| Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness | | | | far as he thereby refrains from doing harm impelled |
| In his commentary on the Yoga Sutras, Vyasa | | | | by delusion, does he bring out ahimsa in its purity.'" |
| [Vyasa was one of the greatest sages of India, | | | | And Shankara explains that Vyasa is referring to |
| author of the Mahabharata (which includes the | | | | delusion that is "rooted in violence and causing |
| Bhagavad Gita), the Brahma Sutras, and the codifier | | | | violence." |
| of the Vedas.] begins his exposition of ahimsa: | | | | Ahimsa includes strict abstinence from any form of |
| "Ahimsa means in no way and at no time to do injury | | | | injury in act, speech, or thought. Violence, too, verbal |
| to any living being." Shankara expands on this, saying | | | | and physical, must be eschewed. And this includes |
| that ahimsa is "in no capacity and in no fashion to | | | | any kind of angry or malicious damage or misuse of |
| give injury to any being." This would include injury by | | | | physical objects. |
| word or thought as well as the obvious injury | | | | Ahimsa is a state of mind from which non-injury will |
| perpetrated by deed, for Shankara further says: | | | | naturally proceed. "Ahimsa really denotes an attitude |
| "Ahimsa is to be practiced in every capacity-body, | | | | and mode of behavior towards all living creatures |
| speech, and mind." We find this principle being set | | | | based on the recognition of the underlying unity of |
| forth by Jesus in his claim that anger directed toward | | | | life," the modern commentator Taimni declares. |
| someone is a form of murder (Matthew 5:21,22), and | | | | Shankara remarks that when ahimsa and the others |
| by the Beloved Disciple's statement that hatred is | | | | are observed "the cause of one's doing harm |
| also murder.(I John 3:15) | | | | becomes inoperative." The ego itself becomes |
| Even a simple understanding of the law of karma, the | | | | "harmless" by being put into a state of non-function. |
| law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7), enables us | | | | And meditation dissolves it utterly. However, until |
| to realize the terrible consequences of murder for | | | | that interior state is established, we must work |
| the murderer. As Vyasa explains: "The killer deprives | | | | backwards from outward to inner, and abstain from |
| the victim of spirit, hurts him with a blow of a | | | | all acts of injury. |
| weapon, and then tears him away from life. Because | | | | In actuality, we cannot live a moment in this world |
| he has deprived another of spirit, the supports of his | | | | without injuring innumerable beings. Our simple act of |
| own life, animate or inanimate, become weakened. | | | | breathing kills many tiny organisms, and so does |
| Because he has caused pain, he experiences pain | | | | every step we take. To maintain its health the body |
| himself.... Because he has torn another from life, he | | | | perpetually wars against harmful germs, bacteria, and |
| goes to live in a life in which every moment he | | | | viruses. So in the ultimate sense the state of ahimsa |
| wishes to die, because the retribution as pain has to | | | | can only be perfectly observed mentally. Still, we are |
| work itself right out, while he is panting for death." | | | | obligated to do as little injury as possible in our |
| Ahimsa is interpreted in many ways-which is to be | | | | external life. In his autobiography Paramhansa |
| expected since Sanskrit is a language that abounds in | | | | Yogananda relates that his guru, Swami Yukteswar |
| many possible meanings for a single word. But | | | | Giri, said that ahimsa is absence of the desire to |
| fundamentally ahimsa is not causing any harm | | | | injure. |
| whatsoever to any being whatsoever, including | | | | Although it has many ramifications, the aspiring yogi |
| subhuman species. (Ahimsa is not usually considered in | | | | must realize that the observance of ahimsa must |
| relation to plant and mineral life, but certainly wanton | | | | include strict abstinence from the eating of animal |
| destruction of such life would be an infringement of | | | | flesh in any form or degree. |
| ahimsa, partly because it would eventually have a | | | | Though the subject is oddly missing from every |
| detrimental effect on animal life as well.) To | | | | commentary on the Yoga Sutras I have read, the |
| accomplish this ideal it is self-evident that violence, | | | | practice of non-injury in relation to the yogi himself is |
| injury, or killing are unthinkable for the yogi. And as | | | | vital. That is, the yogi must do nothing in thought, |
| Vyasa immediately points out, all the other | | | | word, or deed that harms his body, mind, or spirit. |
| abstinences and observances-yama and niyama-are | | | | This necessitates a great many abstensions, |
| really rooted in ahimsa, for they involve preventing | | | | particularly abstaining from meat (which includes fish |
| harm both to ourselves and to others through either | | | | and eggs), alcohol, nicotine, and any mind- or |
| negative action or the neglect of positive action. | | | | mood-altering substances, including caffeine. On the |
| "The other niyamas and yamas are rooted in this, | | | | other side, it necessitates the taking up of whatever |
| and they are practiced only to bring this to its | | | | benefits the body, mind, and spirit, for their omission |
| culmination, only for perfecting this [i.e., ahimsa]. They | | | | is also a form of self-injury, as is the non-observance |
| are taught only as means to bring this out in its | | | | of any of the yama or niyamas. It is no simple thing |
| purity. For so it is said: 'Whatever many vows the | | | | to be a yogi. |
| man of Brahman [God] would undertake, only in so | | | | |