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Jaina Voluntary Death as a Model for Secular End-of-life Care
grieving after a certain point in the death process, so as to die undisturbed, they can make this request known and it will be followed. I would suggest that the separation from wealth and family in Jain voluntary death is one that can be very helpful in the pursuit of a peaceful death in secular health care, and entirely possible to achieve given the respect for patient autonomous wishes. Further, I would suggest that despite the compulsion and habit for people to consider presence with and grieving around the dying person as a necessary and beneficial part of the process of death, it may not be in the best interest of the dying person. Grieving is not only important, it is necessary. Death and loss are a trauma and the experience of grief is a part of healing this trauma. Despite this, grief does not have to be displayed around the dying person. The Jaina voluntary death model strongly recommends against it, and I feel that the option to not have grief displayed at the bedside needs to be made available to individuals who may want to control their death environment in such a way, even though there may be great resistance to this novel approach. Grief can be experienced in an anticipatory way, also during the death either in the same location as the death or not, and after the death has occurred. Who is around the dying person and when is entirely up to the individual. They may want family and grieving in their presence until the moment they are dead. However, they may not. In such a case, if a person does truly have the best interest of the dying loved-one at heart, it must be considered that their desire to grieve around the dying person against their wishes might be a selfcentered act that actually will disturb the death-process by triggering feelings of attachment or aversion in the mind of the dying person and make it more difficult for them to leave smoothly.
: 83
References:
1. Caillat, Fasting Unto Death According to Ayaräng sutta and some Painnayas: p.115.
2. Ibid. p.48, fn.15.
3. Upadhye, Mahāvīra and His Teachings, 1943: p.51.
4. Upadhye, Ibid. p.50
5. Jnanamati 1981: p. 240.
