do you think it's a bad thing to kill ourselves?

I can understand very well the feeling of not being able to endure any more....
In my life, I have had 2 serious, life-threatening illnesses (one of them cancer); lost both of my parents within a few years of each other...my sister got divorced and, due to that, my (ex) brother-in-law and both my nieces stopped speaking to me (as if I deserved to be punished for what my sister did) and have had no contact with me since. When I told my fiance of 6 years that I wanted to split with him because I wasn't happy in our relationship anymore, he himself failed a suicide attempt -then ran off & declared bankruptcy, leaving me to sell our home and on the verge of bankruptcy myself......
And I'm not even 40 years old yet!!!
So yes, there have been many, many dark days....but not once did I ever consider giving up - any respect I had left for my ex disappeared when he attempted suicide! Maybe I'm just stubborn, but the following quote has always resonated with me:

"Man doth not yield himself to the angels, nor unto death utterly; save only through the weakness of his feeble will."

Originally Posted by dena

maybe dying early is not a bad thing after all

Not, it's not a bad thing. I remember committing suicide in one incarnation and there was nothing but Love waiting for me on the other side, in fact I remember hearing a voice that said "You took your time".

Suicide is bad because society says it is. Those that are left behind have to cope with the mess it makes, the guilt they feel and the questions that remain unanswered. It's failure to realise that someone thought their life was so bad that they wanted out and they could have done something to keep them here. If society could be changed, just a little.

Certain types of people are prone to suicide. Committing suicide may be a part of their conditioning, it may be in their genes. Suicide, in my opinion, is not ‘bad’ in the ‘you go to hell’ sense. But it is ‘bad’ in the sense that you are robbing yourself of the experience of living your life. Nothing lasts forever - not even the bad times.

The struggle you may feel is you fighting your conditioning.

I say fight it!!!

[Uma]

Originally Posted by sesheta

I can understand very well the feeling of not being able to endure any more....
In my life, I have had 2 serious, life-threatening illnesses (one of them cancer); lost both of my parents within a few years of each other...my sister got divorced and, due to that, my (ex) brother-in-law and both my nieces stopped speaking to me (as if I deserved to be punished for what my sister did) and have had no contact with me since. When I told my fiance of 6 years that I wanted to split with him because I wasn't happy in our relationship anymore, he himself failed a suicide attempt -then ran off & declared bankruptcy, leaving me to sell our home and on the verge of bankruptcy myself......
And I'm not even 40 years old yet!!!
So yes, there have been many, many dark days....but not once did I ever consider giving up - any respect I had left for my ex disappeared when he attempted suicide! Maybe I'm just stubborn, but the following quote has always resonated with me:

"Man doth not yield himself to the angels, nor unto death utterly; save only through the weakness of his feeble will."

Hi sesheta,

I am with you on this. Like you I am still burning a lot of serious karma, one difficult experience following another, to the point where I often question the maxim "God does not give you more than you can handle." But the process is also like the making of a samurai sword - heated and beaten reheated and beaten 200 times to make it razor sharp and indestructible. People like us who are survivors and refuse to quit accomplish several lifetimes worth of karma burnings in one lifetime. I do believe this brings tremendous grace - eventually, especially if one is following their heart and their purpose is noble, and they are trying their best. I like the quote you shared too. This is not an easy lifetime and it helps to be reminded of the whys and wherefores...

I think also that 2012 will bring extra challenges to spiritual seekers...and hopefully rewards as well!

...but I also have compassion for those who are weaker and convinced they are the body, or too young or too old or too whatever to bear such a heavy destiny.

do you think it's a bad thing to kill ourselves?


I think it is good when I see it from one perspective, and I think it is bad when I see it from other.

My God! I was bad with you. I don't deserve life ever. I will kill myself to please You O Lord. That is wonderful.

Otherwise, it is bad.

Just my opinion.

I think the only reason it's bad is because of the pain and suffering you inflict on the people you leave behind.

I am with you on this. Like you I am still burning a lot of serious karma, one difficult experience following another, to the point where I often question the maxim "God does not give you more than you can handle." But the process is also like the making of a samurai sword - heated and beaten reheated and beaten 200 times to make it razor sharp and indestructible. People like us who are survivors and refuse to quit accomplish several lifetimes worth of karma burnings in one lifetime. I do believe this brings tremendous grace - eventually, especially if one is following their heart and their purpose is noble, and they are trying their best. I like the quote you shared too. This is not an easy lifetime and it helps to be reminded of the whys and wherefores...

I think also that 2012 will bring extra challenges to spiritual seekers...and hopefully rewards as well!

...but I also have compassion for those who are weaker and convinced they are the body, or too young or too old or too whatever to bear such a heavy destiny.

Funny you would mention karma! There have been many times over the past year that I've said I feel like I must be paying off karma at a highly accelerated rate,lol!!
I love your analogy of the sword - very well said :)
What has gotten me through a lot of the dark days? Little things. My cats, who bring endless joy to me. Standing at a window in the sunshine, looking at the beauty outside....going to work and having a co-worker make me laugh uncontrollably, even when I didn't think I would ever laugh again! Sometimes it really does come down to: you'll either laugh, or scream.
Another image that I relate to? The phoenix, rising from the flames....

[Uma]

For Seshta (and me)!

Awesome pic, Uma - thank you :)

(((dena)))

I am not one to judge whether this is good or bad.
We do have choice.

It is not a choice I would make or recommend, however, as life is a gift and ending our lives prematurely has great impact on the people who love us.
Suffering from a chronic illness is rough, and I do think there is merit to doctor assisted suicide if it's needed in that case, though I wouldn't consider that to be quite the same thing as self-done suicide.

Personally, I have found prayer, writing, good company and asking for help when I need it have helped me through the tough times.

Life comes in cycles, and This Too Shall Pass.
'This too shall pass' is true in "good" times,
and "bad".

Blessings in Spirit~