Non-Violence

Non-Violence


	Love				Non-Violence

Non-Violence

We live at the most violent time in human history – we are violent towards fellow human and also to the planet, our Mother Earth. Our greed leads us to eliminate one whole species of living things (trees, insects, birds, etc), and to create deserts out of fertile land at an unprecedented rate. Our poisoning of river systems, underground water reservoirs and oceans is such that many rivers are now ecologically dead and oceans are covered with a film of oil that steadily diminishes their oxygen-producing ability.

It is as if we care so little for our children – in a few short years the irreversible degradation will be complete and they and their children will be destroyed by a poisoned and crippled planet. Even before that end-time, Nature will retaliate, seeking to shake the infecting organism (mankind) form its surface. Baba says:

In the vast cosmos, man is like a speck. Essentially, there is no conflict between man and creation. Just as a child is entitled to enjoy the milk from its mother and the bee is entitled to enjoy honey from flowers, there can be no objection to man enjoying the resources of Nature. But as a result of uncontrollable desires and reckless exploitation of natural resources, Nature is exhibiting frightening disorders. Natural calamities like earthquakes; volcanic eruptions, droughts and floods are the result of disturbances in the balance of Nature caused by reckless exploitation of natural resources. Mankind today appears like a foolish man who is wielding an axe at the branch of the tree on which he is sitting.

Divine Discourse, 13-1-1997

Non- Violence is the zenith of human achievement and perfection. It is universal love that goes beyond our relation with our fellow beings and embraces all living and non-living things. It is the spiritual domain of existence. Here, one experiences the essential oneness and unity of all creation. It blossoms from the understanding that man has an obligation towards every object and component of this universe. And the least one can do is to try and extend one’s sphere of love to all.

In the context of human beings, Non- Violence means amity, harmony and the understanding; in the context of plants and animals it means non-injury that is, desisting from avoidable harm and in the context of nature as such, it means non-violation of the law and balance of nature.

Thus the practice of Non- Violence is not restricted to the physical plane alone but includes all the three, that is, thought, word and deed.

We generally think that Ahimsa means not causing harm to some living being. Ahimsa is not just this. Even bad vision or bad hearing or bad talk is also himsa (violence).

Ahimsa really means that you should not cause harm to any one through your vision, hearing or talking. Buddha also said "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma". On the basis of what Buddha said, Gandhi adopted this path. He interpreted Ahimsa as that which does not cause harm to any living object. After some time, he realized that himsa is done even if any harm is done by vision or by bearing or by talking. On one occasion the cow he was looking after had a serious disease. Several doctors looked at the cow and decided that the cow would not live much longer. When Gandhi realized this, he suggested that an injection be given to end the life of the cow. This was because he thought that even looking at the suffering of the cow is himsa for those who look at the suffering. We should interpret ahimsa as not causing any harm or himsa to any individual by any means.

Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978