What Happens After Suicide? Why not to Commit Suicide?

Everything in life has a cause and an effect. That is why it is necessary to urge anyone contemplating committing suicide to think carefully about the consequences of suicide. This is because committing suicide has very grave consequences.

Why not to commit suicide?

When a person cannot bear the sufferings of the world, instead of finding a solution to the suffering, they try to run away from it, but they carry their karma with them. By leaving the body, only the body remains here, but the karma does not go away. In the next birth, all the karmas will have to be suffered again. The karmic account must be settled.

It means that when sufferings come, if we let time go by, we will get good circumstances and find a solution. Do not be sad when bad times come. Worship God in bad times and pray to overcome adverse circumstances with equanimity.

We are bound to encounter troubling times, but it does not warrant taking our own lives. Instead, if we endure the difficulties of our current life, then we will extinguish our karmic account. Otherwise, we will only increase and intensify our karmic suffering for future lives.

Param Pujya Dadashri explains, "A person may die by committing suicide but he will have to come back to pay off his debts and obligations. As a human, one is bound to face difficulties, but does that mean one has to commit suicide? The consequences of committing suicide are extremely serious. The Lord has forbidden suicide because its consequences are very grave. One should not even think of committing suicide. Resolve to pay off whatever outstanding debts you may have, but do not even think of suicide."

What are the consequences of committing suicide?

Param Pujya Dadashri says about the grave consequences of committing suicide:

Questioner: If a person commits suicide, then which life-form does he attain? Does he become a preta (bodiless beings tortured incessantly by hunger and thirst) or a ghost?

Dadashri: By committing suicide, one may become a preta and have to wander around as a preta. So, on the contrary, one invites trouble by committing suicide. A single act of suicide carries its echoes for many future lives! And when one commits suicide, it is not a new act; he is doing it because of the echoes of suicide committed in previous lives. The suicide of this life is the result of the karma of suicide committed in a previous life. So, one kills his own self. Such echoes have been created that he has come having done the same thing [in his past lives], so he kills his own self. And after committing suicide, he may have to wander around without a body. It is not easy to become a ghost. A ghost is a life-form as a celestial being; it is not an easy thing. One becomes a ghost when he has undergone intense penance over here, he has done penance in ignorance, whereas a preta is a diff erent thing.

Questioner: Why do thoughts of committing suicide arise?

Dadashri: It is because the internal vikalp (one’s sense of self-worth; basis for living) get destroyed. It is on the basis of this vikalp that one is able to survive. When this vikalp gets destroyed, a person cannot see what to do next, so that leads to suicidal thoughts. So these vikalp are certainly benefi cial too! When thoughts that arise naturally and spontaneously come to a stop, then all these negative thoughts arise. When the vikalp stop, the thoughts that arise naturally and spontaneously also come to a stop, it becomes completely dark, then one cannot see anything ahead! Sankalp means ‘mine’ [who and what is mine in this world] and vikalp means ‘I’ [one’s sense of self, self-worth]; when they are both absent, thoughts about dying arise.

A questioner asks Param Pujya Dadashri about the next seven lives after committing suicide:

Questioner: Dada, I have heard that after committing suicide, one has to go through seven lifetimes doing the same thing, is that true?

Dadashri: The karmic impressions that form, last for seven or eight lifetimes. So, do not allow such negative karmic impressions to form. Run far away from negative karmic impressions. Yes, no matter how much pain there is over here, endure it, but do not fi re a shot [at yourself], do not commit suicide.

You should do everything in your power not to ruin your inner intent or let any negative thoughts of suicide arise. Divert your focus from such things, as these negative thoughts can only bring unwanted results. Instead, focus on looking for solutions to your problems and remaining positive.

What to do when negative thoughts arise?

Write down every negative thought and then write positive thoughts against it. When our mind shows the negative, ask it to show the positive. The will show the positives too. Do not be afraid of negative thoughts. Decide that I want to see the positive. Every situation has both negative and positive aspects. If we decide to look at the positive, the mind will show us the positive.

There are countless successful people in the world who had experienced setbacks before becoming successful, yet they did not lose courage. They gave their lives a chance and scaled the heights of success.