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August 2008 Edition

Samita Rathor

Explore ahimsa as a way to achieve harmony with the environment, peace within yourself and compassion for all. Thich Nhat Hanh says: “The essence of non- violence is love. Out of love and the willingness to act selflessly, strategies, tactics and techniques for a non- violent struggle arise naturally. Non violence is not a dogma; it is a process.” There is a great deal of rage, violence and destruction in the world around us. Our strength and responsibilities lie in transforming our lives and the impact our lives have on those around us. The less violent we are in body, mind and spirit, the more kindness we will experience. Remember the law of cause and effect. It is the prime law that runs the universe.

Every spiritual and scientific teacher has sought to teach it. They may have said, you reap what you sow, or you get what you give, or what  goes around comes around, or karma, or consequences, or every action has an  equal and opposite reaction, or many other similar statements. Quantum physics  is now teaching us how this works on a sub-atomic level. So if we give violence, we will receive violence. The question is do we really want to be in a situation like that?

The heart of Patanjali’s teachings is the Ashtanga Yoga (eight-fold path of yoga). These are suggestions for living a better life through yoga. The eight limbs of Patanjali are yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. Yama or ethical disciplines consist of ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha. The practice of ahimsa is one of being non-harmful in your thoughts, words, and deeds. In Sanskrit himsa is doing harm or causing injury. The "a" placed before the word negates it. Ahimsa is the process of non-violence, harmlessness, non-injury, and the absence of resentment. In today’s fast moving life it is very easy to get caught up and disregard ethical modes of behaviour towards ourselves and others.

We may not aggressively attack people, animals or things, but even unconstructive feelings about such actions are a form of violence. Ahimsa is the practice of trying to reduce the amount of violence not only within ourselves and our lives, but also in the world around us. Ahimsa does not mean physical violence towards a living creature but how we deal with each and every situation in our lives. The way we talk, eat, sleep, walk, interact with others and ourselves. Even too much sleep or too less sleep is a form of violence.

Many of us do not realise how harmful we are being to ourselves (and sometimes inadvertently to others) with simple, negative thoughts. Generally, when we start to be judgmental about something, we are becoming harmful in our thoughts. Begin practicing ahimsa by having a more compassionate or tolerant attitude towards yourself. By adopting a more loving attitude towards yourself, you will positively affect those around you.

There are also some very simple actions that we can begin to cultivate in our lives to reduce the amount of suffering that we cause. We should be aware of some facts about how animals are killed, under very unhygienic and brutal conditions. Remember the 2004 tsunami. The animals moved to a safety zone a few hours before the tsunami disaster occurred. Animals are that intuitive and sensitive. When an animal is to be killed he is very aware of that fact. In the moment of fright the animal secretes harmful toxins. When we eat this toxic meat we are assimilating those harmful toxins. These can lead to high levels of uric acid causing kidney, bone and psychological disorders like aggression. The reality of today’s meat, dairy, egg, and poultry industries is that millions of animals are painfully restrained, fed unnatural and medicated feed, often tortured while alive, and brutally murdered. Most of us have pets or have some sort of interaction with one. Farm animals are no different, and eating meat and dairy contributes to one of the most violent and sorrowful industries today.

Putting others down who are less able is no laughing matter. It is one of the most severe forms of violence. Ridiculing someone is a quality which clearly exhibits how insecure one is. These are all forms of violence. Verbal abuse is another form of violence. Today it’s considered fashionable to use swear words. It is a clear sign of insecurity and lack of respect for one’s own self. Elimination of inappropriate words in daily life could be a very positive step towards coming practicing ahimsa. Non- violence is accepting and learning from the experiences of others with an open mind. It only widens our perspective of life and helps us to deal with ourselves and the situations we face in a more effective manner.

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