What are the consequences of suicide?

Questioner: What life form does one take when he or she commits suicide? Do they take the form of a bhoot (ghost) or pret (spirit without body after death)?

Dadashri: After committing suicide, one's spirit or Soul wanders around. In fact, by committing suicide one invites more problems. If a person commits suicide just once, the repercussions of this act are such that he will have to do the same for several lives to come. When a person commits suicide in this life, it is not a new suicide. The suicide of this life is the effect of suicide committed in the past. It is because of such effects, that one continues to commit suicide, life after life. When one commits suicide, he has to wander around without a body.

A ghost is a different thing altogether. It is not easy to become a ghost; it is an incarnation in the celestial life form. One becomes a ghost when one has performed severe penance and austerities in ignorance.

Questioner: Why do thoughts of suicide occur?

Dadashri: A person is alive because of his sense of being and self worth. His awareness of 'I am Chandulal' is called vikalp. 'All this is mine', is his sankalp. This sense of 'I and my' is the basis of his worldly life. Once he loses this sense of being, he loses all worldly awareness and that is when thoughts of suicide arise. So this sense of 'I am' is necessary and helpful.

When natural and spontaneous thoughts cease, negative thoughts begin. He becomes immersed in complete internal darkness and is not able to 'see' anything. Sankalp means 'my' and vikalp means 'I'. When both these stop, a person will think about dying.