Dec. 16, 2025
Suicide Does Not Provide an Escape From the Difficulties of Life or of Spiritual Development
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 3, In Difficulty, pp. 57-58
This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/suicide-does-not-provide-an-escape-from-the-difficulties-of-life-or-of-spiritual-development/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #suicide #Milarepa #spirituality
1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,680
An individual reaches an
absolute low point in his life.
2
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,200
He may be suffering under
intense grief.
3
00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:11,920
He may have made mistakes that
led to catastrophic
4
00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:16,040
consequences.
He may be faced with exposure
5
00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,880
and embarrassment for actions he
has undertaken.
6
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:23,840
He may be in intense pain and
suffering from a terminal
7
00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,520
disease.
He may have been rejected by a
8
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,200
person he was attached to.
He may be under the influence of
9
00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:37,560
various disorienting drugs.
These are all predisposing
10
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,000
circumstances that lead some
individuals to contemplate
11
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,480
suicide.
There are even spiritual
12
00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,640
aspirants who feel like they are
unable to succeed in their
13
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,680
spiritual practice and who find
no way to move forward.
14
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,240
The great Tibetan Yogi Melarapa
contemplated suicide when he
15
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,560
reached a point of despair about
achieving liberation in one
16
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,760
lifetime to make up for the
harmful sinful acts he had
17
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,640
committed previously.
Luckily, his guru was able to
18
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:16,000
see in his despair A readiness
for the teachings and used that
19
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,360
as the foundation upon which the
truth of his life could be
20
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:24,040
unfolded.
What do people expect the result
21
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,640
of suicide to be?
For the most part, suicide seems
22
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,640
to be a reaction to a present
circumstance and not much
23
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440
consideration is given to what
may eventuate in the future.
24
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,280
Many people do not have a clear
conception of what, if any,
25
00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:46,280
existence there is after death.
In a more or less simple way,
26
00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,920
they assume that suicide will
erase the current bad
27
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,480
circumstance and there is
nothing afterwards.
28
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:59,520
They simply die and it is over.
For those who understand the
29
00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,480
deeper consequences of the chain
of cause and effect, the law of
30
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:08,919
karma and the process of
rebirth, the deeper consequences
31
00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,720
are recognized.
Of course, it is clear to them
32
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,240
that suicide is not some kind of
escape hatch, but simply a
33
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:22,200
process that delays and
intensifies the suffering in a
34
00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,320
future incarnation.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
35
00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,360
shows how the direction of the
thoughts and desires of the
36
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,920
being at the time of death can
lead to various circumstances of
37
00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:37,240
rebirth.
And for those who bring intense
38
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,920
despair and suffering into the
process, the resultant births
39
00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,840
can be painful indeed.
At some point, each individual
40
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,720
will need to face the
circumstances that are causing
41
00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,560
him to respond with a sense of
suffering, despair or depression
42
00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:01,520
and through courage and armed
with patience and perseverance,
43
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,640
find the solution to the
challenges presented to him in
44
00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,440
his life.
It is just such a circumstance
45
00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,240
that can be the first step for
that individual on his way to
46
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,200
understanding the deeper meaning
of his life and the reason for
47
00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:22,440
the difficulties he is facing.
Just as Milarepa reached
48
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:27,240
spiritual enlightenment from the
depth of his despair, it is open
49
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:32,040
to every individual to seek the
deeper meaning of his life and
50
00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,800
proceed to move in the direction
of light, growth and
51
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,280
understanding that provides the
antidote to the feelings that
52
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,920
bring one to the contemplation
of suicide.
53
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:51,520
Fioro Bindo writes quote suicide
is an absurd solution.
54
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,600
He is quite mistaken in thinking
that it will give him peace.
55
00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,080
He will only carry his
difficulties with him into a
56
00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,360
more miserable condition of
existence beyond and bring them
57
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,880
back to another life on earth.
The only remedy is to shake off
58
00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:13,240
these morbid ideas and face life
with a clear will for some
59
00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,959
definite work to be done as the
life's aim and with a quiet and
60
00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:25,560
active courage and quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
61
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:31,200
of Yoga, Chapter 3 in
difficulty, pages 57 to 58.
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,680
An individual reaches an
absolute low point in his life.
2
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,200
He may be suffering under
intense grief.
3
00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:11,920
He may have made mistakes that
led to catastrophic
4
00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:16,040
consequences.
He may be faced with exposure
5
00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,880
and embarrassment for actions he
has undertaken.
6
00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:23,840
He may be in intense pain and
suffering from a terminal
7
00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:27,520
disease.
He may have been rejected by a
8
00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:32,200
person he was attached to.
He may be under the influence of
9
00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:37,560
various disorienting drugs.
These are all predisposing
10
00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,000
circumstances that lead some
individuals to contemplate
11
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,480
suicide.
There are even spiritual
12
00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,640
aspirants who feel like they are
unable to succeed in their
13
00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,680
spiritual practice and who find
no way to move forward.
14
00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,240
The great Tibetan Yogi Melarapa
contemplated suicide when he
15
00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,560
reached a point of despair about
achieving liberation in one
16
00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,760
lifetime to make up for the
harmful sinful acts he had
17
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,640
committed previously.
Luckily, his guru was able to
18
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:16,000
see in his despair A readiness
for the teachings and used that
19
00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,360
as the foundation upon which the
truth of his life could be
20
00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:24,040
unfolded.
What do people expect the result
21
00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,640
of suicide to be?
For the most part, suicide seems
22
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,640
to be a reaction to a present
circumstance and not much
23
00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,440
consideration is given to what
may eventuate in the future.
24
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,280
Many people do not have a clear
conception of what, if any,
25
00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:46,280
existence there is after death.
In a more or less simple way,
26
00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,920
they assume that suicide will
erase the current bad
27
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,480
circumstance and there is
nothing afterwards.
28
00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:59,520
They simply die and it is over.
For those who understand the
29
00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,480
deeper consequences of the chain
of cause and effect, the law of
30
00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:08,919
karma and the process of
rebirth, the deeper consequences
31
00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,720
are recognized.
Of course, it is clear to them
32
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,240
that suicide is not some kind of
escape hatch, but simply a
33
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:22,200
process that delays and
intensifies the suffering in a
34
00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:26,320
future incarnation.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
35
00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,360
shows how the direction of the
thoughts and desires of the
36
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,920
being at the time of death can
lead to various circumstances of
37
00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:37,240
rebirth.
And for those who bring intense
38
00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,920
despair and suffering into the
process, the resultant births
39
00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,840
can be painful indeed.
At some point, each individual
40
00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,720
will need to face the
circumstances that are causing
41
00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,560
him to respond with a sense of
suffering, despair or depression
42
00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:01,520
and through courage and armed
with patience and perseverance,
43
00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,640
find the solution to the
challenges presented to him in
44
00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,440
his life.
It is just such a circumstance
45
00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,240
that can be the first step for
that individual on his way to
46
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:17,200
understanding the deeper meaning
of his life and the reason for
47
00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:22,440
the difficulties he is facing.
Just as Milarepa reached
48
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:27,240
spiritual enlightenment from the
depth of his despair, it is open
49
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:32,040
to every individual to seek the
deeper meaning of his life and
50
00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,800
proceed to move in the direction
of light, growth and
51
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,280
understanding that provides the
antidote to the feelings that
52
00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,920
bring one to the contemplation
of suicide.
53
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:51,520
Fioro Bindo writes quote suicide
is an absurd solution.
54
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,600
He is quite mistaken in thinking
that it will give him peace.
55
00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,080
He will only carry his
difficulties with him into a
56
00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,360
more miserable condition of
existence beyond and bring them
57
00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,880
back to another life on earth.
The only remedy is to shake off
58
00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:13,240
these morbid ideas and face life
with a clear will for some
59
00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,959
definite work to be done as the
life's aim and with a quiet and
60
00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:25,560
active courage and quote.
Reference Sri Aurobindo, Bases
61
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:31,200
of Yoga, Chapter 3 in
difficulty, pages 57 to 58.
