Fasting in civilizations and religions.. Fasting until death in the Jain religion
These days, Muslims perform the obligation of fasting , but it is not an Islamic ritual. Humans have known it since the beginning of creation, and many different civilizations and cultures have known it. It is also an obligation among all Abrahamic religions, and some ancient peoples have also known it, including Jainism.
Fasting until death is a measure taken by followers of the Jain religion who have become ill to the point where treatment is difficult. This type of fasting is not considered suicide in their view, because it does not occur under the influence of anger, sadness, or other bad feelings, but rather it is a decision taken at a time when death is inevitable due to illness.
Out of asceticism, a person decides to give up everything materialistic for the purpose of cleansing the body of all desires, removing sins, liberating the soul from the orbit of birth, and preparing for resurrection again, according to their belief.
Experts estimate that, specifically in India, there are more than 200 people who die annually in this method called Santhara, which some call for it to be criminalized and banned. Followers of the Jain religion consider it a virtue, as Sadhvi Shubhankar, a priest of the Jain religion, says: “It is not a suicidal act, but rather a thought.” "Rational and courageous."
It begins when a follower of Jainism feels that he has entered the final stage of his life, so he seeks permission from his friends and family to begin practicing Santhara, and then gradually begins to give up food, drink, and all worldly attachments in order to achieve peace with death. As for those who are unable to When this work is completed, they are declared to have failed the vow and must abandon their fast. The longest period in which someone was able to survive fasting in this way was recorded in the name of a 60-year-old Rajasthan Rajasthani in 2009, and thousands of followers of the religion flocked to see him in his last moments and celebrate. with it.
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