renuka
Well-known member
I started this thread just to highlight a verse from the Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi thread.
I didn't want to spoil the sanctity of the thread hence I felt its better I write here.
This was pasted in that thread:
Suicide:
Bhagavan: Killing the innocent body is certainly wrong. Suicide must be committed on the mind, where the suffering is deposited, and not on the body, which is insentient and feels nothing. The mind is the real culprit, being the creator of the anguish which tempts to suicide, but by an error of judgement, the innocent, insentient body is punished for it.
-- S.S. Cohen
Firstly whatever I am writing is in NO way to find fault or disrespect Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi.
I just wish to highlight certain points.
Firstly, is suicide wrong?
To answer this question let's rephrase it in several ways.
Is Diabetes wrong?
Is Covid 19 wrong?
Is Cancer wrong?
Now let's rephrase this too:
Killing the innocent body with high levels of blood sugar is certainly wrong. Restrain must be committed on the mind, where the suffering of high levels of blood sugar is deposited, and not on the body, which is insentient and feels nothing. The mind is the real culprit, being the creator of the anguish which tempts to one to over indulge and be inactive, high levels of blood sugar is but by an error of judgment, the innocent, insentient body is punished for it.
Does it make sense?
Well,,,Yes and No.
Yes in the sense that in Type 2 Diabetes the mind can actually be the real culprit which tempts us to eat and not stick to healthy life style practices.
No in the sense that some do have a genetic predisposition and certainly the body suffers effect of hyperglycemia and the cascade of complications start.
So are we suffering? Yes!
The mind does identify with what the body undergoes in most of us mortals.
Now let's go back to suicide.
We have to understand that HEALTHY minds DO NOT commit suicide for the heck of it.
The human body is designed to survive at any cost.
Suicide too takes a lot of strength to execute.It isn't easy to even think of suicide.
What are the causes of suicide?
1)Mental disorders eg schizophrenia,
2)Major depression and Subclinical Depression.
3)Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome
4)Survivor's Guilt
5)Severe forms of physical/mental abuse
6)Severe financial loss/broken hearted/divorce/death of loved ones
In cases of uncontrolled Diabetes at times a person gets gangrene of the lower limb which leads to amputation of the limb.
Why? Because there is compromise in the blood supply besides infection.
In case of suicide there is "gangrene" of the mind where there is compromise in rational thoughts.
Now, is the mind the culprit in suicide?
Well, the mind is the culprit for our very existence itself.
That is what Lord Buddha called Dukha(sorrow).
The suffering we experience in life is because the mind chooses to identify with it and the body being the innocent one here suffers.
This is what "Who am I " is all about?
If one is the Mind..then we are all in Bhava Sagara(Ocean of existence)
So why single out suicide alone saying that its wrong when everything else too is wrong?
Our whole existence is an Error of Judgment hence it generates Karma.
The reason we are here itself is because of Error of Judgment by our minds.
So what next?
What to do about suicide?
Well, we have to understand that suicide is the complication of mental disorders/stress/trauma/abuse/failure etc.
Then we should take steps to address it by
1)Medication
2)Psychotherapy
3)Mindfulness practices
4)Social support
Many Guruji's do not address suicide in the correct light.
Some even label it as weakness or selfishness or excessive desires.
Its nothing like that.
We have to understand ONLY GOD is all knowing.
All of us only have a limited perception not because we are ignorant but because we come to this world with what we are allowed to access.
This is the reason why none of the "realized souls" know the cure of Covid 19.
Not becos they are ignorant but because finding the cure if NOT their Dharma hence they wont have access to it.
Mental disorders get very little recognition in the spiritual circle and many people are told "to snap out of it"
Imagine we tell a Covid 19 patient on life support "hey! Snap out of it"!
It's that insensitive and technically inaccurate too.
Summary:
A)Our very existence is an Error of Judgment which generates Karma for repeated cycle of birth and death.
B)Suicide is a disease which can be prevented by medication/therapy and NOT judgment.
I didn't want to spoil the sanctity of the thread hence I felt its better I write here.
This was pasted in that thread:
Suicide:
Bhagavan: Killing the innocent body is certainly wrong. Suicide must be committed on the mind, where the suffering is deposited, and not on the body, which is insentient and feels nothing. The mind is the real culprit, being the creator of the anguish which tempts to suicide, but by an error of judgement, the innocent, insentient body is punished for it.
-- S.S. Cohen
Firstly whatever I am writing is in NO way to find fault or disrespect Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi.
I just wish to highlight certain points.
Firstly, is suicide wrong?
To answer this question let's rephrase it in several ways.
Is Diabetes wrong?
Is Covid 19 wrong?
Is Cancer wrong?
Now let's rephrase this too:
Killing the innocent body with high levels of blood sugar is certainly wrong. Restrain must be committed on the mind, where the suffering of high levels of blood sugar is deposited, and not on the body, which is insentient and feels nothing. The mind is the real culprit, being the creator of the anguish which tempts to one to over indulge and be inactive, high levels of blood sugar is but by an error of judgment, the innocent, insentient body is punished for it.
Does it make sense?
Well,,,Yes and No.
Yes in the sense that in Type 2 Diabetes the mind can actually be the real culprit which tempts us to eat and not stick to healthy life style practices.
No in the sense that some do have a genetic predisposition and certainly the body suffers effect of hyperglycemia and the cascade of complications start.
So are we suffering? Yes!
The mind does identify with what the body undergoes in most of us mortals.
Now let's go back to suicide.
We have to understand that HEALTHY minds DO NOT commit suicide for the heck of it.
The human body is designed to survive at any cost.
Suicide too takes a lot of strength to execute.It isn't easy to even think of suicide.
What are the causes of suicide?
1)Mental disorders eg schizophrenia,
2)Major depression and Subclinical Depression.
3)Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome
4)Survivor's Guilt
5)Severe forms of physical/mental abuse
6)Severe financial loss/broken hearted/divorce/death of loved ones
In cases of uncontrolled Diabetes at times a person gets gangrene of the lower limb which leads to amputation of the limb.
Why? Because there is compromise in the blood supply besides infection.
In case of suicide there is "gangrene" of the mind where there is compromise in rational thoughts.
Now, is the mind the culprit in suicide?
Well, the mind is the culprit for our very existence itself.
That is what Lord Buddha called Dukha(sorrow).
The suffering we experience in life is because the mind chooses to identify with it and the body being the innocent one here suffers.
This is what "Who am I " is all about?
If one is the Mind..then we are all in Bhava Sagara(Ocean of existence)
So why single out suicide alone saying that its wrong when everything else too is wrong?
Our whole existence is an Error of Judgment hence it generates Karma.
The reason we are here itself is because of Error of Judgment by our minds.
So what next?
What to do about suicide?
Well, we have to understand that suicide is the complication of mental disorders/stress/trauma/abuse/failure etc.
Then we should take steps to address it by
1)Medication
2)Psychotherapy
3)Mindfulness practices
4)Social support
Many Guruji's do not address suicide in the correct light.
Some even label it as weakness or selfishness or excessive desires.
Its nothing like that.
We have to understand ONLY GOD is all knowing.
All of us only have a limited perception not because we are ignorant but because we come to this world with what we are allowed to access.
This is the reason why none of the "realized souls" know the cure of Covid 19.
Not becos they are ignorant but because finding the cure if NOT their Dharma hence they wont have access to it.
Mental disorders get very little recognition in the spiritual circle and many people are told "to snap out of it"
Imagine we tell a Covid 19 patient on life support "hey! Snap out of it"!
It's that insensitive and technically inaccurate too.
Summary:
A)Our very existence is an Error of Judgment which generates Karma for repeated cycle of birth and death.
B)Suicide is a disease which can be prevented by medication/therapy and NOT judgment.