Is it true that suicide is not a bad thing in Buddhism?

ordinary people.
Nice to meet you, my name is Tetsuya Urakami from Nagomi-an.
I belong to a group called the “Association of Monks Facing Suicide and Suicide,” and I wanted to reply.

In conclusion, “no matter what the case/situation is, I'm not explaining that it is absolutely bad.”
The reason why this can be said is that even among the Buddha's disciples, several of them took their own lives, and the Buddha did not take a position of absolute denial about it.

There are occasional consultations such as “I was told that if I committed suicide, I would fall into hell,” but no matter which denomination's sutras were examined, it was not explained that suicide = hell.

However, there are conditions regarding suicide.
・When those who have attained enlightenment use their wisdom to determine that they have no choice other than suicide.
・ “There is no choice other than suicide” is when there is unbearable pain due to illness or injury, and there is no possibility of recovery.
I think that was it.

This is similar to the conditions of the euthanasia system recognized in the Netherlands, etc.
http://753an.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2014-01-16-2

Having said that, of course, the meaning of “not denying” and “recommending” are completely different. Suicide is not recommended in Buddhism. We must do everything we can to prevent suicide, and we must also support those around us.

If you don't mind, please also take a look at the website of the “Association of Monks Facing Suicide and Suicide.”
http://www.bouzsanga.org

I'm in a position similar to the average person.

It's troublesome if the teaching that justifies suicide is misunderstood as Buddhism.
I'm also reluctant to think of my emotions as the intention of all of my cells.

Is it good to commit suicide because of some kind of protest?
Was it good for samurai in the Edo period to self-harm?
Is it evil because it cuts the species that grow in Buddhism?

Is it better to die than to be in Shaba, and is it bad to choose death?
Is it bad because it leaves grudges and sorrow for those left behind?

I think there are various positions, but I feel that there is a contradiction in discussing “good or evil” only in Buddhism.
The causes leading to suicide are different in the relationship between the person himself and his surroundings.

The probability that a person will die is 100%
If it were King Enma, it might be his role to judge the right and wrong of Shaba's actions.

However, our principal image is the Buddha in a position to save all sentient beings regardless of whether they are good or bad.

In what form will the suffering that led to suicide be rewarded?
If there is grief or blame for those left behind, how do you follow up?

I want to value the follow-up after that rather than the theory of right and wrong about the suicide itself.

In Christianity, suicide is regarded as a major sin leading to purgatory.
Killing yourself seems to be a religious “murder.”
It is positioned as “evil” in terms of religion.

We must keep in mind that it is not right or wrong from a moral point of view, but right and wrong from a religious point of view.
Not saying suicide is a bad thing means that how to die is not included in the categories of “misconduct” and “good conduct.”

For example, there are people who say that ending their lives peacefully while smiling is a good thing, and that ending their lives while struggling while suffering is a bad thing.
This is due to our selfish point of view, the so-called moral point of view.
It means that no matter how you die, the Buddha doesn't question right or wrong.

Previously, the daughter of a temple disciple ended her life by committing suicide.
Those parents said that it would be painful every time they heard the phrase “suicide is something you must not commit suicide.”
“Did my daughter die doing something she wasn't supposed to do? They say, “I can't help but feel sad because it seems like they've been made into the bad guys all the time.”

We decide what is good or bad based on our selfish values, and that is a big mistake.
We must always learn from the wisdom of the Buddha.
Let me hear that the Buddha doesn't question the right or wrong way to die.

You have to think about “bad things” and “sad things” separately.

The general public

This is Kawaguchi Hidetoshi. This is a humble answer to the question.

As Mr. Urakami already answered, there is no such thing as recommending suicide or suicide in Buddhism.

Certainly, there were cases where disciples committed suicide during Shakyamuni's reign. Please refer to the following page for this.

“Does Buddhism really prohibit suicide?”
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Technopolis/3138/suicide_buddhism.html

On top of that, I have expressed my humble opinion on the following question.

Question “Why you shouldn't commit suicide”
http://blog.livedoor.jp/hasunoha_kawaguchi/archives/1002970251.html

Next, “If you honestly learn the 'sky' of Buddha, I don't think suicide will happen.” ... However, understanding the truth of “emptiness” (absence, intangeness, lack of autonomy) is also important, in other words, understanding “luck.”

The question “Which is more difficult, living or dying?”
http://blog.livedoor.jp/hasunoha_kawaguchi/archives/1002992500.html

As I mentioned in my humble answer above, advancing understanding of “sky and fortune” is a very important key to overcoming hesitation and suffering.

If we deal with this in detail here, a huge amount of explanation is necessary, but if I were to explain it simply without fear of misunderstanding, understanding “emptiness and luck” is also a firm understanding of the theory of cause and effect, and in terms of bad causes and bad effects, it means that it is impossible to do things on your own that are clear to be bad results, so it is very impossible to commit suicide/suicide due to ignorance or distress (suicide/suicide as bad work) due to ignorance or distress .

Anyway, we need not only an understanding of emptiness, but also an understanding of good fortune to proceed without error.

By all means, I would be grateful if you could continue to deepen your understanding of “sky and fortune.”

Kawaguchi Hidetoshi Gassho