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A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

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Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#41

Post by otterpop »

mikelyons wrote: post #22
momokoko wrote: post #16

The reason I consider ending my life is because I have done the things I've wanted to do in life. I would not have much to write on that paper as opposed to visiting some friends and family for some conversation and hugs. I think we forget that much of the suicide rate in adults, especially over 50, is that the burden of life in much of the United States can become higher than the benefits for some people at that age…

The reason I consider ending my life is because I've done or experienced all the things that realistically I want to or can. I'm never going to be an attractive man, so I'll never have love, or a wife and kids. It's just not worth it to me to work to pay to sustain myself just to watch the planet be destroyed and the social fabric disintegrate. There's just nothing worth the time or effort when living is just so unen…

I feel it, man. I'm financially stable at the job I was aiming for in college, but now it feels like I'm just going through the motions every day. Not interested in love and not able to dedicate the amount of time and effort to my hobbies that I would need to be great at them. It just seems so pointless. HMU if you ever want someone to talk with though.

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#42

Post by CarlRJ »

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #34
umvi wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's still extremely high compared to other countries though. To put it in perspective, nearly as many people die by suicide alone in Japan (per capita) as suicide + guns combined in America (per capita).

It's hard to get accurate stats on gun deaths in America because many reports lump in suicide by gun and accidental shootings to make the numbers look scarier. You might be double dipping.

On the other hand, it has been suggested that quite a few deaths that are actually suicide using a gun get reported as "gun cleaning accident", presumably to lessen the impact on relatives (however slightly).

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#43

Post by oska »

umvi wrote: post #29
gkanai wrote: post #3

2019 update: Japan Records Lowest Suicide Rate Since Statistics Were First Kept in 1978 https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00381/japan-records-lo...

It's still extremely high compared to other countries though. To put it in perspective, nearly as many people die by suicide alone in Japan (per capita) as suicide + guns combined in America (per capita).

This is a big claim you're making here. I'm sceptical. Can you provide figures and sources to back it up?

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#44

Post by Annatar »

gerbilly wrote: post #14
Annatar wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"having the appearance of control over an apparent illusion?" Just before Ninakawa passed away the Zen master Ikkyu visited him. “Shall I lead you on?” Ikkyu asked. Ninakawa replied: “I came here alone and I go alone. What help could you be to me?” Ikkyu answered: “If you think you really come and go, that is your delusion. Let me show you the path on which there is no coming and going.”

I get what is being referred to, but if you are implying that buddhism teaches everything is an illusion, the Buddha himself specifically warned his followers away from nihilism and solipsism. Your everyday conventional wisdom is not negated by buddhism. For example, buddhist people use the word 'I' all the time ("Let me show you the path on which there is no coming and going."), despite trying to realise the doctrin…

Everything is a delusion. There is a reason why the gate is gateless, and it's the same reason why "no thing" is a recurring theme.

Gautama was only one of the 33 buddhas, the last one so far. His entire life he was preparing to die and do so permanently in order to end the cycle of suffering.

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#45

Post by Annatar »

emptysongglass wrote: post #33
jdietrich wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buddhism is a living tradition and always has been. Theravadins have no monopoly on "true" Buddhism - the Pali canon was transcribed hundreds of years after the death of Gautama Buddha and the authorship and authenticity of many parts of the canon remain disputed within the Theravada tradition. Perhaps more to the point, a quotation from Nanda-manava-puccha (as translated by Thanissaro Bhikku): "Whatever brahmans & c…

What? The Buddha is speaking very specifically in the quote you've mentioned of a class of religious priest, the brahman, and the contemplative engaging in jhanic meditations that do not lead to the ending of suffering. You're right, the words of the Buddha weren't written down for hundreds of years after but across those earliest texts flung across space and time, we find an astonishing harmony. Look, I'm seeing cal…

"And what of Nichiren who famously declared that enlightenment was impossible in such a fallen world?"

Nothing, or better yet, no thing. They're just wrong.

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#46

Post by umvi »

oska wrote: post #43
umvi wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's still extremely high compared to other countries though. To put it in perspective, nearly as many people die by suicide alone in Japan (per capita) as suicide + guns combined in America (per capita).

This is a big claim you're making here. I'm sceptical. Can you provide figures and sources to back it up?

Japan suicide rate 2018: 18.5 per capita[1]

USA suicide rate 2018: 15.3 per capita[1]

USA gun death rate 2018 (excluding suicides): 4.5 per capita[2]

15.3 + 4.5 = 19.8

Like I said, 18.5 is only slightly less than 19.8. Consider also that like GP said, Japan suicides are at an all time low right now. Japan's suicide rate just a few years ago (2014, I think?) was over 20 per capita if I recall correctly, so this claim would have been even more compelling in 2014 when Japan suicides were higher and USA suicide and gun violence rates were lower. Maybe it's more useful to examine decade averages?

[1] http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/suicide-rate-by-c...

[2] https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls

Per capita rate calculated by dividing 14,777 deaths / 3272 (population of US in 2018 in 100k blocks)

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#47

Post by wannabcodr »

I’ve struggled with incessant suicidal desire for the last 75% of my years alive on earth. Having given up everything in slow preparation for the act: family, friends, savings, career - I can safely say that the only thing holding me back is the infinite unknown of the afterlife.

Re: A Buddhist monk confronts Japan's suicide culture (2013)

#48

Post by dragonsngoblins »

l8mr4 wrote: post #6
b5 wrote: post #5

This is one of my favourite New Yorker articles. I wish they published more articles like this. Suicidal thoughts are a really tough thing to deal with. I've struggled with them for my entire adult life -- more than 20 years now, and counting. They're also deeply personal, and it's hard to find a one-size-fits-all method of helping people through them. In my case, I find them perversely soothing. Planning it out, and…

Buddhism has an explanation for why these thoughts are soothing. It comes down to thinking provides a level of control and an appearance of a illusion you feel in control of. But alas this is illusion. The mind simply likes thinking. In fact Buddhists off camera will say your addicted to thinking. I believe this will be shown to be true. The default mode network may be the “addiction to thinking.”

Is it an illusion? Control of whether or not you are alive sounds very much like real control to me
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