sallekhanā

Jainism

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July 23, 2026

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In Jainism, sallekhana is a religious vow and practice of ritual starvation, considered the ultimate act of self-control and triumph over passions, rather than suicide. It is the theoretical culmination of a monk's ascetic rigors, where they cease to move or eat, letting go of the body for the sake of their soul. This practice is a vow undertaken by ascetics, and while widely followed in ancient and medieval times, it is much less common today. Sallekhana is one of the vows that govern the activities of both monks and laymen in Jainism, a religion of India.12

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Jainism
Monks, nuns, and their practices
…rigours is the act of sallekhana, in which he lies on one side on a bed of thorny grass and ceases to move or eat. This act of ritual starvation is the monk’s ultimate act of nonattendance, by which he lets go of the body for the sake of his…
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…rigours is the act of sallekhana, in which he lies on one side on a bed of thorny grass and ceases to move or eat. This act of ritual starvation is the monk’s ultimate act of nonattendance, by which he lets go of the body for the sake of his…
Read More