yahooyoga: Non violence (ahimsa)

Ahimsa (Non-Violence . The word has not merely the negative and restrictive meaning of 'Non killing' or Non violence', but the positive and comprehensive meaning of 'Love embracing of all creation'.) is the first of the Yamas (The God of death. Yama is also the first of the eight limbs or means of attaining Yoga). Ahimsa means Non-violence. Saintly men have always preached and practiced Non-violence in thought, word and deed. Lord Buddha was one of the greatest teachers of non-violence. He could influence men and even wild beasts to become harmless and peaceful.

Once Lord Buddha was walking down the road followed by several disciples. Seeing him, his jealous cousin Devadatta (One of the vital airs which provides for the intake of extra oxygen in a tired body by causing a Yawn), unleashed a drunken elephant hoping that it would trample the Buddha to death.

As the rampaging elephant charged down the street people ran everywhere. The Buddha's disciples also begged their master to flee. The Buddha, however, remained calm and refused to run away. The enraged elephant was further annoyed at seeing the Buddha unperturbed and came charging straight at him.

The Buddha calmly raised his hand in a gesture of non-violence. The angry beast stopped dead in its tracks! It then humbly kneeled down before the Buddha. Such was the power of Lord Buddha's nonviolence.

Men take to violence to protect their own interests, their own bodies, their loved ones, their property or dignity. But a man cannot rely upon himself alone to protect himself or others. The belief that he can do so is wrong. A man must rely upon God, who is the source of all strength, then he will fear no evil. Violence arises out of fear, weakness, ignorance or restlessness. To curb it what is most needed is freedom from fear. To gain this freedom, what is required is a change of outlook on life and reorientation of the mind. Violence is bound to decline when men learn to base their faith upon reality and investigation rather than upon ignorance and supposition.

For a wrong done by others, men demand justice while for that done by themselves they plead mercy and forgiveness. The Yogi on the other hand, believes that for a wrong done by himself there should be justice, while for that done by another there should be forgiveness. He knows and teaches others how to live. Always striving to perfect himself, he shows them by his love and compassion how to improve themselves.

There are two types of anger, one of which debases the mind while the other leads to spiritual growth. The root of the first is pride, which makes one angry when slighted. This prevents the mind from seeing things in perspective and makes one's Judgment defective.