A long time ago, I read a book called “Hell” and saw a story about how if you commit suicide, you will be punished in hell.
How much virtue should I accumulate in order not to commit suicide and go to hell?
Until now, I have made an effort to be kind to my family.
Still, will everything you've done up until now come back to nothing?
Namu Amida Buddha,
Namu Ami Dabu Namu Ami Dabu Namu Ami Dabu
Those who wish to pass away (reincarnate) in the Pure Land of Paradise by calling it Nembutsu () can pass away in the Pure Land of Paradise with the power of Amida Buddha.
This is explained in the sutras.
There are no three evils in the Pure Land of Paradise: Hell, Gakki, and Beast, so if you do nembutsu, you'll be spared from going to hell.
So don't worry.
Note that if the idea of rare death continues for days, there is a possibility of mental health problems, so I think it's a good idea to consult with a psychosomatic medicine doctor, etc.
Thank you for your consultation. The fact that you have been kind to your family and have worked so hard until now, and that precious act will never go to waste. Please don't worry.
I'm worried about “how much virtue should I accumulate in order not to go to hell.” However, Buddhism explains that instead of accumulating virtue through our own calculations and escaping punishment, the Buddha's deep mercy envelops you as you are suffering right now. There is no such thing as the Buddha abandoning you and punishing you.
However, the text conveys how deeply painful you are and how exhausted your heart is, and I am very worried. Suffering to the extent that one is forced to be aware of death is also a sign that the mind has reached its limit and is in need of specialized care. Please don't take it alone and rely on consultation desks such as “Telephone for Life” or medical institutions such as psychosomatic medicine.
If you are looking for a way to accumulate virtue, there is still a ray of hope left in your life. Please be proud of your wonderful good deeds in the past, rest yourself first, and take care of your own life now with the help of an expert.
Worship
Engiji Temple Shakujo
Thank you for your question.
If you commit suicide, you won't go to hell. The current state and situation where I want to commit suicide has already become hell. Therefore, in order not to become hell, it is important to change the current state and situation so that it becomes easier. In your case, even though you are suffering from a chronic illness, it seems that you are working hard to control yourself with the help of a doctor, so it's a good idea to keep doing that. Always try to stay calm so you don't get angry or discouraged. Also, it's great that they are kind to the family. However, in addition to that, it would be even better if you could be kind to people outside of your family. That's because being kind to others will go around and come back to you. Please think that you don't have to commit suicide in such a life, you can live, you can stay here. That's because when you think you don't have to commit suicide, it won't be hell anymore. The Buddha's teaching is to control yourself. I think you try harder than anyone else to control yourself. Please continue to live your life in your own way at that rate.
Going to hell is not a “punishment.” It's just that when I run out of life in this life, I have a business where I have to go to hell.
For example, if you wake up in the morning and have a fever of 39 degrees and a cough, you should go to the hospital instead of school or work. It's similar to not going to the hospital for “punishment” for catching a cold.
Suicide and homicide are the only differences between whether the act is suitable for oneself or another, and there is no substitute for being a misdemeanor called murder.
Killing is a very serious misconduct, and it may be said that the possibility of shaping the business of going to hell increases dramatically. However, what form and what world you will be born into in the next generation is the result of a combination of a huge number of causes and relationships, so it's impossible to say that if you kill someone, you will always go to hell.
The complex forms of the myriad causes and relationships that direct reincarnation differ depending on individual lives. It's not a point system where you accumulate how many points you go to paradise, and if you don't have enough points, you go to hell. Therefore, there is no correct answer to the question “how much virtue should we accumulate in order not to commit suicide and go to hell.” It's similar to how people who have been properly vaccinated have caught the flu, but people who have never been vaccinated don't get it after all.
However, speaking of this analogy, we know that if we are properly vaccinated, we will be less likely to get the flu. I know that if you don't go out of your way into the crowds and take care to gargle and wash your hands, it will be less likely to get caught. Above all else, in order not to go to hell in the same way, I think the right path for us to understand is not to commit serious misconduct such as suicide.
People live their lives with all kinds of feelings. There are things to worry about and things to struggle with. The Buddha is watching a life that has such suffering and is living hard.
They are working for me with a wish that I want to be saved. Listening to Buddhism is also the heart of a person who wants to be saved.
In any future, in any way of life, and at any end of life, the Buddha's salvation will arrive.
You're probably also watching your feelings (efforts) for your family. Why don't you put your hands on the Buddha? Please take care of your life.
Also, if you have something to think about “suicide,” please don't worry about it alone and contact us. Let's think together about ways to live with peace of mind.