ISJS Jainism Study Notes E5 Vol 04

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

Page 435

. Rajasthan Patrik , Daily, Udaipur Edition.
• Dainik Bhaskar, Daily, Udaipur Edition. 2. Periodicals:
. Jaina Gazette, Weekly, Lucknow. - Jaina Mitra, Weekly, Surat.
Jaina Sandesh, Weekly, Mathura.
Jaina Prakash, Mumbai. 3. Magazines and Journals:
· Jaina Dharma Jyoti, Monthly, Bhilwara. . Jinavani, Monthly, Jaipur. • Sramanopasak, Monthly, Bikaner.
. Sramana Samskriti, Monthly, Beawar. 6. Limitations Of The Study: Though all possible efforts were made to gather as much
information about the practitioners of Voluntary Peaceful Death from as authentic sources as possible, the following limitations have been noticed: 1. Only about 750 issues out of 1500 possible issues of the newspapers,
periodicals, magazines and journals could be accessed for a sample of 350 cases of Voluntary Peaceful Death'. In most cases, the reporting of the cases is incomplete and does not carry most vital information about the aspirant practitioner such as age, period of preparatory penance and period of fast unto death, the supervising monk, etc. In most cases it only mentions that such and such person has died a peaceful death (Sam dhimara a) without any further elaboration. In all such cases it has been assumed that the aspirant practitioner had taken the vow
of Voluntary Peaceful Death' and died on the same day. 3. c. It has been assumed that the person embracing Voluntary Peaceful Death
had forgiven all and sought forgiveness of all, especially those with whom he
was inimical earlier. 4. In 81 cases out of 350, the age of the aspirant practitioner had not been
indicated. These cases have been distributed in proportion to the age group
wise distribution arrived at from the remaining 269 cases. 5. In cases where no specific mention of the preparatory penance (Sallekhan )
has been made, it has been assumed that no preparatory penance was undertaken.
2.3 The Findings of the Study Incidence of Sam dhimara a
The sample of 350 cases analysed here is, at best, only a part sample. Extrapolation has been resorted to arrive at the more plausible figure of 700 cases in the last ten years for the sections of Jaina (especially the vet mbara sect) represented by them. Also, the periodicals referred to P represent only some sections of the Jaina society and, as such, the figure of 700 cases of Voluntary Peaceful Death is also only a part of the total figure. A conservative estimate arrived at by extrapolating these figures is that nearly 2400 cases of Sam dhimara a must have taken place in the last ten years, which account for almost 240 cases per year or twenty cases per month. This is, by no means a mean figure and it shows the importance attached to this practice in the Jaina scheme of spiritual practices. This figure also holds well with an estimated figure reported in the 'India Today dated 18 February, 2001 wherein it has been claimed that only two sections of vet mbara (Sth nakav s and Ter panth) Jainas report 170 cases of Sam dhimara a per year.
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STUDY NOTES version 4.0