Is there a way to console or recommendation we can offer to encourage who wishes to commit suicide to choose life?

    The first thing that we must understand, those who wishes to kill themselves for whatever reasons are under tremendous stress and strain.

    If you were to help him, you have to want to help, so you should help him.  So when you decide to help, you must not be stressed yourself.  If you’re become stressed, then you won’t be able to help.

    The reason for committing suicide varies from case to case.  When you encounter someone in this kind of situation, you need to be certain that you are not stressed yourself.

    Then observe their physical and mental states, and look carefully to see it they’re carrying any weapon that they can use to kill themselves.

    The reason I’ve asked you to look carefully before doing anything is to protect yourself from being killed by the very same weapon they may be carrying.

    In order to help the suicidal, you must have a solid foundation and  knowledge on:

     1.    Law of the circle of existence or the Law of Karma.  This is to say you should have a strong grasp of Buddhist principles.


    Followed by knowledge of psychology and finally knowledge in the field of medicine.

    First of all, regarding Buddhist principles, you must fully understand that life after death is not null or void.

    In a situation where someone’s considering to escape their trouble by committing suicide, please understand first that it is not the right solution to any situation because the problem will still remain even after they’re gone.
    After you die, you will have to be reborn again, but we do not know what form you may take.

    Thus if one dies with an outstanding question lingering in his mind, that question will remain with him to the next realm.  How long will the question remain is not known, but it will continue to follow him.  Whenever he’s fortunate to be reborn again as a human being, that question will resurface in that life.

    The mind of the person who’s contemplating suicide is heavily clouded as if it were full of mud.  He can’t think about anything because his mind feels like it’s covered with India ink.
    Lord Buddha had already gone to check in the afterlife that those who died while the mind is darken, died with an obtuse mind and unfavorable realm will be the place that he will go to in the afterlife. 

    If his mind is very dark he will be reborn in hell.  If it’s less, he will be reborn as a hungry ghost.  If it’s even less, he will be reborn as an animal.

    It’s going to be miserable and full of suffering, no matter what he’s to be reborn as, whether it’s a hell being, hungry ghost or an animal.

    For that reason, escaping a problem by committing suicide while the mind is dark and clouded, is a way of increasing unhappiness unto oneself.

    But if one dies while one’s mind is bright, favorable realm will be the destination.  You have a higher opportunity to enter heaven.  The least, you will be reborn as a human being.  The possibility to be reborn as animal is eliminated.

    So whenever you encounter anyone who wants to commit suicide, we now have the following understanding:

    1)      Death is not the endpoint.

    2)      If one dies from suicide, your chance of being reborn in hell is high.  Once you understand this and have resolved with compassion to help, then go help him get through it accordingly.

    But if he is delirious and equipped with a weapon, you must reconsider the situation carefully.

    If the situation is not beyond your capability, you may have to allow yourself to take the risk to save his life.  Convincing a person to continue with life so that he may do more good and meritorious deeds is an extremely wholesome act.  You’ll also gain a lot of merit.  So do it.    Yes, our lives are precious and valuable.  Thus no matter what suffering or hardship we’re facing, we must endure because endurance will lead us to our true destiny of being born as a human being: the attainment of Nirvana.

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