________________
Suicide
We are all imperfect but the beauty of life lies in trying to be perfect. Self-knowledge, self-control and self-reverance are the sources of our real happiness; all our endeavours should therefore be directed towards acquisition of these qualities to the best of our ability.
Suicide is normally a misfortune of one's own making. A victim of suicide is either a victim of his mental weaknesses or of external circumstances which he is not able to circumvent. In modern times, mental and ethical strength has been fast deteriorating, whether it be in an individual or in any social group. Our civilization has brought with it a large number of psychological and sociogical problems which an individual without courage can hardly solve. Disappointments and frustration in personal life, emotional or sentimental breakdown in married life or love-affairs, unexpected and unbearable economic loss in trade or business, sudden and heart-breaking grief brought on by the death of the nearest and dearest, appearance of some disease which is incurable or socially reprehensible, sudden development of melencholia or depression either due to heredity or other hidden causes, public disgrace or dishonour of one's self or the family, an unexpected shock due to failure to realise an ambition and many other unusual factors may be regarded, either individually or cumulatively, as causes driving an individual to commit suicide under a sudden impulse.
Kautilya has mentioned some of the causes of suicide in his Arthaśāstra : “All kinds of sudden deaths centre round one or the other of the following causes : offence to women or kinsmen, claiming inheritance, professional competition, hatred against rivals, commerce guilds and any other legal disputes, is the cause of anger; anger is the cause of death.
“If a man or woman under the infatuation of love, anger or other sinful passions commits or causes to commit, suicide by means of ropes, arms, or poison, he or she shall be dragged by means of rope along the public road by hands of a
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
