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Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!decvax!ittvax!wex
From: wex@ittvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Subject: More info
Message-ID: <787@ittvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Jun-83 10:00:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: ittvax.787
Posted: Thu Jun 16 10:00:29 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Jun-83 23:08:23 EDT
Lines: 34


Alan Watt's last comments sparked an interest in me.  I have done a little
research into some Eastern philosophies (note: NOT religions.  In the east,
reverence is NOT worship in the western sense).  While I am not familiar 
with Shintioism, I do know that Buddhism was majorly resposible for the
practice of hara-kiri that Alan Watt referred to.

Buddhism holds that from good can come only good, and from evil can come
only evil.  By this theory, if you took an important action, and it had
evil consequences, then you were inherently an evil being, and therefore
you were obligated to end your existence.

This ending had two important features.  First, there were the cermonies
performed which were a form of apology to your revered ancestors for your
failure.  Additionally, if you owed allegiance of some form to anyone,
then you must include an apology to them as well.  (Mind you, I am aware
that I am vastly oversimplifying an extremely complex topic.)
Second, the ending of this life did not in any way mean a termination of
the existence of your ki or spirit (Unfortunately, spirit is a totally
inadequate word to capture what ki is.  Please bear in mind that the
soul as a distinct entity was a western invention, as were 'heaven' and
'hell.'  Ki is more part of a natural, universal, not necessarily individual,
force.  Remember that in order to attainthe state of being known as Nirvana,
it is necessary to surrender your individuality.)

Well, this has been a rather long ramble, but I hope it has been 
informational.  I would be interested to see comments on the thought of 
mandatory suicide as a means of starting over.

Alan Wexelblat
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