RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

What is the Importance of Non-Violence?

Non-violence is the cardinal virtue recognized in Sanatana Dharma or any universal tradition. Non-violence is the supreme Dharma, the great law of life. To the extent that we fall from non-violence we cease to be truly religious and lose our connection with God.

Dharma means natural law and the most basic natural law is to remain in harmony with our fellow creatures. No creature likes to suffer. To attune ourselves with the nature of all beings, we should not seek suffering for any being. Non-violence, therefore, is the foundation of all true ethics of truthfulness, honesty and non-stealing. Non-violence in Hinduism is the universal great vow. Only if we have an attitude of non-violence toward all beings can we have true universality.

Non-violence means not to wish harm for any being in thought, word and deed. It is not merely a matter of refraining from physical violence. Nor is it just a matter of refraining from military action. It means non-violence in our own homes and families as well. Nor is it limited to human beings. It means to not be violent towards plants, animals or the Earth itself, which means to restrict our consumption of meat and our use of energy for personal pleasure.

Non-violence is not only in regard to our own action, we should not support or condone violence by others, which is not to attack it but to withdraw any association that we might have with it.

Non-violence is the best way to Self-realization because if we see the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self, we cannot possibly wish harm to anyone. Violence is the denial of religion which, first of all, should be peace. To use violence to promote a religion - whether through thought, word or deed - is to deny the real spirit of religion. To try to make a religion spread through the use of force is not to spread religion but irreligion. This at least is the Hindu view.

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