Dharma Inquiry takes place two or three times in a weeklong retreat, lasting from a few minutes to 30 minutes or more. The meditator decides to come and sit beside me at the front of the Dharma Hall. Inquiry can take the form of questions or sharing of an experience, concerns and explorations of life on Earth. The participant or myself can say ‘Thank You’ to bring the Inquiry to a close at any time. The following is a transcribed/edited version of an Inquiry, occasionally with additional sentences to expand on the theme to support the reader’s experience. Inquiry took place in Germany in 2024. Permission given to transcribe.
The Buddha on Suicide
Q. I am interested in learning about the Buddhist tradition. I wish to learn about the Dharma view in relation to my work. I work with individuals experiencing severe depression and suicidal ideation.
Suicide net at Golden Gate bridge. San Francisco
CT. Chronically suicidal?
Q. Yes, at times. What is the view in the Buddhist tradition on suicide, on the deliberate act to take one’s own life? In Austria, the legal status of assisted suicide has undergone a transformation. The law ( since 2022)now provides support for those who wish to end their own lives. This represents a significant shift from the previous position. This is not the case in the country where I live. My question pertains to the Buddhist view on ending one’s life. I am aware of the Buddha’s teaching, which stated ‘life is suffering.’
CT. The Buddha did not state that life is suffering. He said suffering arises in life due to causes and conditions.
Q. In my initial interactions with depressed or suicidal citizens, I have found the initial step is to be fully present for them. I must concede that I am experiencing some difficulty in this regard. I am uncertain as to the best course of action. I am not attempting to persuade them to stop their desire for death. I focus on fostering a connection. I strive to convey love through my presence and intentions. My intention includes facilitating my own growth and understanding. Is there a more straightforward process? What can I implement?
CT. I am not in a position to speak on behalf of the Buddhist tradition. There are numerous traditions and within the traditions, a multitude of lineages, large and small. You can probably find a diversity of views on suicide. Compassion always takes priority for those who suffer to the point of self-harm. Some Buddhist traditions do not see suicide as a solution due to rebecoming of unresolved problems. I can say a few words on the Buddha’s priority. He emphasised care for life – personal, social, for all humanity, creatures and the natural world. Awareness, ethics, kindness form part of the body of his teachings. Two discourses refer specifically to the suicide of two monks. The monks shared their suicidal ideation and intentions. The Buddha did not offer a judgemental view, nor tried to persuade either to hold onto their life, nor regard suicide as a failure. In the teachings, death of the ego takes priority.
Q. What were the circumstances for a person wishing to commit suicide?
CT. It seems both individuals were enduring intense and unremitting pain. One monk said he wanted to “take to the knife” – probably meaning to cut his wrists, stab himself or take poison. It is important to note that such incidents occurred over 2,600 years ago. Significant advancements have been made in painkillers and pain relief.
The monk, Channa, spoke to Sariputta, a respected Dharma teacher in the Sangha, who asked Channa questions. The Buddha’s response showed Channa, who took to the knife, did not produce negative karma with negative consequences. He found no fault with his decision due Channa’s depth of wisdom and insights. This indicates the monk dwelt in calm and clarity of mind.
Another monk, Vakkali, who killed himself, suffered from a serious illness. The Buddha told the Sangha of practitioners that Vakkali abided free from any suffering in his mind. The Buddha neither endorsed suicide nor cricitised it. He respected the mental clarity of the two monks.
Give maximum support to a person on the edge of life and death. Some reach the point where self-harm is more than a thought. Is there a strong intention? Perhaps a person has engaged in self harm in a previous occasion. Develop a caring communication with a person who is suicidal, be aware of their circumstances. Stay receptive to the whole person. See the person in a non-dual way.
Q. What does non-dual mean?
CT. In most cases, your heart wishes to preserve the person’s life. If your desire comes across strongly, you will want the person to live. Some may respond to your wish but others can become more resistant to living. The person hears it as a pressure adding to the inner pressure present of desire for self-harm and self-extinction. Love and empathy matter. It isn’t easy in your work or in a personal situation to stay as calm and steady as possible, not caught up in the duality of life and death -not holding onto life and fighting death regardless of what you see or hear. Dwell without prejudice for life and against death or prejudice toward death and against life.
I remember two decades ago or more reading in a San Francisco newspaper about a suicidal doctor. She left a note on her table in her home in the city. As I recall, the note said, “I’m going to throw myself off the Golden Gate bridge. If anybody looks at me, and smiles, I won’t continue walking to the bridge and will go back home. A smile means a signal to go on living.”
Nobody smiled. Never underestimate the importance of warmth, empathy and kindness. Have no prejudice in the mind towards anybody, nor life, nor death. Stay true to empathy and kindness.
May all beings be at peace with themselves
May all beings be at peace with each other
May all beings live in peace and harmony.
PS. Around 2000 people, and possible many more, have committed suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge in California. A suicide prevention net was finally erected around the bridge in January 2024. This bridge has an international reputation as the world’s number one suicide location.
Thanks Christopher for all your reflections here.
I know many people who have expressed surprise at the instances of suicide in the Suttas, and how the Buddha responds to them. Not at all what they expected.
I’ve always been struck by how focused the Buddha was on the focus of the spiritual. I believe you hit the nail on the head in your remarks on this.
Best wishes in the Dhamma