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śramaņa, Vol 57, No. 1/January-March 2006
Like the thinkers of the Upanişads and the Buddha, Mahāvīra frequently cited the fact of death as an object of philosophical reflection. Such reflection was supposed by him to lead a person to detachment. The transitoriness of life is made evident by such philosophical reflection. We realize that a hedonistic life is ultimately futile. Wisdom is the result of such philosophical reflections.
In its essence, the Jaina approach to death is very close to the Hindu approach as set forth especially in the Bhagavadgītā. Both these religions accept the duality between the soul and the body. Therefore, they do not consider death as a momentous event of human existence as the Existentialist thinkers like Martin Heidegger does. Heidegger holds that man experiences dread (angst) when he reflects on his own death. This dread or angst is an essential element of human existence. This can be minimized by an authentic life, but it can never be eliminated.
Hinduism and Jainism hold just the reverse viewpoint. Lord Kșsņa taught Arjuna not to grieve for the deaths of his near and dear ones in the battle of Mahābhārata. He gave the argument that it is the body, which dies not the soul. And it is soul, which is the essence of my existence, not the body. Then a wise man should never shed tears over the death of his near and dear ones and, besides, he should not fear death. This very position is held by the following verses of the Digambara monk of the 4th century in his Istopadeśa:
"Death is not for me, why then should I fear? Disease is not for me, why then should I fear. I am not a child, nor a youth, nor an old man. All these states are only of my body. The soul is one thing, matter another. That is the quintessence of truth, Whatever else may be said? Is merely its elaboration."?l0
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