The Doctrine of the Jainas, Described after the Old Sources c10.145

Language: English

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§165. As indicated by the Uvās. reporting on Āṇanda it certainly happened more often than not that by practising the eleventh monastic mode of life the layman also came to practise the monastic mode of death, since the monk no less than the layman can form and carry out the resolution of ending their lives by fasting themselves to death. For the true believer this is the only possible kind of suicide³ unreservedly acknowledged and even recommended, and that is why in the way of a feeling of sympathy (ārāhaṇā, comnonly "loyalty") it is added (as saṃlehaṇā, sallehaṇā) to the solemn act of a layman taking the oath of allegiance (§ 170). This subject is treated in a study delivered by K. v. KAMPTZ⁴ on which in the main the following is based. Theory (Viy. 118a; 624a; Ṭhāṇ. 93b; 175a; Aurap.) distinguishes between a fool's (bāla) way of dying and a wise man's (paṇḍiya) manner of death⁵ by adding a third category in between. All those untouched by Mahāvīra's teaching or disregarding his postulations die the fool's death, whereas the semi-wise death (*bāla-m.*) comes to the layman who is “befallen by him unexpectedly and suddenly, without any preceding fasting, but after having confessed and on a death-bed recognized as such.”¹ In the description (Viy. 118a; Thāṇ. 93b; Nis.

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11, 92) the execution mixes with the motives among which we find the desire for post-existence (with the *niyāṇa-* or *tabbhava-maraṇa*) or, provided we do not misinterpret them, weariness and incapability (with the *valaya-* and *vas’aṭṭa-m.*). In all cases we are, of course, concerned with voluntary dying. It is unconditionally disapproved of by Mahāvīra when executed in the form of putting an end to one’s life by drowning, burning, poisoning oneself, by using a weapon or by hurling oneself down a precipice, whereas in certain cases he is not blamed (*kāraṇeṇa appaḍikuṭṭha*) who hangs himself or allows himself to be lacerated by vultures, i.e. who dies the *vehānasa-* or *giddha-paṭṭha*²-*maraṇa*. There is reason to assume that such a tolerant attitude is explicable only by the idea that the latter kind of suicide does not injure earth, water, and fire-beings by his fall. Over against this the suicide of the sage (*paṇḍiya-m.*) is the result of a fasting which as a lifelong fasting (*āvakahiya*) pertains to the system (§ 178). There are two different kinds: *bhatta-paccakkhāṇa*³ and *pāovagamana* with subdivisions for either kind. The renunciation of food expressed by the first word equally applies to the second, and the aim expressed by the second equally applies to the first. The difference consists in maintaining a posture without moving, and that is why, at least among the Śvetāmbaras, there has been since long the tendency of a wrong⁴ derivation from *pādapa*.

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This tendency may have been encouraged by the role which the tree is known to play in Indian religion in general and in both the Buddhist and Jain teaching (§ 18) in particular. Occasionally (Samav. 33a; Utt. 5, 32; and others) a third category is placed between the two mentioned above, the *ingiṇi-maraṇa*, which allows of a limited freedom to move, and after all it is probably these three that are described by Āyār. 38, 20 leaving out their technical names. The actions serving for the preparation have been represented by v. KAMPTZ on the authority of the Paiṇṇa. We here but talk of the act of confession, the atonement for publicly confessed offences and the new subjection to the great or smaller vows, the solemn renunciation of the threefold, i.e. the solid food, the taking of a soft laxative drink (*samāhi-pāṇa*) and the renunciation of the fourfold food, i.e. liquid food as well. The diffierent acts are performed in the presence of the community fellowship attending in an attitude of devout attention and accompanied by a sermon (*anusaṭṭhi*) delivered by the Guru. On the whole this corresponds with rhe description of Khandaga's death-fasting supplied by Viy. 126ff. As may be concluded from the expressions *māsiyā samlehaṇā* and *kāla-māsa*, death is expected to come in the course of a month.¹ The corpse is cremated, as was the rule (comp. Sūty. II 1, 15; Isibhās. 20 end) and as is equally said (comp. §15) of the Titthagaras.