Journey to Enlightenment Part 02

Author(s): Chitrabhanu, Nirmala Hanke
Publisher: Create Space

Page 81

Ahinsa Is Life
Summer 2011
"As we meditate we come to know ourselves.
We discover the sacred beauty of life.”
Ahinsa is not a philosophy. Ahinsa is not a religion. Ahinsa is a feeling of life. Many people say, “Ahinsa means don't hurt anybody. Don't kill.” That is one meaning, but it is secondary. The first meaning is: “Don't hurt yourself.” When you hurt somebody, you are already violent inside; you lose the feeling of amity. Ahinsa is the road from enmity to amity. From hostility to love!
Ahinsa is a subtle thing. It cannot be grasped unless we go deep into ourselves. As we meditate we come to know ourselves. We discover the sacred beauty of life. Unless we have that experience, we may use the word Ahinsa, but it will only be lip service. It will just come from language; it will not emanate from experience. To practice Ahinsa, one has to remove the veil of ignorance about oneself. One has to experience life.
Once we have the experience, we make an inner commitment to practice Ahinsa in three areas: with our actions; with our words, and with our thoughts. Every night we review our day and ask, “Did I harm myself? Did I have any negative thoughts and feelings toward anybody? Did I criticize anybody? Did I judge anybody?”
As we develop the tenderness in ourselves, we see the tenderness in others and become more compassionate toward others. Once we see the sacred beauty of life in ourselves, we see that sacred beauty in others. We do not see that person as a man or a woman or a person from a certain sect or religion. All these obstacles evaporate.
Unless we see beyond the barriers, there won't be peace in the world. We may talk about peace; but inside we go on creating separation. Some say, "My religion is best; it is the only true religion. And, if you don't start to practice my religion, you will go to hell." Such dogmatism and bigotry is also a form of violence. When we practice Ahinsa, we try to understand what others are saying, what they are conveying, what they are feeling. We listen beyond the words.
80 - Journey to Enlightenment - Volume Two