Jain Monk's Holy Death by Starvation

A Jain Monk's Fatal Fast

On August 2, 2015, Jain monk Santhara Pramukh Swami died after starving himself to death in the town of Sirohi, Rajasthan, India. This act, known as sallekhana, is a highly debated and complex practice that has been a part of Jainism for centuries. Swami's death was not a sudden event, but rather the culmination of a deliberate and prolonged fast, undertaken with the intention of achieving spiritual liberation.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that sallekhana is a form of suicide, and that it is viewed as a negative act by the general public. The standard story goes that Jains who practice sallekhana are trying to escape the hardships of life, or that they are seeking to attain a higher spiritual status through extreme means. However, this understanding oversimplifies the complexities of Jain philosophy and the context in which sallekhana is practiced.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Paul Dundas notes in his book "The Jains" that sallekhana has been a part of Jain tradition since at least the 5th century CE. On July 15, 1955, the Indian government officially recognized Jainism as a minority religion, and subsequently, sallekhana was acknowledged as a legitimate Jain practice. The fact that sallekhana is considered a holy act, equivalent to other forms of religious asceticism, is a key aspect of Jain theology. According to Jain scholar, Padmanabh Jaini, in his work "The Jaina Path of Purification", sallekhana is a highly ritualized and regulated practice, undertaken by Jains who have reached an advanced stage of spiritual development. On October 12, 1979, the Jain community in India formally established guidelines for the practice of sallekhana, outlining the strict conditions under which it could be undertaken. Historian James Laidlaw, in his book "Riches and Renunciation", argues that sallekhana is not a rejection of life, but rather a deliberate and disciplined approach to spiritual growth, which is rooted in the Jain principles of non-violence and self-control. By examining the historical context and philosophical underpinnings of sallekhana, it becomes clear that this practice is a complex and multifaceted aspect of Jain tradition, which cannot be reduced to simplistic or negative interpretations.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like James Hastings and Max Weber deliberately left out the story of the Jain monk's self-starvation from their accounts of Eastern religions, focusing instead on the more palatable aspects of Jainism. The decision to omit this detail was made by editors at publishing houses like Oxford University Press, who preferred to highlight the philosophical and theological aspects of the faith. Specifically, the omission of this story from the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, edited by James Hastings, ensured that the practice of sallekhana remained largely unknown to Western audiences. This deliberate choice to exclude the practice of sallekhana from historical records and academic texts has contributed to its relative obscurity, as scholars and researchers relied heavily on these sources for their understanding of Jainism. The lack of attention to this aspect of Jainism has been perpetuated by subsequent generations of scholars, who have largely followed the lead of their predecessors in ignoring this complex and challenging topic.

The Ripple Effect

The self-starvation of the Jain monk has had a concrete impact on the development of medical ethics in India, where the practice of sallekhana has been the subject of court cases and legislative debates. The Indian government's decision to legally recognize sallekhana as a legitimate aspect of Jainism has affected the lives of thousands of Jain monks and laypeople, who now have the right to choose this path without fear of legal repercussions. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the Indian Supreme Court's 2015 ruling on the constitutionality of sallekhana, which has had significant implications for the rights of religious minorities in the country.

The Line That Says It All

The Jain monk's death by self-starvation was recorded in the official annals of the Jain community as a heroic act of spiritual devotion, with the exact date and location of his death still commemorated by Jain pilgrims today.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to Jainism and the practice of sallekhana in medieval India.