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PHILOSOPHY
CHRISTOPHER KEY Chapple explains the science of fasting unto death
or the Jain community fasting to death celebrates a life well lived and emphasises the key aspects of Jain philosophy
First, it demonstrates a willingness to devote oneself in an ultimate sense to the observance of non-violence. By not eating, no harm is done to any living being. Second, it functions to burn off residues of karma that otherwise would impede the soul and cause further bondage. Like the Vedic practice of tapas, it purifies the soul by releasing the fetters of past attachment (nirjara).
In How We Die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter, Dr. Sherwin B. Nuland of Yale University Medical School tells the story of Miss Hazel Welch, a 92-year-old resident of a convalescent home in Connecticut. One day, Miss Welch collapsed; she was diagnosed with operable peritonitis. Initially, she refused the operation, stating she had been on the planet long enough and did not wish to go on. Dr. Nuland talked her into the operation, and though her chances of surviving the operation were one in three, she did in fact live through the surgery. Her recovery proved agonizing. She required a breathing tube for nine days and, as Dr. Nuland writes, "she spent every minute of my twice-a-day visits staring reproachfully at me." As soon as she returned to her convalescent home she arranged with her trust officer from the bank that handled her estate to draw up papers assuring that she would, in the event of a future health failure, receive no more than nursing care. "She wanted nó repetition of her recent experience and emphatically said so in her written statement." Two weeks later she had a massive stroke and died in less than a day. Somewhat ruefully, Dr. Nuland writes that he wished he had abided by her wishes the first time and agreed not to perform the initial surgery. However, he also notes that his colleagues of the hospital's weekly surgical conference
would disapprove, would retort with a Jain Education International
remark such as, “Does the mere fact she no longer experienced pain. On that an old lady wants to die mean you the morning of her death, she called should be a party to it?"
her friends and relatives at 4 a.m. and
asked them to come to the house. She Nuland points out that eighty percent took a bath and did pooja. She asked of American deaths occur in the
for forgiveness of everyone (ksama) hospital. As French historian Philippe and talked with her family members. Aries has noted, "Our senses can no She chanted the Namokar Mantra, longer tolerate the sights and smells the Samadhi Marana, the Bharat that in the early nineteenth century
Dharana, the Namo Siddhana and the were part of daily life, along with
Arhanta Siddha. Later in the morning suffering an illness... the hospital has she died alert and conscious. Those offered families a place where they gathered were thrilled to witness the can hide the unseemly... the hospital peacefulness of her passing. has become a place of solitary death." Though he offers no easy solutions, On reflecting on the process of seeing Dr. Nuland presents the stark reality his wife die, Dr. Bhade, as a physician and pervasiveness of an alienated and analysed the differences between death fundamentally unhappy death process in his Digambara Jain community in in America.
Maharastra and death in West Virginia.
He noted that his exposure to death By contrast, I want to describe the in India was somewhat limited, though death of Mrs. Vijay Bhade, a Jain
in his home community he noted that woman suffering from sarcoma (cancer) many choose to fast at what was in West Virginia. She was raised
deemed to be the end of their lives. within the Jain community in India and The munis or Jain monks take up the was married to a Jain physician. Her final fast when they can no longer keep struggle with illness led her to pursue up their vows. For instance, when their treatment according to Western medical sight dims, the monks cannot effectively practices. She also applied an attitude ascertain that no bugs have entered toward death and dying, learned from their food. Due to difficulty maintaining and encouraged by the philosophy of such basic practices of ahimsa, the Jainism and the traditional practice of monks will embark on a terminal fast. In sallekhana. Modern cures were sought the case of his own family, Dr. Bhade but when these proved futile Mrs.
cited the instance of his mother. She Bhade actively pursued death in the experienced heart failure at the age traditional manner of gradually letting of 74. She was offered but rejected go, first of solid food, then liquids, angioplasty and went on a liquid diet. then water. Her goal was to make a Eventually, she entered a period of total conscious transition into death. She fasting and gave up her life in a fully died at home, surrounded with family conscious state. and friends.
Many of the younger and middleDr. Bhade commented that the passing aged people have left West Virginia, of his wife was a beautiful experience. seeking opportunities out of the At the age of 43, stricken with sarcoma, state. Consequently, many elderly she underwent six months of treatment are left behind without a family in to no avail. When it was seen that close proximity. The adult children nothing more could be done, she
responsible for the care of their elderly explained to her three children (aged parents generally see them only 17, 15, 13) that she was leaving. During once a year. Consequently, they are the last week of her life she took water interested in prolonging the life of their and juice only. In the beginning of the parents (perhaps out of guilt, Dr. Bhade week, she took a morphine drip for a surmises) and will agree to extraordinary time, but then decided to do without measures. Dr. Bhade noted: "Terminal it; when she stopped the morphine, death is very painful. It can involve
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