Assisted Dying, Hukam, and the Illusion of Compassion: A Gurmat Ontological Response to the Suicide Bill

Introduction

The discourse surrounding the legalisation of assisted dying—popularly couched in the language of “dignity,” “compassion,” and “autonomy”—conceals a deeper ontological confusion. While the surface intention appears humanitarian, the philosophical and spiritual consequences of terminating life prematurely remain unexamined. From the Gurmat perspective, rooted in Dharam (moral-spiritual order) and Hukam (cosmic command/law), the sanctity of life is not subjective, negotiable, or disposable based on fluctuating emotional states.

Assisted dying, when examined ontologically, reflects a collective rupture from the sacred—not just in ending biological life, but in severing the relationship with Dharma, karma, and the evolving purpose of Being.

I. Dharma and the Ontological Purpose of Life

Gurmat defines human life not in utilitarian or hedonistic terms, but as a sacred occurrence—the rare birth through which the soul (atma) can realise its divine essence (Jot Saroop). The unfolding of life, including suffering, is a Dharmic process rooted in the Hukam of Akaal Purakh.

“Manas janam dulambh hai, har simran kehe kaaj.”
This human birth is rare, for the singular task of Divine remembrance. (Ang 563)

To end one’s life because of suffering or perceived indignity is to abandon the very reason one has been given this rare incarnation. Dharma demands endurance, discernment (Bibek), and surrender, not evasion.

II. Hukam and the Arrogance of Interference

Hukam is not fate—it is the ontological rhythm of existence. The decision to override Hukam by ending life is a violation of ontological sovereignty, driven by ego’s resistance to discomfort and uncertainty.

“Hukmai andhar sabh ko, baahar hukam na koi.”
All is within Hukam; nothing exists outside it. (Ang 1)

To assist or enable suicide is to interfere with the karmic unfolding of another’s consciousness. This is not a neutral or compassionate act—it is an assertion of egoic control over a field that belongs to the Infinite.

III. The Egoic Nature of ‘Compassion’

Much of the support for assisted dying is cloaked in emotive language—”We don’t want to see them suffer,” “Let them go peacefully.” However, this so-called compassion is rarely selfless. It is often a projection of the supporter’s own emotional discomfort, a desire to avoid the unbearable mirror of suffering, and a wish to preserve one’s own sense of comfort and control.

This is not divine compassion (Daya), which flows from awakened awareness, but egoic empathy, concerned more with personal emotional regulation than the spiritual integrity of the dying.

“Jithai jaa-ay bhaavahi mayraa, so dukh kaisay bhalaa.”
That which pleases me—how can that suffering be good? (Ang 760)

What appears as kindness is often a subtle violence of convenience, wherein we abort another’s spiritual curriculum to relieve our own psychological distress.

IV. The Linguistic Coercion of “Dignity” and “Autonomy”

The suicide bill’s framing uses emotionally loaded words—“dignity,” “choice,” “freedom,” “autonomy”—to coerce public agreement through language manipulation, not truth.

But dignity is not the absence of pain; it is the capacity to remain true to one’s Dharma, even amid suffering. Autonomy, from an ontological perspective, is not the liberty to kill oneself—it is the freedom to awaken from ego, within the constraints of karma and cosmic order.

This linguistic manipulation creates false binaries: to oppose assisted dying is portrayed as cruel, while to support it becomes synonymous with compassion. This is ontological inversion, where illusion is dressed as virtue.

V. The Role of Suffering: Catalyst, Not Curse

Suffering (dukh) is not to be terminated but understood. It is a transformational mechanism, part of the karmic unfolding that brings egoic identity to rupture, thereby awakening the deeper reality of Being.

“Dukh daaroo sukh rog bhaiaa, ja sukh taam na hoi.”
Suffering is the remedy; pleasure the disease—for where there is pleasure, there is no longing for the Divine. (Ang 469)

Ending life to avoid pain is like leaving the surgery before the wound is cleansed. From a Gurmat perspective, to interfere with another’s pain is to interfere with their purification.

VI. Consciousness Continues: Evidence from NDEs and Reincarnation

Scientific literature on Near Death Experiences (Moody, van Lommel, Greyson) confirms the continuity of consciousness after clinical death. People recall:

Awareness after brain activity ceases
Life reviews with moral-emotional insight
Encounters with beings of light or guides
A return not based on personal desire, but spiritual necessity

Reincarnation research (Stevenson, Tucker) reveals that unresolved traumas, especially suicides or violent deaths, carry forward as emotional scars, unexplained fears, and psychosomatic imprints. This aligns with the Gurmat view of Chitr Gupt, the recording mechanism of karma.

“Karmee aapo aapnee, kay neray kay door.”
According to their actions, some are drawn near, others remain far. (Ang 8)

VII. Post-Death Awareness: Not End, But Transition

Death, in Gurmat, is a doorway, not dissolution. One dies into the state of consciousness cultivated during life. Thus, a life ended in fear, escape, and incompletion leads to transitional suffering and karmic re-entry.

The false assumption that death ends suffering ignores ontological truth: the vibration of unresolved pain continues into subtle realms and future incarnations.

VIII. The Sacred Dying Process

Gurmat offers a sacred protocol for dying:

Simran (Naam remembrance) to align the subtle body
Presence of Gurbani to elevate vibratory fields
Acceptance of Hukam to dissolve fear and ego
Love and Sangat support to ease the soul’s release

Death is not to be manufactured—it is to be met consciously, devotionally, and truthfully.

“Jaisaa maran karaavai so maran hoi.”
One dies as one lives—death mirrors consciousness. (Ang 555)

Conclusion: Upholding Dharma in the Face of Death

To legalise assisted dying is not a neutral policy—it is the institutionalisation of ontological rupture. It reflects:

Disconnection from the sacredness of life as a vehicle of awakening
Fear of suffering, revealing ego’s grip on identity
Misuse of compassion, masking egoic aversion as virtue
Violation of Dharma and Hukam, severing alignment with the Infinite

In the Gurmat view, the question is not “Should one have the right to die?” but “How can one die in truth?”

We must resist the seductive language of false compassion and stand for Dharmic integrity—for the sake of the soul, the sacred process of dying, and the truth of consciousness.

Suggested References

Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sri Nanak Prakash, Bhai Gurdas, and interpretative translations)
Moody, R. (1975). Life After Life
van Lommel, P. (2010). Consciousness Beyond Life
Stevenson, I. (1997). Reincarnation and Biology
Tucker, J. (2013). Return to Life
Greyson, B. (2021). After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond

Illusion of Compassion-Suicide Bill