Fasting To The Death: Is It A Religious Rite Or Suicide?

Julie McCarthy of NPR reports on the Jain religious tradition of santhara, which occurs when a person who is very old or sick decides to stop eating in order to die. India’s Supreme Court is considering whether or not the religious rite can be legally deemed as suicide, which is punishable by law. “You see in all religions the art of living is taught — how to live a good life,” says A.K. Jain, who runs a foundation in India to promote understanding of the religion. “But in no religion it is taught how to die. So santhara is basically the art of dying.”

Read at NPR

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