________________
in the ancient scriptures, only five of these will be considered here: (1) The Super-Super Death, attainable
only by the omniscient souls. (2) The Super-Death, attainable by a
Self-Realized soul with renunciation. (3) The Enlightened Death attainable by a
Self-Realized soul who might not have had a renounced life. A noble death, attainable by an average sadhaka who has faith in God, next-birth, spiritual-practices and virtuous acts, but who could not accomplish Self-Realization. It may also be attained by a person who follows the path or religious - practice as depicted by conventions, and
possesses a pure intention. (5) Mundane Death:
This is the death of a common man, devoid of any faith or practice
regarding spiritual truths. Que. 5 : When shoud one embark upon
'Sallekhana' (an Enlightened Death) ? Ans. : 'Sallekhana' should be undertaken only
during (1) incurable illness, (2) extreme old age, (3) famine, (4) Unsurmountable obstacles. The principle followed here is that giving up one's body is far superior to giving up one's spiritual vows.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
