What is Sallekhana (Santhara)? The Jain Ritual of Conquering Death

Death is a subject that invokes fear, grief, and avoidance in almost all cultures across the globe. However, in the deeply spiritual and austere framework of Jainism, a conscious, peaceful, and fearless death is celebrated as the ultimate spiritual achievement. This philosophy is embodied in the ancient practice of 'Sallekhana' (also known as 'Santhara' in the Shvetambara tradition), a rigorous vow wherein an individual voluntarily and gradually reduces the intake of food and water as natural death approaches. Often misunderstood by the modern world and legal systems as a form of suicide, Sallekhana is, in reality, a highly regulated, passionless, and joyous shedding of the mortal body to attain absolute spiritual liberation (Moksha).