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JAIN JOURNAL: Vol-XXXI, No. 3 January 1997
The concept of sallekhanā gives us an insight into the self to attack on the fundamental cause of ties i.e. passions. A sense of dettachment is deemed necessary for this purpose and the self tries to keep himself dettached from the worldly things. He thinks that one should keep his mind free from all passions and infirmities; one should have no love for his body and no attachment towards any of the things, mobile or immobile; one should have no affection or attachment towards his relatives or have no hatred towards his enemy; one must conquer all afflications; one should spend his life period in practicing meditation and gradual changing of foods from solid to liquid.
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The self subdues all passions and takes little food and continues to observe like that: one should neither yearn for life nor for death; one should be indifferent to both and continue his contemplation; one should keep free from all internal bodily attachments and strive to acquire absolute purity with complete equanimity of mind; one should continue to be engrossed in his penance; one should shut out all evil thoughts; if one is suffering from some deadly or sensuous disease one should endure all the pangs with equanimity and tranquility without exhibiting any signs of suffering.
The above consideration shows the philosophical dimensions incorporating within the concept of sallekhana. The forthcoming lines will clarify the highest philosophy underlying within it-"when life is coming to an end by natural cause or by some calamity or attack from an enemy, it is better and proper to adopt a vow of voluntary death by fasting and meditation in fulfilment of the religious vows and practices". It means in sallekhana the main inspiration is not the sense of termination of physical body, but to maintain and save of religious and spiritual consciousness. This type of conscience is a matter of appreciation and not a fact of criticism.
Seven categories and Sallekhanā
The goal of human endeavour is directed towards liberation from various kinds of karmas. The principles which indicate the process of liberation are seven (or nine)9: Jiva, Ajiva, Āsrava, Bandha, Samvara, Nirjarā, Mokṣa, (Papa and Punya). Jiva and Ajiva, the sentient and non-sentient categories, are the only fundamental substances among the seven or nine categories prescribed by the Jainas. The rest of the five or seven substances are the different stages of combination or association of both the fundamentals.
8. Sāgāra Dharmamṛta, Ed. Mohan Lal Shastri, Jabalpur Vir Nirvan 2484, 8/5. Tattvārthasūtra, Sanghavi, 1/4 and see commentary on page 5.
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