What is Ahimsa? -- Ahimsa is to not hurt or
harm anyone ever. It is the opposite of Himsa, which means "to hurt,
injure or cause harm".
3 Types of Ahimsa:
- Karmana (at action-level): eg. We should not hit or physically harm anyone.
- Vaachaa (ar speech-level): eg. We should not speak insultingly/ threateningly to friends, hurt our parents, back-answer teachers or gossip/ backbite about anyone.
- Manasaa (at thought-level): eg. We should not think wrong of anybody no matter how they are.
How to practice Ahimsa?
- Love All always - When we love, we do not want our loved one to be hurt. When we hurt our dear ones, we have forgotten how much we love them. So, let us love all always.
- Make Your Intentions Non-Violent-Ahimsa is all about intentions and not actions. For example, the surgeon also cuts open somebody's stomach with a knife and so does a butcher. But the intention of the surgeon is to save and the intention of the butcher is to kill. Similarly, when our parents scold us, it is with the intention of our good and not to hurt us. Thus it is also Ahimsa. We cannot always be absolutely non-violent in our actions, but we must always be non-violent in our Intentions.
Qualities of a Person practicing
Ahimsa:
- I do not casually crush, strip, uproot or cut down plants
- With regards to my fellow beings, I watch for those words or acts or even thoughts that may be hurtful
- I develop a finer appreciation for feelings of others
- I come to see beyond my own needs and to the needs of those around me.
- I treat all things and beings with sensitivity and appreciate their common existence with me.
Quotes
- "At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love". - Martin Luther King Jr.
- "Non-violence is a weapon of a strong heart." - Mahatma Gandhi
- "It takes very little time and efforts to hurt someone, but a lot more to heal." - Unknown
Topic of Discussion:
- Vegetarianism and Ahimsa
- Arjuna was being told to fight a war, but Krishna teaches him non-violence. Why?
U have to always have ahimsa in life. U should never purposely offend a person if u don't have too
ReplyDeleteIt is NOT important to be the first person to comment, rather it is important to keep the comment relevant & meaningful.
ReplyDeleteI like the quote, "Non-violence is a weapon of a strong heart." - Mahatma Gandhi, because it is simple and you can understand what Ahimsa actually means from it.
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