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Jaina Voluntary Death as a Model for Secular End-of-life Care
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in the "...intermediate phase of renunciation... when he gives all his belongings away.28". In terms of attachment to loved-ones, the practitioner is not surrounded by family, but rather, monastic assistants.
"...the saints who ordain or cause the saints to undertake this
vow in a prescribed way, are called 'Expiation/holy death preceptors' (niryāpakas).
The Head-Saints have advocated the presence of 48 saints when a saint undertakes the vow of holy death. They let him undertake the vow of holy death in a proper place and,
then, perform various duties as described below: (1) Four saints serve the mortifier saint to raise him, to get
him seated and so on so that there may be no difficulty in
observance of restraint. (2) Four saints cause him to listen to religious scriptures. (3) Four saints cause him to take foods as prescribed by
Ācārānga (Book on Monastic Conduct). (4) Four saints arrange for the potable drinks for him. (5) Four saints try to protect him. (6) Four saints remove the filthy excretions of the body of
the saint. (7) Four saints remain at the door of the place where the
saint is undertaking his holy death vow. (8) Four saints arrange and address the visitors to the saint. (9) Four saints take care of the saint in the night while
awake. (10) Four saints judge the situation of the country and public. (11) Four saints tell the religious stories to the outside
visitors. (12) Four saints refute the alien doctrines through debates.
Thus, these forty eight holy death preceptor saints try to get the saint cross the ocean of weary world through their care in maintaining the meditation and equanimity
