TThe word ahimsaa means non-injury. We understand it as a Universal value, saamaanya dharma. No human being wants to be hurt by another in any manner. In fact this is true for any living being. We thus have a natural tendency to seek to be free from being hurt.

The practice of ahimsaa as a discipline is mandated in the Vedic statement himsaam na kuryaat – do not cause injury. Dharma Shaastra, which are the codes of ethics and conduct we are advised to live by says ahimsaa paramo dharmah, non injury, is the foremost value. It is also the first value identified among the several listed in Patanjali’s Yoga sutras. In this work he defines ahimsaa as vaanmanahkaayaih bhootaanaam anabhidrohah – not hurting or bearing malice to any being by speech, mind or action.

We can be hurt by someone or hurt another physically by causing pain or injury. Others can be hurt directly or indirectly such as by stealing, cheating, exploitation and so on.

Use of hurtful speech, which may or may not be deliberate also is meant to and does cause pain to another. It may be born of anger or used as a means to punish, exercise control, subjugate or coerce another individual. Many times the pain caused by speech far outlasts the pain caused by physical himsaa, injury.

The most common response to being hurt is to immediately retaliate. This results in a domino effect and breeds ill feelings. Reacting impulsively is more often than not, unproductive. It takes considerable effort to be deliberate in one’s actions. It may be acceptable to hurt another in self-defense when one’s own well being is threatened and imminent but to do so in order to cause pain to another is wrong. One can also cause hurt by the mind by entertaining

hurtful thoughts and bearing malice towards another. What is cultivated in one’s mind often becomes the potential which manifests in the form of verbal or physical action. Additionally it does not help the person who entertains such thoughts either. A mind consumed with anger and vengeance is not a mind that is relaxed or at peace.

Ahimsaa as a spiritual discipline is remarkably seen in the Jain and Buddhist monastic order. Jain monks avoid eating after sunset to prevent accidentally hurting tiny creatures that appear at dusk. In all actions including walking, talking, Jain monks make a conscious effort to avoid hurting even the smallest organisms. They cover their mouths with a piece of cloth, may sweep the ground they walk on and so on being careful not to hurt any living being including plant life. Hindu sanyaasis take a vow called ‘abhaya pradaanam’ whereby they declare to all living beings that henceforth they need not be afraid of being hurt by the sanyaasi.

Vegetarianism as a spiritual discipline of ahimsaa

A unique expression of ahimsaa as a spiritual discipline seen in our tradition is the practice of vegetarianism. It is the value of ahimsaa combined with an appreciation of sanctity of life and sensitivity to all living beings that is the motivation for choice of vegetarianism in Vedic tradition.

Whether one grows up in an environment where one is accustomed to eating only a plant-based diet or a combination of plant and animal-based diet, there are many individuals who make a deliberate choice to live only on a plant-based diet.

Why is there more himsaa involved in eating an egg than an eggplant, or a chicken more than a pumpkin? All living beings require food to survive. And life depends on life! Organic life lives upon organic matter. One form of life lives upon another form of life. What is dinner for the hunter is a tragic end for the hunted. The eater survives at the expense of the eaten. This being the case why is it not acceptable for humans to eat other animal forms of life?
The key to understanding this value lies in understanding that what a human being consumes in order to live is a matter of choice, an exercise of free will. A human being is not in the same category as a canary eating cat, born with and living by an instinct to eat what it is programmed to eat. Not being programmed a human being is endowed with the privilege to choose the kind of food he eats.

All living beings have a value for life. In fact survival is a basic instinct. Anything alive tries desperately to stay alive, plants and the simplest forms of life included. However, it is also plain that all living beings do not appear to have the same level of self awareness. Creatures in the animal kingdom are closer to human beings than are plants. Animals, birds, aquatic animals all run away attempting to escape when they sense someone trying to catch or harm them. When they are caught, they cry out, struggle, try to escape the first chance they get and fight desperately to not be killed. Thus, it is quite obvious that they do not want to be hurt, much less be killed.

Since a human being is given the free will to choose his food, he must do so based on some norms that guide his choice. This may be based on taste, upbringing, environment, availability of food, affordability and so on. The gift of free will carries with it the responsibility to follow a norm of Dharma for one’s choices. If one has to make a choice of food the preference is for a form of life that is the least evolved, namely plant life. Additionally, consuming vegetables and fruits does not destroy the plant or tree. This is not the case in consuming animals wherein the whole animal’s life is taken. A life that is as dear to the animal as it is to the person who consumes the animal. It is difficult to do this if one truly recognizes the sanctity of life and how precious it is. For one who makes a decision based on their personal free will to respect the sanctity of life and right of living beings to live out their lives as determined by their own will and or as nature intended ahimsaa in the form of vegetarianism becomes a religious discipline.

The value of ahimsaa requires alertness in all areas of one’s life. It finds expression in one’s attitude and relationship towards plants, animals and humans. In living this value, one develops finer appreciation of the feelings of others. One comes to see beyond one’s own needs to the needs of others and treats all beings with sensitivity and appreciation. All these characteristics lead to maturity and spiritual growth in an individual.

 About the Author

Sri Dhira Chaitanya , also known as Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy, is a teacher of Vedanta as well as a board certified doctor in child psychiatry. He currently conducts classes in South Florida. He is the co-author of Purna Vidya, a twelve year program for teaching children in Hindu Tradition and culture. He has also written Bereavement and Final Samskara in Hindu Tradition. His unique background allows him to teach about Hindu scripture while also addressing the role of psychological growth and maturity in spiritual pursuit with insight and authority.

ahimsaa means non-injury

dharma

Vedic statement himsaam na kuryaat

Dharma Shaastra

Patanjali’s Yoga sutras

stealing

cheating

exploitation

spiritual discipline of ahimsaa

Vedic tradition

plant-based diet

Sri Dhira Chaitanya

Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy

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By Sri Dhira Chaitanyaji

Editor’s note: It is our pleasure to present to you a seven part series about addressing and overcoming enemies within ourselves. 

As we live and interact with the world and deal with people we often find ourselves in situations that are quite challenging. While it is possible that we run into people who appear to be inimical to us we are usually able to deal with them. If this is not possible, we protect ourselves by staying away from such situations or people.

In life, we also have to deal with our own thoughts and feelings that can become difficult to surmount. It is much more complex and difficult to deal with our ‘enemies’ that are there within us. The enemies within may be experienced by us in the form of various emotions and thoughts that lead to distress, suffering, anxieties, stress, unhappiness and more. They disturb our peace and both emotional and physical well being. They can also as a result of our words and actions disturb the peace and cause distress and even sorrow in those who are around us and close to us.

These inner enemies are our own tendencies that are picked up and cultivated by us within our own minds as we grow up. They very often arise from misunderstandings that occur in our interactions with others and misinterpretations of the world and our experiences. They are influenced by our values, priorities, and patterns of behavior that neither serve our long term interest nor are helpful to others. If they are not dealt with properly or worse, if they are encouraged and nurtured, they can cause us great harm that may sometimes be irretrievable.

Dealing with these enemies that have become a part of our own psyche is a task that cannot be performed by anyone other than ourselves. Neither should it be considered a responsibility of another (as in “I am what I am-you deal with it”). The latter approach does not really help a person grow emotionally or spiritually.

It is said in the Bhagavad Gita:

Uddharet Aatmanaa Aatmaanam, Naatmaanamavasaadayet

Atmaiva Atmano Bandhuh Atmaiva Ripuraatmanah

Raise yourself by yourself, do not demean yourself. 

(Your) mind alone is your enemy (your) mind alone is your friend.

For a human being to live in the world is more than to exist, to survive, to relate or even to be successful. It is to grow to our maximum potential both emotionally and spiritually.  To achieve this end the enemies in our psyche become major obstacles and barriers. We have to work on ourselves with our own mind. In fact the so-called enemy within is our own mind. Our mind can function as an enemy to us or as a friend. In fact I can say a mind that causes me distress and unhappiness, which is not conducive to my emotional and spiritual wellbeing is a mind that is inimical to me. On the other hand when my mind is responding and functioning in a manner that leads to happiness and peace within me and others around me it is a mind that is a friend to me, and is conducive to my emotional and spiritual growth.

Knowing one’s enemy is the first necessary step to overcome the enemy. Our spiritual tradition identifies six such ‘enemies.’ While there are many tendencies that are inimical these six are significant. Dealing with them helps us also deal with and overcome others connected to them. They are called in Sanskrit ‘shadripuh,’ the six fold enemy. They are: Kaama (Desire), Krodha (Anger), Lobha (Greed), Moha (Delusion), Mada (Pride), and Maatrsarya (Envy). 

We will examine and get to know the characteristics of each one in the next six issues.

About the Author
Sri Dhira Chaitanya, also known as Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy, is a teacher of Vedanta (ancient Hindu scriptures) and Sanskrit as well as a board certified doctor in child psychiatry. He has been teaching for over forty years in the United States and other countries. He currently conducts ongoing classes in South Florida. He is the co-author of Purna Vidya, a twelve year program for teaching children in Hindu Tradition and culture. This curriculum, currently in its third edition, is being followed by over hundred schools in India and by hundreds of communities in children’s classes in over a dozen countries around the world. It has been translated into Tamil, Hindi and Gujarati. He has also written Bereavement and Final Samskara (Antyeshti) in Hindu Tradition. 

His unique background allows him to work with and teach children and adults about Hindu scripture and Vedic Culture, while also addressing the role of psychological growth and maturity in spiritual pursuit with insight and authority.

Bereavement and Final Samskara

Sri Dhira Chaitanyaji

Bhagavad Gita

distress

suffering

anxieties

stress

unhappiness

Kaama (Desire)

Krodha (Anger)

Lobha (Greed)

Moha (Delusion)

Mada (Pride)

Dr. Sundar Ramaswamy