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Jinamanjari, Volume 24, No.2, October 2001
SALLEKHANA: FINAL CIRCLE OF LIFE IN THE JAIN RELIGION
Bradley Kerschensteiner, Columbus, OH
Ed. Note: The final circle of life seeking peace in death - in Jainism is a personal affair to resolve conflict within and with others. The principle of this final journey in Jainism is called sallekhana, a process wherein it makes imperative that the objective is to ensure access to emotional and spiritual support for the person who is approaching death; and to the family. Therefore, it could be said that sallekhana is about rediscovering the art of dying well, and the secret of good death is in being control of life's last passage. Thus sallekhana of the Jainas is not suicide per say, but it is a philosophical rite where physical, emotional and spiritual needs are met to experience life's meaning and closure. Acknowledgement of dying is an integral part of human stage of living and coming to terms with mortality. Sallekhana rite achieves manifestation of social and spiritual change, and facilitates to be in control during the final phase of life. Balancing physical and emotional needs, sallekhana brings in mental comfort to the most difficult journey toward death.
The paper explores taking the Jaina philosophy to the death through a field study by the author in India about the perception and practice of sallekhana death.
Introduction
In November and December of 1998, 1 conducted interviews with over a dozen members of the Jain community from the state of Karnataka in India about death, their sallekhana rite. Before entering into a dialogue between these various members of the Jain community, allow me to elucidate the lines along which sallekhana is agreed and understood upon by Jains.
Sallekhana is a ritual, unrestricted to householders or ascetics, of facing death by means of fasting. Old age and terminal disease are the circumstances under which one decides to observe sallekhana. The first step is to make vows and ask for forgiveness from family and friends that one may have caused harm to in the past. Next, one is expected to abandon all worldly, external, materialistic attachments, which
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