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Jaina Voluntary Death as a Model for Secular End-of-life Care
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being able to negative karma relentlessly bonds. In all the traditions that embrace karma and rebirth, it is usually said in one way or another that a short life of high quality is better than a long life of low quality.' Quality here could be measured by non-harm and the fulfillment of religious duties, both religious ideals. From the secular perspective of health care ethics, quality of life can ever be defined this way. I would even go as far as to say that it would be dangerous to determine life being worthwhile in health care based on non-harm and the fulfilment of religious duties that rely on physical ability rather than mental capacity and meaningful participation in society. In this way, in principle, health ethics aim towards equal treatment in considering people equally worthwhile and deserving of all means of help for cure or comfort even if clients are harmful or lack physical ability. There are occasions in the Jaina tradition, however, where exceptions are made for a monastic unable to fulfill certain religious obligations due to ill-health.. "If an ascetic can no longer walk, he (or she) is temporarily or indefinitely exempted from the practice of wandering.2." In Jaipur, I saw a sort of bike used for monastics when they are unable to walk. A same-gendered monastic pushes the three-wheeled bike from the back, using, handle-bars with brakes, and the monastic being pushed sits inside. This allows the monastic to fulfill the commitment to wander and not stay in one place beyond a certain length of time. This sort of creative flexibility shows an active concern for debilitated monastics, which can only be beneficial for those who require help, those who help and for the order itself in keeping the spirit of the vows in changing times. It seems, therefore, that the Jaina push towards choosing to engage in death practices when one can no longer fulfil religious commitments, such as self-study for the layperson or wandering for the ascetic, does not lend itself well to a secular end-of-life context. However, the Jaina emphasis on choosing to engage in death practices to most effectively prepare for death when it is imminent can easily be accommodated in a secular end-of-life setting.
