[Buddha-l] updates andcorrectionsto"upayaexpress"(topic:Buddhism in contemporary Japan)

[JKirkpatrick]

Obviously, much more nuanced that I had thought it was! 
JK
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> However, do some folks kill themselves because they are
terminally ill 
> [...]  How many of those suiciding are in stages of terminal 
> illnesses, for example, or are suffering from serious mental
illness? 
> Other reasons?
> JK

Another huge, huge topic, Joanna. At the risk of (again) saying
something simplistic that requires much more detailed and nuanced
discussion, just a few basic points:

1. There are many "reasons" for suicide, and some small fraction
may be viewing it as an alternative to a hospice movement, but
that would be a tiny minority.

2. At the risk of stereotyping again, Japanese culture is deeply
steeped in suicidal tendencies and approval. I say that not to
cast aspersions, but because anyone who is not Japanese who has
witnessed Japanese reactions to a variety of things invariably is
surprised and shocked at how quickly Japanese presume the
*proper* response to a certain problem or indiscretion is
suicide. For instance, when OJ took the ride in the white bronco,
Japanese almost universally were wondering Why doesn't he just
commit suicide? That's what he *should* do.

3. Japanese culture has romanticized suicide in many ways (Zen
has some complicity in that department). There are spots (e.g.,
certain trails on Mt. 
Fuji) that are famous for couples to go out on and never return
(Oh! how romantic!).

4. A disturbing trend over the last couple decades has been
teenage and 20 something suicides and suicide packs. There are
alienated youths who live in their parents' homes, spend all
their time online and electronically connected, while having no
human flesh-and-blood-contact-friends. 
Increasingly alienated and isolated, they make a pact with
e-buddies of both genres to meet (for the first time) somewhere
and all commit suicide together. This has been an increasing
phenomenon.

5. Whereas Americans, .e.g., tend to believe "if at first you
don't succeed...", or blame their failures (angrily) on others,
Japanese tend to feel there is never a second chance, and the
only way to atone for one's failure is to apologize by taking
one's life.

6. Anyone who has monitored Japanese films and lit. in the last
two decades knows that a strong nihilistic streak (often as a
melancholy embrace of meaninglessness, films ending in
meaningless violent anarchy, etc.). It says something about the
mainstream culture and its hold on purposiveness.

7. The dramatic increase in suicides since the 90s is usually
attributed to economic factors -- people losing their jobs, have
no future prospects, debt, etc. The average Japanese suicide is
20-45, not suffering a terminal illness, with a family, feeling
s/he lacks necessary support.

8. Suicide in Japan is often a public act, not something done in
private with Dr Karvorkian (jumping in front of subways, e.g.,
which knocks the trains off schedule for a minute or two. This
became so frequent, and it is such a disturbance to the Japanese
psyche addicted to absolute punctuality, that some train stations
are poised to hand out "excuse notes" to people who's trains had
been delayed for a few minutes, that they could take to work to
show their boss to excuse their slight tardiness. You grab the
note on the way off the platform. If one is riding a train
delayed in that manner, the train will stop between stations, and
an announcement saying: 
"We apologize, but due to human error/accident, the train will be
delayed a few minutes. We deeply apologize." Everyone on the
train knows what that
means.)

Those are some of the factors frequently mentioned. The cultural
acceptance of suicide, and the tacit encouragement to pursue that
as a legitimate option are huge factors in my opinion.

Dan 

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