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includes food. The observer of sallekhana, in accordance with his or her individual capacity, undergoes a gradual process of fasting to the point where one even abstains from water. The rationalization is that by giving up bodily attachments such as food, one's energy can be re-channeled into the purification and nature of their soul (jiva). During sallekhana, one is to empty his or her mind of all fears, prejudices, desires, hatred and regret and focus solely on the soul. The purpose of sallekhana is not only to purify the soul, but by doing so, one also helps prevent the influx of new karmas. According to Jain philosophy, karmas restrain the soul from purity and ultimately spiritual liberation. During sallekhana, meditation is oflen undertaken to help enforce introspection into the nature, elevation and understanding of the soul.
The fact that my study of sallekhanu ended with perhaps more questions than it began with is a telling sign that this topic is a rich well from which many other aspects can be drawn. Thus, this is by no means a static or permanent study of sullekhana. However, I believe looking at the way a religion handles death can begin to shed light onto an entire belief system. I was confronted with what often seemed to be insurmountable questions: what is my frame of reference to match up, compare and critique the concept of sullekhana against? Am I in a rightful position to judge another belief system? As my project will reveal, sallekhana is a unique ritual because it is not only an approach to death, but reflects a way of living as well.
I discovered by the end of my fieldwork and at the beginning of my analyses that these questions were enough to dismantle and simultaneously reshape the theoretical parameters of the project. An inverse relationship between the static notion of my "project" and sallekhana unfurled. The methodology of the project looked at sallekhana as much as sallekhana spoke about the project. The observer, became the observed and the duality between subject and object began to dissolve. I found that I cannot deem sallekhana as "suicidc" or "wrong" because I am taking my personal internal system of rationalization and expecting it to mesh harmoniously with internally embedded Jaina philosophical belief system.
Rather than simply defend the spirit of sallekhana, this analysis will attempt to advance an understanding of this ritual.
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