Published on
It's called santhara.

Coming from the Jain religious tradition, santhara is voluntary fasting to death by gradually reducing one’s intake of food and fluid. Many yogis have transitioned this way when they were very aged or very sick. It is not considered suicide because it is not an act of desperation nor does it use poisons, weapons or violence.

This ancient way of exiting the body is being rediscovered and re-applied among yogis who prefer to make a conscious departure in weeks rather than months of medical intervention and drug therapies leading to a loss of consciousness.
Upon committing to santhara it takes approximately thirty days for release to come through death.


0 Comments

Victor M. Parachin ... 

a Vedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Sadly, Victor passed away in August 2025, but his blog continues. Janet Parachin, his partner of 45 years, shares quotes from his books and articles each week. 

Archives

Categories