The principle of non-violence, as well as not causing harm to any kind of living creatures (neither deed, nor word, nor thought) is called ahimsa. Today, the basic ideas of this kind of philosophy for some may seem unacceptable for survival in modern conditions, but Mahatma Gandhi said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats animals." And here it is worth thinking about where humanity should go in the era of scientific and technological progress.
The greatest human virtue - ahimsa
If you think about whether such an ideological basis as ahimsa is acceptable for a person today, that it is for each of the people, many questions and contradictions may arise in the head. But one thing is clear: if an individual decided to change for the better and took a pious and vegetarian lifestyle as a basis, he will no longer be able to neglect this view. His behavior will clearly show a desire to live in harmony, respect for the entire world around him.
Ahimsa - Practice for the Strong in Spirit
Love and compassion for people is one of the fundamental principles of this spiritual practice. In the Bhagavad-gita, one of the most revered religious texts of the Hindus, it is said that no one should be harmed, one should be friendly and help those in need. Also, do not be proud of your achievements, position in society, property, family, wife, children. One must be calm in joy and in grief, patient, satisfied with what is available, and not try to get more.
Heart development
Particularly noteworthy is the Ahimsa principle of nonviolence, which refers to the first of the Yam in yoga. It included both the non-killing of animals and the practice of vegetarianism. Here the words of the great Russian philanthropist and humanist Leo Tolstoy, who called on people to live according to high moral and spiritual principles, would be appropriate. He said: “A society that treats animals badly will always be poor and criminal. From killing an animal to killing a person is one step. ”
It is important to understand that the refusal to eat meat and other cruelty products is not yet an indicator that the individual is akin to a virtuous philosophy. Its concept is actually much broader.
Ahimsa and practice
Indian philosophy is very useful for studying modern man . You can briefly outline the rules that must be followed during achims.
Vegetarianism
This is the initial and easiest practice. But for some, there are pitfalls here, and all because a person mainly absorbs that food that resonates with the vibrations of his internal state. The ancient sages spoke of this, the modern scientific world adheres to the same opinion.
Eating meat as a meal is a veiled desire to commit violence, and thanks to vegetarianism, this trend can be safely eliminated. The main thing here is not to fall into several traps that lie in wait for inexperienced practitioners: a sharp transition from one nutrition system to another can cause health problems, for example, intoxication, especially in older people. It takes time to cleanse the body of cadaverous toxins that have accumulated in it for years.
Forcing yourself not to eat meat can lead to psychological discomfort, which will provoke an internal rejection of this food system. The transition from one product to another should take place consciously, naturally. Vegetarianism from under the stick will not last very long and in terms of spiritual development will not bring any results.
Nonviolence regarding the outside world
This may include the refusal to cause harm to everything around, not only in actions and words, but also in thoughts. Some find it very difficult to perform ahimsa, which is impossible for the average person. But specific methods to comprehend this practice will help here. In this case, meditation is used. A person should relax, enter into an abstract state and concentrate on the heart center (Anahata chakra), after which mentally one needs to begin to pronounce affirmations:
- "I love everyone".
“I wish everyone happiness.”
“May all beings be happy.”
You can use other similar good treatment, invented independently. At the time of such meditation, you need to monitor your inner state. It is important to be concentrated, focused on the present moment, not to slip away into thoughts, not to succumb to drowsiness.
Nonviolence
It is not recommended to fall into excessive asceticism, any kind of self-flagellation. Spiritually advanced masochists are offered meditation on every organ of their body, where love and gratitude are sent to him for their service to man. At this moment, you need to imagine how he is happy and smiles at the attention shown.
All his life, Indian philosophy can be comprehended; briefly conveying some of its aspects is not so simple. But it is important to highlight the main thing for yourself: when comprehending Unconditional Love for everything around you, first of all, you should not bypass yourself.
Conscious Meditation on the Form of Violence
Here is an analysis of how we manifest violence in everyday life. It is necessary to think about how to eliminate these negative aspects. This practice is one of the most effective in mastering achimsa.
Ahimsa: what is it for modern man?
To understand the concept of Divine Love is not as simple as it might seem initially. She has nothing to do with the traditional understanding of love. History has revealed to humanity the lives of the greatest missions, prophets. Jesus was crucified, Mohammed was stoned, the great Sufi Mansur indulged in such cruel tortures that his skin even got off. Almost all the saints had enemies, but they showed with their ascetic life that the most important thing on the spiritual path is the opposition to even those who are eager to do harm.
Life-giving power of Love
A deeper immersion in ahimsa practice gives you the understanding that you need to eliminate the hostility complex. Condemnation, non-resistance to evil by violence at first glance seems illogical. To some, at first it may seem unfair to Ahims that this is too helpless and unjustified for society. But revealing in yourself this kind of compassion is already a step of a high level of realization on the spiritual path.
Gradually, anyone can approach this through awareness of the impulses of his mind to condemnation, discussion. Here it is necessary to be loyal, positive and perceptive to everything that one has to face in everyday life. Anger, hatred, anger, malevolence will give way to such a quality as Unconditional Love, an awareness of the Universal Cosmic Oneness of Life will occur. To develop such a virtue in oneself is not easy, but it is possible, and everyone needs to strive for this, for, as Christ said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be merciful."