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Thread: Euthanasia

  1. #11

    Re: Euthanasia

    Namaste

    Is there a chapter and verse of the shastras available to back up the statement - 'By karmic law, one who commits suicide becomes a ghost.' ?
    I am simply giving the quote for information, it is not my place to make any judgement or statement. Please forgive me.

    Garuda Purana 2.22.8-13: "Those who meet with foul death such as 
committing suicide by hanging from a tree, by poison or weapon,
    .....
    ...
    ..
    become ghosts and roam over the earth.
    "

    Removal of Life Support
    According to Vedic principles, removal of life support systems is justified when the assistive device is the major impediment to the death process. Ayurveda also allows for suspension of hydration and nourishment at the request of a terminally ill patient who chooses to fast, even if such fasting will accelerate death. Prayopavesha, voluntary fasting unto death for those who are terminally ill, is to be undertaken only under the authority and with the blessings of senior members of the patient’s faith.

    Suicide
    According to sastra, suicide postpones and intensifies karma. However, as stated above, Ayurvedic ethics allow prayopavesha, voluntary death by fasting. The patient making such a decision must declare it publicly, to distinguish the act from suicide committed privately in traumatic emotional states of anguish and despair, and to allow for family and religious community intervention. Prayopavesha is allowed when the patient is unable to perform normal bodily purification, death appears imminent, and pain and suffering are extreme (such that mitigating them would entail loss of consciousness). Prayopavesha is gradual, and allows the patient to reflect and reconsider his/her decision. After due deliberation, voluntary fasting unto death should be undertaken as sadhana, with the support of a community of faith.

    - Kj. Nimai Nitai Das (formerly writing for this journal as Murari Chaitanya dasa) is a Preceptor in the Suddha Ayurveda Vidyalaya, and an Asst. Clinical Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health at Tufts University School of Medicine. He can be reached at PositiveAyurveda@comcast.net
    Although the Vedas reject the suicide, dying by fasting (prayopavista) is the only authorized, karma-free way to die. An example is Maharaja Pariksit (SB 1.4.10, 1.19.5,7,12,18, 12.12.57).

    - vedabase
    Not to split hairs, but if we believe that a soul can reincarnate into anything, isn't it just as wrong to terminate a sick animal's life thereby "cheating" its karma?
    Yes, although it may sound harsh and cruel, people who advocate passive over active have the same thing to say about animals, pets. It is not our business to interfere with the soul's path and short-circuit the animal's karma, rather leave the terminally ill animal alone with food and water and pray for it, pray to alleviate its pain in this body, chant Mahamantra, KrushNa's holy names, kirtan ...

    Jai Shri KrushNa

    praNAm
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  2. #12
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    Jainarayan is offline ॠनमो भगवते वासà¥à¤¦à¥‡à¤µà¤¾à ¤¯
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    Re: Euthanasia

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Vannakkam Minotaur: Not all Hindus believe that. I don't. I believe that there are a couple of circumstances where humans, because of karma, could become animals that are close to humans, but that's it.
    Ah, one learns something new every day. Thanks.

    Prolonging life with intrusive methods is a boon to science not humanity.
    Without a doubt.

    it is said that aged Inuit people just went for a long walk when they were no longer useful to the group. No doubt it was the individual's choice.

    Aum Namasivaya
    I've heard that too. There is a very old movie (the 1960s, probably) with Anthony Quinn as an Inuit. The movie was called The Savage Innocents. I remember the scene where his mother-in-law felt her life was coming to its end. She went out to sit on the ice. The last thing you saw was a polar bear approaching, as the family moved on with their possessions on the sled. It was sad.
    śivasya hridayam viṣṇur viṣṇoscha hridayam śivaḥ

  3. Re: Euthanasia

    Hello,

    I am currently doing an assignment at school relating to euthanasia and the connections between Hinduism,
    I have created a short survey to assist in my research, if any of you could please complete the short survey (3 mins) it would be a major help.
    link below:
    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZT66SFY

    Regards Sashin Govinda

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    Re: Euthanasia

    Namaste,

    California Governor signs the 'right to die' bill into law.

    http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/05/us/cal...ion/index.html

    Pranam.

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    Re: Euthanasia

    Namaskar ji,

    This thread reminds me of one of my early posts, which was a question of if an individual could actually die "before their time" or not. Can a life be cut short. I was not really talking about suicide there, though if I recall it was brought up. At the time the general response was 'no, most likely not', or at least that's what I understood from the replies. So, if that really is the case, how does suicide then cut a person's life short? There are plenty of people who attempt and fail. Could it not be said that those who succeed it was really their time and those who failed, it wasn't? Or if it does create a ghost as mentioned in an earlier post, then perhaps that is actually that person's matured karmic fruit and a part of their path - even if it's a sad one?

    This is a very difficult and emotionally charged subject. I too have watched loved ones die slowly, and helped to care for them. Some from cancer, one from Alzheimer's. In that last case, I got to watch him slowly lose his mind and his self, too. As this happened, the brief moments when he would come back to himself were some of the worst. It's one thing to sit next to your father or grandfather and have him tell you that you should meet (insert you own name here) because you're so much like that person and would be great friends. But to have to carry them to toilet and help clean them, then have them come back to themselves and realize and see the shame, horror and embarrassment of it... there is NO dignity in this at all. It's a form of torture.

    Even now, I do not know where I stand on this issue. I would have liked to spare each of my loved ones this, but while one is still alive there is also still hope for a cure or treatment coming into clinical trial or getting approved for use... I have also seen a dear loved one fight a cancer that has a 95% chance of re-occurance, and win. I don't know what is right here, but what I know is I am no judge. And people should have the right to choose for themselves. Without judgement. So I support that bill.

    Regardless, if anyone has very strong feelings about their own care, and choices to be made if they are not personally capable, and if that person lives in a country where they can define their own choices in advance, then the best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones is to create a 'Living Will' explaining the choices you would make for yourself, if in any of these situations and unable to make the decisions yourself at that time. Don't leave it to a trusted loved one - what if they are unavailable or become conflicted despite knowing your wishes. Write it, include any scenarios you can think of, if you can then have a lawyer look it over, and have it notarized - or whatever equivalent exists in countries besides the US. Keep a copy on your person, like you do your ID and wallet. Give copies to loved ones and/or your physician and have a talk with them about it. Don't put off doing it if it is an option where you live, and if you have strong feelings in any direction.

    I hope and pray I will never have to be in a position where I have to make any such decisions for a loved one. Most of mine have Living Wills, so have made their own choices for themselves already.

    ~Pranam
    Last edited by Aanandinii; 08 October 2015 at 12:40 PM.
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

  6. #16
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    Re: Euthanasia

    There are some yogis who have literally starved themselves to death, and we might hear to siddha yogis who cut off their own head to offer to Divine, or some priest who burns himself alive (self-immolation) in protest over some abuse of his or her religious community or in dire warning of some pending disaster due to sin, and so on. Or a wife who enters the funeral pyre, or Royal ladies who all burn themselves to death or take poison rather than be raped by conquering demons or thugs.

    There are other examples, none of which have anything to do with such "right to die" laws pushed as part of agendas.

    First of all, the not so secret "secret", at least here in California, is that since the 1950s if some suffering patient in constant, and hopeless condition of pain and who will die anyway, the patient let's the doctor know it is time and the doctor would overdose or give the a mix of injections and so on, and the patient would die. This is not "right to die", it was done anyway and a known fact.

    It is a well known and not so secret "secret", in war, if a soldier is found far in the field critcally wounded, going to die, no way to get the boy out and away from the enemy, the field person will shoot them in the head or give them an overdose of morphine. They will say to Congress it is not done. But it is. Again, absolutely nothing to do with "right to die". The field commanders have their unwritten laws and they do it.

    These same doctors also would not support so called "right to die" laws even though they would at times administer a final death to a patient in extreme condition and pain. Why would they oppose?

    The same reason I oppose. It has been shown time and again in history, once written in law then you will have the situation of elder abuse - bad children or relatives or "guardians" who releatedly abuse elders, or even children, as "useless" (they don't even want to feed them, they are so selfish and greedy or want to steal their property or other, they never liked the girl who married their son and so on), and with the flimsy of excuses commit mental totrture on the person who may actually be suffering from some handicap or ailment but nothing to the extent to end one's life, and then the relentless abuse and duress and presure and repeated calls "why don't you just kill yourself!?!". They abuse them to the point, and make them feel so unloved and unwanted, they reach a point where they actually want to die, now legal, and give a corrupt doctor the permission to kill them. The doctor gets a cut of money or bribe or status or favor.

    Don't think so? Think so, because it is true and there are very cruel people in this world.

    It happens when you have laws making this legal. Sure, it happens even when not legal, but much, much more of this abuse when legal to get rid of a parent in an expensive long term care home or simply to abuse and get rid of them to steal property or other. It will now happen in California if indeed this "law" is what I hear it is. Fools who support it now, and later in life when they become "useless" to their children of a bad upbringing, will find out the truth.

    And there is zero connection between such "laws" and yogic "suicide".

  7. #17
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    Re: Euthanasia

    Namaste,

    Quote Originally Posted by ShivaFan View Post
    Fools who support it now, and ......
    ShivaFan, we still respect you and your opinion, even though you call us names.
    Just ease up on eating too many fiery hot peppers before making posts.

    Pranam.

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    Re: Euthanasia

    Dear friends ,
    Just as a person wan ts to live in dignity , he should be allowed to die in dignity . Like in any other area , there could be some mischief in this area too . But still I feel a person should have the freedom to die if he or she is terminally ill. Netherlands Govt should be praised for this decision.

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    Re: Euthanasia

    Namaste

    Funny people and their equally funny judiciary. Who has given you (government/state/country/organization/donkey?) the right to judge my pain and pleasure?

    And to those who support this, I have got a question. Sincerely hope the supporter(s) won't be a hypocrite.

    As a biological parent will you go against the generally accepted norms (or the law of land or whatever) if two of your children decide to marry among themselves?

    PS: I am tempted to join the conversation although this is old thread restarted by a new comer.
    Anirudh...

  10. #20
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    Re: Euthanasia

    Quote Originally Posted by Anirudh View Post
    Namaste

    Funny people and their equally funny judiciary. Who has given you (government/state/country/organization/donkey?) the right to judge my pain and pleasure?

    And to those who support this, I have got a question. Sincerely hope the supporter(s) won't be a hypocrite.

    As a biological parent will you go against the generally accepted norms (or the law of land or whatever) if two of your children decide to marry among themselves?

    PS: I am tempted to join the conversation although this is old thread restarted by a new comer.
    Namaste Anirudh Ji,

    First, that you posted at all means you have joined the conversation, regardless of whether you try to derail it with off-topic strawmen or not.

    Second, I know I'll probably regret validating your post with any kind of a response, but what on earth does incest have anything to do with euthanasia, DNRs, and the right to choose your own time of death rather than a long, painful and drawn out one?

    ~Pranam
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

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