Fasting Unto Death: What Do Our Religions Really Teach?

 

Fasting Unto Death: What Do Our Religions Really Teach?



The news of Suresh Salley’s decision to fast unto death while under CID detention has stirred strong emotions across the country. Whatever one’s political position, his act forces us to confront a deeper moral and spiritual question: How do the great religious traditions view self‑destruction and the choice to embrace death through fasting?

Buddhism

Buddhism places the highest value on ahimsa—non‑harm toward all beings, including oneself. Intentionally ending one’s life, even through fasting, is generally seen as an unwholesome act rooted in suffering, not liberation. The Buddha consistently discouraged self‑mortification and taught the Middle Path as the way to transform injustice, not self‑destruction.

Hinduism

Hindu thought also upholds the sanctity of life. While ancient texts mention prayopavesa—a disciplined fast unto death—it is permitted only under extremely narrow conditions: old age, terminal illness, and complete detachment from worldly duties. It is never a tool of protest or political pressure. In mainstream Hindu ethics, harming one’s own body violates dharma.

Islam

Islam is unequivocal: life is a sacred trust from God, and no one has the right to end it. Suicide in any form is prohibited, and harming oneself—physically or psychologically—is considered a violation of divine guidance. Patience, justice, and lawful means of seeking redress are emphasised, never self‑destruction.

Christianity

Christian tradition teaches that life is a gift from God and that deliberately ending one’s own life contradicts this sacred trust. While Christians honour those who suffer for justice, the path of witness is through endurance, truth‑telling, and non‑violent resistance—not the taking of one’s own life.

A Moment for National Reflection

Suresh Salley’s fast is a cry from within a system many believe is broken. But our religious heritages—so often invoked in public life—remind us that the pursuit of justice must never come at the cost of destroying the life God has entrusted to us.

This moment calls not for self‑harm, but for collective moral courage: transparent institutions, humane treatment of detainees, and a society where no one feels compelled to risk death simply to be heard.

Rev. Asiri P. Perera
Retired President Bishop
Methodist Church Sri Lanka

 

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