Ahimsa or the concept of nonviolence is arguably one of the noblest and most evolved of concepts that India has presented to the world. By employing nonviolent means to secure independence from the British yoke, Indians won a moral victory and demonstrated to the world how ahimsa can yield results where violence will not. In the process generations of thinkers and leaders the world over were inspired by this philosophy. Ahimsa (ahinsa) or nonviolence is also one of the limbs of yoga and one among concepts such as Pratyahara, Samadhi and others that we have looked at before.
The concept of ahimsa
We all understand ahimsa to mean non violence and also compassion. The word means the opposite of the world ‘hinsa’ which means violence, ‘haani’ which means injury damage. Ahimsa finds mentions in the Vedas as well as the ancient text of the Mahabharata which speaks of Ahimsa Paramo Dharma or ahimsa as being one of the highest virtues.
As we endeavor to not injure other people and other creatures around us, we also have to inculcate the feeling of compassion towards others. The concept of ahimsa envisages that there is a divine spark or a spiritual energy within all of us living beings and that there are negative karmic consequences of causing harm to other living creatures. Simply put, the consequence of harming others is harming one’s own self.
How to practice ahimsa in our daily lives
Nonviolence is one of the ethical imperatives and moral duties of a yogi and it is also something that improves quality of life and helps one grow and evolve as a person. Nonviolence in our day to day lives goes beyond the merely physical. The obvious manifestations of nonviolence are of course physical where you refrain from hitting someone or throwing a stone at a dog or needlessly plucking leaves and flowers or indulge in any other kind of destructive behavior.
But remember, we also said that nonviolence is about compassion? Curbing emotional violence or antipathy towards others is as important, if not even more vital, than the physicality of violence. Controlling and letting go of anger and other negative emotional responses such as jealousy, resentment and disappointment is one of the ways to control violent thoughts and urges. If someone is triggering a negative response within you, why is this? Do they have a reason for behaving the way they did? Can you change the circumstances that gave rise to the situation that is causing you anger and frustration? To experience compassion, try and put yourself in the other person’s place and look at the situation from their perspective.
Try and channel your negative energy into positive channels (yes your yoga aasans and breathing exercises practically help you to do this and to calm down physically and emotionally). Simply going for a brisk walk or bike ride can help you literally blow off the steam and attain a calmer state of mind. Reach within yourself to analyze why you have had the response that you did to a particular situation and why it caused you to have the violent reaction that it did. Also try and look upon others with kindness and acceptance instead of with animosity and resentment. When you change your attitude to others, they are often compelled to change their responses to you (think of how Bapu refused to raise a hand to his British oppressors and how the British were then forced to concede to his various legitimate demands).
Music can have similar uplifting and calming influences on the mind. Several Raagas are known to have very specific impacts on the mind; elevating and invigorating the mind to transcend the petty negativity that we tend to harbor. Find your own ways to quell the anger and the potential violence within you. The results will enrich your life in ways that you didn’t imagine!
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