This was a question posed by a seeker to which Br. Sattvikaji responded. The response has been copied below :
Q : A person finds out he has a terminal sickness. He cannot be cured as there is no cure in medical science. He suffers from pain day and night. The hospitalisation and other medical expenses are being borne by his family not to mention the labour of visiting doctors and hospitals. Even though money is no problem still it is waste of same and precious time and labour as there is no cure for the ailment and death is the only final result. It is being prolonged with medicines and treatment but ultimately that is going to be the result. At such a time if the patient in his full senses decides to end his own life would you call it a sin?
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Sattvikaji's response :
Poojya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda, was asked a similar question about Euthanasia. Enclosed is Poojya Gurudev's reply from a book titled - "On Wings & Wheels" Many topics like euthanasia, vegetarianism, grey areas of choice, decision making etc. are handled by Gurudev through Q & A
Q: In the case of a patient suffering from an incurable disease, would mercy killing be justified when the patient himself wants it.? (P.44 in "On wings & wheels")
Gurudev: Knowledge is to be used only in the service of mankind, and not to extend suffering. In certain cases in which our knowledge is limited and we know there is no other remedy available, mercy killing may be justified. It is not the killing that is important, as I told you earlier; it is the motive behind the action.
There should be a council of wise men from the medical profession who could meet and decide whether in a particular case and in their branch of knowledge there is any remedy.
All of them would have to agree. Then the individual could be allowed to die. It would not be killing. In fact it is not to be said that it is killing, rather it is not contributing to the continuation of the individual's sorrows.
Q: The other day in your talk you mentioned that one could withdraw medicines in such cases, but could one do something to put an end to the suffering altogether?
Gurudev: I am not asking you to inject and kill - NO! Only withdraw the medicines.
Q: Suppose after the withdrawal of medicines the person continues to linger on...
Gurudev: It can't be helped. It must be allowed. We being religious people we must surrender unto HIM. Let the Lord cure the patient or let HIM make him suffer where we are not contributing with our knowledge to lengthen the disease. The mercy killing is the mercy of the Lord, not your mercy. We leave it to God's mercy. May be the patient is required to go through the experience and for that purpose
he has been made a vegetable. If he lingers as a vegetable, you and I, the family people or members of the community, are duty bound to watch over him and ensure that no harm comes to him from outside. Let nature take its own course.
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2 comments:
As doctors say " i treat, god cures".If this is true then doctors have no right to decide about what is curable and what not. Remember some years back even TB was considered noncurable.The worst thing u r recommending is to stop medication.Then what care the near and dear ones r going to take of the patient.He is going to suffer more and more without medicines and they will be helplessly watch him die.I think one should continue to put his best foot forward and fight till finish and leave the result to god.Remember, there is always scope for miracles.
Interesting debate for many years. Guruji has suggested the most practical way of handling the situation. Mercy killing may leave a high level of guilt feeling with the near and dear ones of the patient and even doctors.Stopping the medicine is also the same as mercy killing but the patient would die his own death. Thus its a sort of win-win for all parties involved i.e.patient,doctors and affected people. Anyway in the end you are freeing the soul from the body which has become redundant for the development of soul.
Suhas
22/02/07
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