Ahimsa: Nonviolence

Ahimsa, nonviolence, is the pure thought of India; ahimsa is indeed inspired by universal love. The word himsa means “to want to kill; to want to harm.” Therefore, ahimsa is the renunciation of all death or harm caused by violence or even such intentions.

Ahimsa is the opposite of egotism; it is absolute altruism and love; it is upright action. Mahatma Gandhi made of ahimsa the wand of his political doctrine.

Gandhi defined the manifestation of ahimsa in the following manner:

“Nonviolence does not consist of renouncing all real struggles against evil. Nonviolence, as I conceive it, establishes a more active campaign against evil than the law of the Talion, whose nature itself results in the development of perversity. I raise before the immoral a mental opposition, and consequently, a moral one. I try to whet the tyrants sword, not by clashing it against better sharpened steel, but by disappointing his hopes by not offering any physical resistance. He will find in me a resistance of the soul that will escape his assault. This resistance will first of all blind him and will immediately force him to surrender. And the act of surrender will not humiliate the aggressor but will dignify him...”

There is not a more powerful weapon than a well directed mind!

The ego is the one that disunites, betrays, and establishes anarchy within this wretched suffering humanity. Egoism, treason, and the lack of brotherhood has divided humanity.

The “I” was not created by God, by the Spirit, or by matter. The “I” was created by our own mind and will cease to exist when we have comprehended it completely in all the levels of the mind. It is only through upright action, upright meditation, upright will, upright manner of earning a living, upright effort, and upright memory that we can dissolve the “I.” If we truly want the revolution of the dialectic, it is urgent to comprehend all of this in depth.

The personality must not be confused with the “I.” In fact, the personality is formed during the first seven years of childhood. The “I” is something different. It is the error that is perpetuated from century to century; it fortifies itself each time, more and more through the mechanics of recurrence.

The personality is energetic. It is born during infancy through habits, customs, ideas, etc., and it is fortified with the experiences of life. Therefore, both the personality as well as the “I” must be disintegrated. These psychological teachings are more revolutionary than those of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky.

The “I” utilizes the personality as an instrument of action. Thus, personalism is a mixture of ego and personality. Personality worship was invented by the “I.” In fact, personalism engenders egoism, hatred, violence, etc. All of this is rejected by ahimsa.

Personality totally ruins esoteric organizations. Personality produces anarchy and confusion. Personalism can totally destroy any organization.

The ego fabricates a new personality each time it is reincorporated (returned to a new body). Therefore, each person is different in each new embodiment.

It is urgent to know how to live. When the “I” is dissolved, the Great Reality, true happiness, That which has no name, comes to us.

Let us distinguish between the Being and the “I.” The human being of today only has the “I.” The human being of today is an entity who is not yet complete. It is urgent to receive the Being; it is necessary to know that the Being is limitless happiness.

It is absurd to state that the Being is the “superior I,” the “divine I,” etc. The taste of the Being is much better than that of the ego, because the Being is universal and cosmic. Therefore, let us not try to make the “I” divine.

Ahimsa is nonviolence in thought, word and deed. Ahimsa is respect for others’ ideas, respect for all religions, schools, sects, organizations, etc.

Let us not expect the “I” to evolve because the “I” never perfects itself. We need a total revolution of the consciousness. This is the only type of revolution that we accept.

The doctrine of ahimsa is based on the revolution of the dialectic, on the revolution of the consciousness.

As we die from moment to moment, harmony among human beings slowly begins to develop. As we die from moment to moment, the sense of cooperation replaces the sense of competition. As we die from moment to moment, little by little good will replaces evil will.

Human beings of good will accept ahimsa. It is impossible to initiate a new order in our psyche while excluding the doctrine of nonviolence.

Ahimsa should be cultivated in homes by following the path of the perfect matrimony. It is only with nonviolence in thought and deed that happiness can reign in homes.

Ahimsa should be the foundation of daily living, at the office, in the factory, in the countryside, at home, on the street, etc. We should live the doctrine of nonviolence.