ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 202

INTERNATION
SCHOOL
OF
SELF STUDY IS THE SUPREME AUSTERITY
स्वाध्याय
परमे
oneself; (3) pãovagamana, in which one renounces food and drink and all motion, and receives no help from anyone (self or others).
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Stoppage of oral intake & ambulation in secular end-of-life care
There are three main causes which lead people to stop oral intake and ambulation in a health care setting: (1) The requirement to stop such activities temporarily to prevent further deterioration of health and to allow for diagnostics and treatments; (2) debilitation; and (3) choice. For our purposes, it is this last cause that is most significant.
CHAC, Health Ethics Guide, 2000: p.30.
AM STUDIES
The Health Ethics Guide of the Catholic Health Association of Canada governs the principles of care in many hospitals which serve diverse patient populations. I have consciously chosen to use this document when looking at health ethics in hospital because it comes from a religious organization that is often seen as having extreme views about euthanasia and assisted-suicide, among other controversial issues. Since much of the controversy around Jaina voluntary death stems from opponents accusing Jains of engaging in suicide, and much of the literature is in defense of Jaina voluntary death as not suicide, it seems that if the Jain voluntary death model can survive in Catholic ethics then it can survive anywhere. The context that Catholic and Jain ethics share is the necessary interaction with secular healthcare within diverse populations. First we will look at how Catholic health ethics deal with decision-making and the individual, and then we will look at how Catholic and Jaina ethics interact in end-of-life practices.
STUDY NOTES version 5.0
Regarding 'The Primary Role of the Person Receiving Care' in Section II 'Dignity of the Human Person', the Catholic Health Ethics Guide states that:
Article 25. The competent person receiving care is the primary decision-maker with respect to proposed treatment and care options.
Article 27. The competent person has the right to refuse, or withdraw consent to, any care or treatment, including life-sustaining treatment. 14
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