Sramana 2016 01

Author(s): Shreeprakash Pandey, Rahulkumar Singh, Omprakash Singh
Publisher: Parshvanath Vidhyashram Varanasi

Page 88

SALLEKHANĀ : A WAY OF FACING DEATH ARTISTICALLY: 81
himself to pursue a course of gradual fasting which meant last for years together. A monk falling ill and incapable of performing his duties of self-disciple may, however, take recourse to sallekhanā without any preliminary preparation. Sallekhanā is generally to be performed in a gradual process. First, a person practicing sallekhanā is to abstain from taking solid food and to live only on liquid food like milk fruit-juice etc. Then he is to live on warm water only. At last, he is to give up warm water also and is to wait for death. During this last stage, he is to go on reciting hymns only. Acārya Samantabhadra says, "leaving the food, one should increase gradually the greasy drinks, and leaving the drinks like milk etc, he should increase the chācha and hot water in his intake. And after, he should leave even the hot drinks and observe fasting according to his ability and should leave his body contemplating on pañcanamaskāra mantra."8 Apparently, this process seems to be a process of inviting death but it is not suicide, though it is true that person accepting this vow is all the time trying to invite death gradually. The main objective of this vow is to get conquest over passions to remove attachment, aversion etc. The Ideal Place to perform Sallekhanā So for as the venue is considered Bhagavati Ārādhanā has clearly mentioned- arihanta siddha sāgarūpam sarama khirapuppha phalabharidam, ujjhāņa bhavaņa toraņa pāsadam ņāga jakkha gharam/° The ideal place for practicing sallekhanā are jinālaya or temple premises, siddha-kşetra, on the top of similar hills of liberated souls and near tanks containing lotus (lotus ponds). However willing aspirants can observe the vow in their houses or temple premises, or on the top of a hill. Spiritual Activities undertaken during the Sallekhanā An aspirant resolving to undergo sallekhanā knows it well that he has eaten a lot of food to sustain his body during this life and