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death even during old age or illness? In other words, can the mind be distanced from the body before death to the degree that it won't flinch in the face of physical illness? And in response to those Jains who contend that one cannot predict one's own death, exactly when does one observe sallekhana besides during a terminal illness?
I think the Bhattaraka's response was insightful into the true nature of sallekhana, whose observation is supposed to be left to the individual as only the individual can gauge the purity or impurity of one's own soul. I think it is precisely the perspective that sallekhana can be a kind of prescription that creates an impression both within and outside the Jain community that sallekhana is a form of suicide.
Those Who Do and Do not Observe S allekhana
In my interview with Chandrakeerti, he gave a rough estimate that probably only 10-15% of Jains in India even knows about sallekhana. He felt that in areas such as Mysore where the Jain community is larger, more Jains are familiar with this ritual. One reason a vast majority of the Jain population does not know about sallekhana is because they were never taught its principles, either in their family or temple. Obviously, if a Jain doesn't have the knowledge, then practice becomes impossible. I asked Chandrakeerti what or who is at fault for this lack of education. He held the Jain community responsible for not teaching the purpose of sallekhana. Dr. S.P. Patil said that formal education is unnecessary, but teaching about sallekhana in the family is crucial for continuing the legacy of this religious tradition. Niraj Jain argued that members of the Jain community need to spend more time learning about Jainism instead of preoccupying themselves with materialism. However, he argued that kasāya sallekhana is available to everybody, so the majority of Jains are not excluded from the fundamentals of Jainism.
A reason why so many Jains are not familiar with sallekhana seems to follow a general trend in all major religious systems. The Jain community in India generally consists of middle and middle-upper class individuals and families. There isn't necessarily a need to know all, let alone adhere to all, religious rituals because the individual is
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