Ahimsa

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"...You may indulge in thoughts such as "it will be nice if some trouble

befalls them". If this feeling is intense and if your mind is also powerful, the

emotional flood itself can cause harm to that person. This is how curse works.

Is this not violence ? Eventhough your feeling may not assume as menacing

proportions as a curse, it still amounts to violence by virtue of its wicked

nature. This concept implicated by the above Sookti is of paramount importance

to

those who are in the path of spiritual sadhana. ..." from below:

 

Sookti Manjari

 

 

Ahimsa paramo dharmah (non-violence is the ultimate dharma) is a very popular

saying. Normally, people apply this to actions such as wars, killing animals,

hunting etc. Strangely, people do not apply it to themselves in their day to

day life.

 

True, killings are violent acts. Violence need not be always in the form of

killing. Causing minor injuries is also violence. Hurting in any manner is

violence.

 

Is not harassing your subordinate in your office with a load of work beyond

his capabilities an unjust and therefore a violent act ? Is not admonishing

your wife without reason or rhyme also an act of violence? Is not being

deceitful

at the time of dividing the assets of your late father with his legal heirs

an unfair and thus a vicious attitude? We encounter such questions in our own

life as well as in the lives of our relatives and friends.

 

When such things take place in our own life, we do not see even a shadow of

the question mark. We believe that our actions do not fall within the

definition of violence. Why?

We simply assume that we know many things for sure and forge ahead blindly.

This is indeed the cause for many emotional conflicts in life. For example,

every one of us take it for granted that we know the meaning of "I". In reality,

the true knowledge of "I" eludes even scholars. In fact, if its true meaning

is realised, it means that the person has achieved the ultimate purpose of

life! There are many such commonly used words for which we do not know the

correct

meaning. Himsa (violence) is also one such word, the meaning of which is

poorly understood by most of us.

 

We think that the word Himsa (hurting) means killing. This meaning seems

correct to most of us. Let us consider an example. Someone starts praising you.

He

will praise you to such an extent that you get carried away and start giving

away as gift all your possessions. After you come to terms with reality and

when you get over the euphoria caused by praise, you will feel that the person

cheated you and ruined you. Now you feel that you were actually harmed by that

person even though he only praised you. Let us consider another example. A

person with a non-healing wound in his leg goes to a doctor. The doctor decides

that the wound can not be healed and that a part of the leg has to be removed

to save the leg. The surgeon removes the decaying part. Now, if the patient

cries that the doctor has caused Himsa to him, (harmed him), do we agree with

him? No. With these two examples in mind, let us try to understand the real

meaning of Himsa (harm). When we understand what constitutes Himsa (violence),

we

can comprehend what Ahimsa (non-violence) is. We will then be able to reap the

benefits of observing non-violence. Keeping this in mind, observe this Sookti

-

 

Dvesha eva hi himsaa syaat

Premaivaahimsanam matam

Prayoktushcha prayuktasyaa

vubhe dattah samam phalam

Hatred is violence, love is non-violence- says this Sookti. It means that

when the feeling of hatred resides in the heart in any form - words, actions or

thoughts, it amounts to violence.

There was a secret resolve in Shakuni's mind to destroy Duryodhana. He first

earned Duryodhana's friendship and confidence. He used to praise Duryodhana

for everything and supported him even when he indulged in wicked deeds.

Shakuni's idea was that by doing so, he could make Duryodhana bloat with ego and

develop enemity with the Pandavas and Lord Krishna which would eventually spell

doom for the latter. Is this attitude Himsa? Or Ahimsa? The above Sookti leaves

us in no doubt about the verdict. Though Shakuni's words were as sweet as honey

and although he did not physically harm Duryodhana, what he did was nothing

but harm. Most people indulge in such thoughts - though not in such magnitude

as Shakuni did. At such times we justify ourselves saying that it is only a

diplomatic approach and a strategy for achieving what we desire. We must realise

that this Sookti is meant to ring the bell of caution in our hearts at such

times.

 

Sometimes hatred does not even manifest in the form of speech. It assumes the

form of emotional vibrations. For instance you become jealous and angry that

one of your colleagues got a promotion. You can not express your displeasure

openly (through words) against your colleague or the person who gave him the

promotion. What do you do? You secretly wish evil to them. You may indulge in

thoughts such as "it will be nice if some trouble befalls them". If this feeling

is intense and if your mind is also powerful, the emotional flood itself can

cause harm to that person. This is how curse works. Is this not violence ?

Eventhough your feeling may not assume as menacing proportions as a curse, it

still amounts to violence by virtue of its wicked nature. This concept

implicated

by the above Sookti is of paramount importance to those who are in the path

of spiritual sadhana.

 

The following verse is chanted at the end of the prayer session everyday in

the Ashrama -

 

Sarve cha sukhinah santu , sarve santu niraamayaah

Sarve bhadrani pashyantu , maa kashchit duhkhabhaak bhavet

 

"May all of us live happily. May us all be healthy. May auspiciousness shower

on us all.

May not a single being be unhappy" is the meaning of this prayer.

This is an emotional prayer. It is directly opposite to mental violence. In

other words, it emanates from a heart that is devoid of hatred and is filled

with love. Violence, which has its root in hatred bears the fruit called sin.

Conversely, non-violence, which comes out of love bears the fruit called merit.

Because greatmen pray - "Sarve cha sukhinah santu ......" at the end of all

rituals, we can infer that it is a magnanimous attitude. It is needless to say

that wicked thoughts arising out of hatred are equally heinous and sinful. The

second line of the above Sookti ('Perm eva ahimsanam matam') reflects the same

concept.

 

The father scolding his son for neglecting his studies, the police behaving

mercilessly with criminals in order to protect the society, the doctor

prescribing strict dietetic regimen on his patient so that he recovers quickly,

the

husband imposing strict rules on his wife in order to ensure discipline - none

of these actions can be labelled as violence (eventhough force is employed in

each case) simply because the intention behind these actions is good.

 

We have seen that knowledgeable persons have affirmed Ahimsa to be the

harbinger of merit. Extending the concept, we can deduce that hatred, in

whichever

form it manifests, will result in accumulation of sin. If you are weak mentally

and physically, you may not be able to inflict much harm on the other person.

But that does not render your attitude less sinful. The sin you thus

accumulate will have to be paid for here or hereafter. Similarly, the merit you

acquire by practising non-violence will also reap its fruits to be enjoyed here

or

hereafter.

 

It is said in the above Sookti that the fruit of action - good or bad - will

affect both the doer and the enjoyer (or sufferer, as the case may be) equally

(Prayoktuscha-prayuktasya-api -ubheh dattah samam phalam).

 

If you harm someone out of hatred, he will suffer immediately. You will pay

for it later. If you do good to someone out of love, he will enjoy

instantaneously. You will reap the benefit later.

 

Here, samam phalam (equal fruits) means that you will suffer if you make

others suffer and you will enjoy if you make others enjoy. It does not mean that

the effect is equal in intensity for both the persons. You can not think - "If

the aftermath of my action is only as much as the effect of my action now, I

would rather inflict harm on him now". Because of the distress you are now

causing, you will face remorse later. The seed that you have sown now will take

some time to sprout, grow in to a big tree and bear fruits. But you can not

imagine how many fruits and seeds will come out of the tree, for which you have

sown the seed. You will have to reap it all. You can not escape it.

 

Let us therefore practise goodness in thoughts, actions and words.

 

Sri Swamiji.

 

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