World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 907

who encourages or preaches suicide is no monk at all.34 I-tsing, the chinese traveller, tells us that, Indian Buddhists abstained from suicide and in general from self torture.35
From these abovementioned accounts, We can conlude that, all the three religion of India condemned suicide as unethical and opposed to religion. It was disapproved by Indian calture and religions, because, suicide involves self-condenmnation or self-hatred. Unless you hate yourself, you cannot kill yourself. This is what is disapproved and prohibited by Indian society. But there are many kinds of self-immolations or voluntary deaths, prevalent in ancient and mediaeval India which were approved by religion and society as a whole. Religiously and socially approved kinds are death by drowning at the confluence of the Ganga and yamuna, and at other sacred rivers; self- cremation at one of the places of pilgrimage: hanging head-downwards over a blazing fire, cutting upon one's flesh and offering it to birds as prey; entering self-lit fire at Benaras, death by fasting, Mahaprasthāna (the great journey), sati (selfimmolation of widows), jauhar (self-immolation to save the honour of community, culture and land from enemies). These kinds of voluntary deaths are not considered to be suicide, because, these are committed for religious or some noble cause. Laying down one's own life for religious or social cause is whole-heartedly approved by the society because, as we have already pointed out, self-immolation or killing one's own self for a noble cause, is different from suicide on account of frustration. The self-immolation for religious cause involves some spiritual attainment. It is dying for religious value. Similarly, self-immolation for noble social cause, involves self-glorification (instead of self-condemnation in the case of suicide on account of frustration). The moment the person lays down his life for social cause, he becomes a national hero and is worshipped.
On religious grounds, in ancient period in India, people were allowed to commit self-immolation by drowning with the desire of securing release from this mundane world, at extremely holy places like Varanasi and Prayaga. From the very ancient times Varanasi is considered as holiest place and leaving one's body there is considered to be a means of liberation.36 Death at Prayaga is highly commended from the Vedic times downwards. It is said in the Rgveda that whoever leaves his body at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna, obtains immortality.37 During the Vedic period, self-immolation or self-sacrifice was practised, but it was very rare. In the eariy Upanisadic period, self-immolation was considered irreligious and foolish.38 In the later Upanisadic period, religious sanction was given for self-immolation to only ascetics who acquired full insight. They are allowed to enter upon the great journey (Mahāprasthāna), or choose death by voluntary starvation, by drowning, by fire or by a hero's fate 39 We find ample evidences of self-immolations
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