​What is the difference between premature death due to accident and due to suicide?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Thank you. Sometimes there’s death that happens because of accident.
And that may also be premature. A person may die young. And somebody commits suicide.
So what is the difference? See, in any situation, there are certain things which are in our control, certain things which are not in our control. So those things which are not in control, they are destiny. What is in our control, that is not destiny.
That means, before the Kurukshetra war took place, at that time, Vidura was telling Dhritarashtra again and again, stop your sanduryodhana from antagonizing the Pandavas. Otherwise, the resulting war will destroy the whole Kuru dynasty. So at that time, Dhritarashtra tries to rationalize by saying, now if it is the will of almighty destiny that the war takes place, who am I, a tiny mortal, to stop the will of almighty destiny? And Vidura cuts through this rationalization.
And he says something which all of us can remember. He says, destiny determines the consequences of our actions, not our actions themselves. Destiny determines the consequences of our actions, not our actions themselves.
Destiny will determine after I prepare for an exam, after I prepare for an interview, whether I get the job or not. But destiny doesn’t determine whether I prepare for the interview or not. If I don’t prepare for the exam, if I don’t prepare for the interview, and I don’t do well, that is not destiny.
That is irresponsibility. So whenever there is an accident, there are factors beyond our control, beyond that person’s control, which cause the accident and death. So that which is beyond our control, that is attributable to destiny.
But suicide, in suicide, the circumstances which are causing depression, which are causing frustration, may be beyond one’s control. But the specific act of ending one’s life, that cannot be attributed to destiny. That is what one has done by one’s own free will.
So, our circumstances can explain our emotions. But our circumstances don’t justify our actions. Our circumstances can explain our emotions.
You know, because of this I am depressed, because of this I am like this. But still, you know, we are not slaves of our circumstances. We can choose to act differently.
So, they don’t justify our actions. So, even if somebody has very depressing circumstances, it is their act, it is their choice to end their lives. And because of that choice, that kind of death is different from accidental death.
Does that answer the question? Thank you.