| Awaken Bharata |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE TWO WINGS OF DHARMA | |
| The
Meaning of Ahimsa
First of all, ahimsa does not simply mean nonviolence or not resorting to arms. It means having an attitude that tries to reduce harm to living creatures. Sometimes force or violence is necessary to prevent or reduce harm. If a car is heading toward a child, we may have to push the child forcefully out of the path of the vehicle in order to save its life. If a wild animal is attacking people the animal may have to be wounded or killed. Another possible translation for ahimsa is non-aggression because all violence is not necessarily avoidable for self-defense but can be avoided as an aggressive policy. However, modern Hindu leaders have not always applied the principle of non-violence according to the tradition, perhaps because they did not adequately examine traditional teachings. They have simply stereotyped it as avoiding any violence, even that which might save a life. Moreover they have used non-violence to appease violent groups, responding to threats of violence by giving into the demands of those who make them, which has not resulted in peace but in the escalation of further demands. |
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