; something like Samadhi. Death in such serene state of mind is classified as Samadhi maran (meditational death), which is common to almost all religions. In this practice there is no invitation to death. It is, in fact, detached and serene acceptance of the inevitable. The only connection Sallekhana has with death is that it is a practice, preparatory toembracing death, employed in terminal conditions.
In medical parlance it is nearest to the condition of a patient in painful terminal condition put on sedatives. Doctors say that nothing can be done to cure him. They just inform him about an estimated survival period, stop almost all treatment and leave the patient to his own fate.Heavy dosage of sedatives is given neither for cure nor for prolonging life but to reduce his suffering. In other words, they try to put the patient, awaiting death, in a tranquil state of mind. Sallekhana is similar to thiscondition. The difference is that the former is induced by a drug and is a state of stupor. The latter is self induced and fully conscious state; something like self-hypnosis.
It is also something like extended practices of chanting mantras or holy words to a dying person, feeding holy water to a dying person, taking the patient for a pilgrimage, and many other such practices of providing peaceful and pleasant atmosphere prior to death. These practices in one form or the other are common to all religious and social communities throughout the world. Opposing such time tested religious and social customs legally or socially could be termed as sentiment-driven acts mostly based on ignorance. They tend to end as damp squibs if not back-fire.
Death is inevitable and unpredictable. It may occur at any time and in any circumstance. Can we prohibit all activities that were being done just before death? Every act, condition or state preceding death cannot be branded as instrumental to death, killing or suicide. If this happens, all acts of tapasya, sadhana, and even medical and surgical interventions where rate of survival is less than 20 percent (some cases of neurosurgery) will have to be called attempt to suicide or kill.
Answers to some questions should be sought before interfering with this accepted religious custom:
When it is a voluntary and self administered act, how can it be called killing?Is it possible and practical to put every terminal patient in hospital on life support system? Does it happen?
Why not compare the rate of death of ailing patients and the life support systems available in hospitals throughout the country?
Fasting is a very common practice in Jains. Fasting even for a much longer period than reported in such cases of Santhara is very common. How fasting by Jains can be branded as a method of suicide? Moreover, why not find out how many cases of suicide attempts by fasting have been reported all around the world? When it is not killing and when it is difficult to call it suicide why oppose it? Why not undertake religious, social and legal studies before taking such impulsive steps?
laterzz all
