________________
72: Śramaņa, Vol 62, No. 1 January-March 2011
overtaken by a calamity, by famine, by old age, or by an incurable disease, to get rid of the body for 'dharma' is called 'Sallekhanā.' One should by degrees quit the body!?". We could include any number of situations under 'calamity,' such as environmental disasters, mortal injury and so on. The crux of the matter is that these instances have in common the potential to leave a person unable to perform their religious duties, also often mentioned in Jaina texts as the cause for choosing Jaina voluntary death. The Ācārānga Sūtra says this:
"If this thought occurs to a monk: I am sick and not able, at this time, to regularly mortify the flesh,' that monk should regularly reduce his food; regularly reducing his food, and diminishing his sins, he should take proper care of his body, being immovable like a beam; exerting himself he dissolves
his body.18" Entrance into Jaina voluntary death practices is considered, therefore, when religious duties are no longer able to be performed and when death approaches. This is to prevent the influx of negative karma from breaking commitments, which occurs naturally even if unintentional: "If...a person allows his vows to fall into disuse due to the onset of infirmity or senility, he will pass his final hours in asamyama, non-restraint; such an unfortunate circumstance, it is believed, will adversely affect his next birth.194 The importance of preparing for death is shown in the Samaņa Suttar, which recommends that "when death is inevitable in any case, it is better to die possessed of a calm disposition.20" Secular healthcare and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment: Iminency of death and quality of life In medicine, educated-guessing of how much time a person has to live is a frequent occurrence. It is part science and part prognostication and thus, only as good as the accuracy of the
