Santhara
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Santhara is the Jain religious ritual of voluntary death by fasting. Supporters of the practice believe that Santhara cannot be considered suicide, but rather something one does with full knowledge and intent, while suicide is viewed as emotional and hasty. Due to the prolonged nature of Santhara, the individual is given ample time to reflect on his or her life. The vow of Santhara is taken when one feels that one's life has served its purpose. The goal of Santhara is to purify the body and, with this, the individual strives to abandon desire.
Why not eat?
Jainism believes that each and every action (eating included) may or may not become karma. Jains are strictly vegetarian, but a tree, even if it has only one sense, has life, and hence taking away the piece of it (vegetable, fruit, leaf) hurts it - thereby adding a negative karman to all who encourage this process. Besides, there may be living organisms surviving in that fruit/vegetable/ leaf that one eats. So by eating food, one hurts the tree/plant and also possibly kills the organisms surviving in that food. In fact, since water also has microscopic organisms, even drinking water adds on to ones karma.
The basic idea in different kinds of Jain fasting is to aqcuire lowest possible negative karma and purify one self in the process. Santhara, in this sense, is the best way to purification.
[edit] Questions regarding legality
The practice of Santhara, where a person who has completed all duties in this life ceases to eat or drink unto death has recently led to controversy in India, where in the State of Rajasthan, a lawyer has filed a writ petition seeking the High Court of Rajasthan to hold that Santhara is an illegal practice.
However, it is not comprehensible as to on what facts and statistics, Santhara is to be held illegal. The Indian Penal Code punishes any attempt to commit suicide, but this particular provision is itself a bit irrational, since it would punish only any unsuccessful attempt of suicide, and how far it provides any deterrence is questionable. The definition of Suicide contained on the Wikipedia Page on "Suicide" states, "The definition of suicide used from this point on is that the death of the person who commits suicide must be the central component and only intention of the act, rather than a secondary consequence of an act which is centrally motivated by religion, politics, etc"
Viewed from this perspective, Santhara is not suicide at all, far from it, and hence no question regarding its illegality. However, the Court will find better sources placed before it, more learned authorities and would come to a reasoned conclusion.
[edit] External links
- Euthanasia? Jain woman observing death ritual dies
- Is Santhara Suicide or Sati?
- Hindustan Times
- The Times of India: Editorial
- Hindustan Times
- Hindustan Times
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