AHIMSA - the first yama

When someone practices Yoga there is an abandonment of enmity by those who are in his presence, he/she is, turning into a yogi/yogini as they are now firmly established in nonviolence.

Ahimsa in the Indian religions of Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism is the ethical principle of not causing harm to any living thing.

In Jainism ahimsa is the standard by which all actions are judged. For a householder observing the small vows is the standard by which all actions are judged. For a householder it starts with  ANUVRATA (observing the small vows), the practice of not killing any animal life.

However for an ascetic it is MAHAVRATA (observing the great vows), Ahimsa entails the greatest care to prevent the ascetic from knowingly or unknowingly being the cause of injury to any living soul (jiva), so ahimsa applies not only to human beings and to animals but also to insects and microbes. The interruption of another jiva’s spiritual progress causes one to incur KARMA - a fine particulate substance that accretes upon the jiva, thus keeping one mired in SAMSARA – the cycle of rebirth into mundane earthly existence.

Not only physical violence but also violent or negative thoughts, feelings, emotions results in the attraction and accumulation of karma

Ahimsa is one of the first disciplines to be learned by the student of Yoga and is required to be mastered in the preparatory stage. Ahimsa, the first Yama – the first of the eight limbs that lead to the final goal of Yoga, if any.

अहिंसा परमो धर्मःधर्म हिंसा तथैव च

Non-violence is the ultimate dharma, so too is violence in service of Dharma. (-  BHAGVAD GEETA)

In Sanatana Dharma, the first line of the phrase is only applicable to the renunciates and the ascetics.  Even if provoked, a Sannyansin should not defend himself even when his life is in danger because he identifies himself with the Atman rather than associating with his body. The word, non-violence in English is absolute in its meaning but ahimsa means non-violence in a relative sense.  In Sanatana Dharma, it is the moral duty of a person to practice violence if it is used to stop a greater violence or evil.  For example, in order to keep peace and order in his country, a king has to be strict in his punishment .To practice ahimsa, he may even have to kill a man who is, for example, taking away the lives of others. So, the statement, when taken in full context and meaning within Sanatana Dharma, is applicable to most people. In ancient times, it was the duty of a Brahmin to be well versed in matters of spirituality and be benevolent and kind to all creatures, while a Kshatriya was the protector of everything including Dharma.

अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मः सर्वप्राणभृतां समृतःतस्मात पराणभृतः सर्वान न हिंस्याथ बराह्मणः कव चित

Verily the highest virtue of man is sparing the life of others. Therefore a Brahmana should never take the life of any creature. (- ADI PARAVA)

अहिंसा सत्यवचनं कषमा चेति विनिश्चितमबराह्मणस्य परॊ धर्मॊ वेथानां धरणाथ अपि

He should be benevolent to all creatures, truthful, and forgiving, even as it is his paramount duty to retain the Vedas in his memory.

The duties of the Kshatriya are not thine. To be stern, to wield the sceptre and to rule the subjects properly are the duties of the Kshatriya.

In short, he states that a Brahmin should never take the life of any creature, however a Kshatriya may do so as it may be required to ensure proper rule of law and order.

We need to understand a little of the many things implied.  As firstly, in Ancient India we have never used the word love, instead have always used nonviolence – AHIMSA PRATISHTHAYAM.  Yes, Jesus Christ uses the word love but  Mahavira, Patanjali, Buddha, never use love – they use nonviolence. Why?  

Surely  the word Love seems to be a better word, more positive, more poetic instead of Nonviolence which looks like an ugly word, negative.  But there is something to it as when we say “love,” we have moved in a subtle aggression. When I say, “I love you,” I have moved from my center towards yours. The aggression is beautiful, but it is an aggression.

Patanjali ji  says “nonviolence.” It is a negative state, a passive state.

Love says, “I will make you happy” – which in reality is impossible. Who can make anyone happy? Love promises and all promises are false. How can you make anyone happy? If everyone is responsible for his own self, how is it possible even to think that you can make someone happy? When I say, “I love you,” I am creating so many promises, I am showing many beautiful gardens, creating dreams.

The most I can say, “I will not hurt you” , as it is for me not to hurt, but how can I say, “I will make you happy”? That’s why all love leads to frustration. Lovers promise each other – knowingly, unknowingly – beautiful roses, paradise. Each one thinking about the promise and it is never fulfilled.

Let us have concord with our own people and concord with people, who are strangers to us, create between us and the strangers a unity of hearts.

May we unite in our midst, unite in our purposes, and not fight against the divine spirit within us. Let not the battle-cry rise amidst many slain, nor the arrows of the War-God fall with the break of day. ( - ARTHAVEDA)

No one can lead anyone and that’s why lovers feel frustrated; as the promises are false. It is not that they were deceiving each other, they were themselves  deceived as they were not aware of what they were saying.

How to incorporate Ahimsa in daily life  ----

1.           The body – our body is a precious gift, we must honour and respect it as through this body, we exist in this world and enjoy and accomplish amazing things. To nourish and love our body fully, we should know and understand what we are eating and where it comes from. We must nourish the body with fresh, healthy, nutritious, wholesome, organic, plant-based foods. We must treat our body as a holy place which does not thrive on unhealthy or junk and graveyard of other creatures. Even according to scientist consuming a non-vegetarian diet is bad for the environment and is one of the biggest causes of global warming. So, besides eating a fresh, pure vegetarian or vegan diet, it is also recommended to avoid alcohol, coffee, drugs, smoking, using microwave ovens, overeating, eating extremely spicy food, eating in a hurry, eating while you’re in a bad mood or watching TV, and arguing while eating, as much as possible. These are all things that are considered to harmful to the body and the mind. If cutting out certain things from your diet causes you harm, than it is important to consider what works best for your unique body. Don’t feel guilty, because that is also one form of violence. Try your best to follow Ahimsa as much as you can.

2.          The mind – our mind is the most powerful tool in our possession. Everything begins from this point. Our thoughts and emotions do play such a big role in our overall well-being. The way we think and feel is proven to be connected to our immunity, cells, genes. Useless weeds we know grow without any cultivation and we do not need to make any effort for them, they simply grow, but a useful plant needs attention, - similarly the unwanted, unnecessary doubts, thoughts which are there need not be sown, they just come up by themselves. It is by Svadhaya, by attention, we can weed them out and keep only those which are essential. The seeds of negativity, self-harm, self-criticism, begin to grow and multiply when we do not participate in celebrating the gift that we are, and we start to judge, compare and criticise ourselves and others. Himsa, or violence, at the level of thoughts, slowly gets translated into words and actions. Totally understandable that if you are constantly critical of yourself, you will inevitably be critical of others. If the only thoughts going through your head are negative, there is a minimal chance that you will be sending positive vibes into the world. Coming from the space of accepting and appreciating the innate beauty, wholeness, and imperfect perfectness in ourselves and people around us will strengthen the roots of ahimsa in us.

Practice self-forgiveness, start giving genuine compliments, observe feelings and thoughts.

3.          The prana – if you are hungry, sleepy, tired and you tend to become short tempered, impatient, out of balance- these states indicate, you are having low prana (vital energy). When our prana is low, it is actually difficult to practice Ahimsa and be compassionate towards self and others. Lively food according to even Ayurveda, good sound sleep, soft breath, calm happy mind state are great sources of energy that help maintain high prana  in ourselves.

4.          On road – say there moments while you are driving your car and someone overtakes or cuts  you off really aggressively and you might witness a slew of anger or negative thoughts run through your head and perhaps some of those even spill out of your mouth. Driving aggressively or getting angry with another aggressive drive both account for Ahimsa.

5.          Mother Earth – try to live each day as environmentally friendly as possible is a great way to practice Ahimsa. We can always express our care for Mother Earth – like taking staircases instead of elevators, walking or riding bikes instead of using a car, bringing out cloth or reusable bags for grocery shopping, supporting local farmers and shopping at local markets, using natural products to minimize use of chemical products, planting trees, technology fast once if not twice a month.

6.          Self practice on yoga mat – to consider Ahimsa on the mat and try to translate it in our life- by asking self some questions while practising like a) am I doing sadhana in a disciplined manner or as per my mood? b) do I harm myself in any way by either being too pushy or being too lazy? c) do I deny my  body rest when needed? d) am I paying attention to my breath? e) do I compare myself with others in the yoga studio or glance at others? f) do I  base myself worth on whether I  can do a certain pose or not? g) do I get mad at myself for my chattering mind in savasana or in meditation?

7.          Be free - sometimes we just need to stop controlling everything and need to let go and let things flow. A compulsive need to control is just a product of various fears that we have, and fear is the basis of violence and aggression. When we start letting go preconceived ideas or outcomes, we start feeling more at peace with ourselves, others around and situation that we are in.

8.          Resolve - conflicts are part of life, everywhere - in relationships, at work, between communities and nations, well turbulence is a part of this world, whereas making peace is the nature of our spirit. So, if with a strong resolve and skill, we are able to remain centred in peace, it does not remain limited to just us, it begins to calm down the turbulence around us as well. There are usually two sides to any conflict, and no matter who strikes first, eventually both sides get wounded. Conflict arises in the first place because both sides stick to their stand, yet to resolve the issue, both need to rise above and look at the larger picture. Breakdown of communication is a major cause of any conflict and thus, peaceful dialogue and negotiation is an important tool in resolving it. We need to remember that everyone is fighting a hard battle, and that everyone is looking to be loved for all that they are, is a good place to start with. Our spirit is nourished by loving others. So, let us be mindful and practice Ahimsa whenever we hear that voice of negativity, of hatred and the violence that comes with it, make the conscious choice to silence it and replace it with something kind. The yama Ahimsa in action is the practice of gentleness, compassion, understanding, patience, and love… so can I be patient today. Can I be a more understanding of a difficult situation, to actually be compassionate in a given circumstance. As the Dalai Lama said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.

9.          Practice meditation - When our lives are going well, practicing Ahimsa seems easy enough. But it is only when stress and fear start to pile up, our best intentions evaporate. We human beings are emotional creatures, and what we choose to do with our emotions says a lot about how spiritually mature we are. The yogis say that to create a peaceful, harmonious environment at home, at work, or in our community, we must first find peace within ourselves. By observing our habitual reactions and their consequences, we can learn to pause, take a deep breath, and readjust. As we step back and witness, we can choose to respond in new, more loving and accepting ways. If we honour daily commitment, slowly, over time, our mantra and meditation will loosen and untie the subtler knots that bind us from being our real self. As we choose to live more from our inner center and feel the sense of oneness with others, our personality expands, and we become more kind, loving, forgiving, and compassionate. Ahimsa at its core, points to the underlying unity in all creation—at the deepest level, we are one and the same. This awareness gradually unfolds as we progress in our spiritual practices.

10.        Spread peace - remember the wisdom of the sage who reminded a bruised snake he had once advised to practice ahimsa: “I told you not to bite, but I didn’t tell you not to hiss.”  Being kind does not mean that others should abuse you, so use proper discrimination and see if your interactions require you to be more firm and truthful. By taking care of our needs in a balanced and clear way we become healthy, happy, and calm. Then, from that place of balance and wholeness, we naturally want to extend ourselves to others—our family and friends, co-workers, community, the earth, everyone and everything -- with love and compassion.

Ahimsa is a work in progress, so let us not expect drastic changes over night. It takes time to make new habits and behaviors. Let us take one day at a time and sooner or later we will see that we are established into it. A strong intention and loving patience will make it happen.

Remember the butterfly effect that is responsible for the hurricane at a far-away place just by fluttering its wings, know for sure that each kind gesture you make is not only strengthening you, but also creates an impact somewhere.

परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम्धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे (- LORD KRISHNA)