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Your worst days are never so bad, that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. Your good days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace.
Hands that help are holier than lips that pray. i Board of Trustees Ahimsa Foundation i New Matrimonial
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LIFE IS AS DEAR TO A MUTE CREATURE AS IT IS TO A MAN COMPASSION AND LIVING KINDNESS ARE THE HALLMARKS OF ACHIEVEMENT AND HAPPINESS.
- DALAI LAMA
SANTHARA OR SUICIDE? Jaipur: Seventy-four-year-old Amar Chand Kasawan has attained divine status according to the Jain community. After suffering from gangrene and pneumonia for a long time, he took up Santhara, a religious ritual of fasting unto death. Kasawan died on the fifth day of his fast but instead of mourning, the family will glorify his death. "This is a religious fast and my father-in-law really wanted to take it up." Kasawan's daughter-in-law, Kalpana said. This is not a stray incident in the community. Before Kasawan, 61-year-old Vimala Devi died last week after fasting for 14 days. A petition has been filed in the Rajasthan High Court, equating the practice of Santhara with the likes of suicide, euthanasia and Sati. Like Vimala Devi's family, Kasawan's family, too, justifies it by claiming that it was a wish, which he had expressed in his diary 15 years ago. "When the doctor gave up on him he told us 'now you take me home and fulfill my last wish" Kasawan's son, Vimal said. Three other cases of Santhara have been reported from Rajasthan, all of them being women over 80 years old. The Shwetambar sect of the Jain community considers this practice to be the ultimate spiritual achievement. However, the Rajasthan High Court will hear a Public Interest Litigation challenging the practice of Santhara. In the last one week five cases of Santhara have been reported in Rajasthan, of which two people have died since the filing of the PIL.
SARDARI DEVI LUNIA DIES AFTER TAKING UP SANTHARA Jaipur: In the third such death in Rajasthan in less than 10 days, a 94-year-old woman has passed away in Hanumangarh district after giving up food and water in the Jain ritual tradition of santhara', her family said on Saturday. Sardari Devi Lunia of Nohar village in the district died on
leting 40 days of 'santhara' and was cremated on Saturday with hundreds of people of the Jain community accompanying the funeral procession, her elder son Vijay Singh said over the phone. He said his mother wanted to take up 'santhara 20 years ago but the family did not allow her. Sardari Devi is the third person in the state to succumb to the ritual fast in the
past two weeks after Vimla Devi (60) of Jaipur died on September 29 and Amarchand Kaswan (77) of Ajmer on September 30. Two more women, Keila Devi (93) of Jaipur and Dhanni Devi (85) of Bikaner are still observing 'santhara'. The Rajasthan High Court, which was expected to give a ruling on a public interest petition likening 'santhara' to suicide or 'sati', has deferred its decision.
ACHARYA MAHA PRAGYA JI OBJECTS INTERFERENCE WITH AGE-OLD JAIN RITUALS Bhiwani: Facing a lot of criticism from media and human rights activists over practicing the age-old tradition of Santhara or, fast unto death, the Jain community's high priest has objected to this hue and cry, saying it has existed for centuries, Reacting to the hullabaloo over two women committing Santhara, Acharya Maha Pragyaji, said when millions were dying worldwide of starvation and required immediate help, no one seemed to be bothered. The attention given to the cases of self-starvation were unwarranted, he said, adding that society is only concerned about the fate of the affluent. He was referring to the public outcry over ninety-threeyear-old Kela Devi Hiravat observing Sathara for the past 32 days,
"In Jain community, anyone undertaking the vow of "Santhara" gives up on food when he or she feels his or her life has served its purpose and awaits death, said Kela Devi Hiravat's family members. A terminally ill and 61-year-old, Vimla Devi, died after undertaking Santhara for ten days. Practicing Jains say their traditions should not be interfered with. The rituals, they say, are not a modern-day phenomenon. "Why would somebody take the agony of fasting for 30, even 40 days at a stretch? 'Santhara' is just a penance one undertakes when he or she realizes that the body has become defunct anyway. So by undertaking it one wishes to alienate desires associated with the body," said Acharya Maha Pragyaji, while speaking on the issue in Bhiwani town in Haryana,
"Santhara' is a religious act, a spiritual act. It is neither a desire to kill oneself, nor to clutch on to life, otherwise, that would be a suicide. 'Santhara' is just a graceful, courageous and peaceful way of confronting the imminent death and about embracing the death
http://jainsamaj.org/magazines/ahimsatimesshow.php?id=105
05/18/2011
