Non Violence

Author(s): Dada Bhagwan
Publisher: Dada Bhagwan Foundation

Page 46

Ahimsa
Ahimsa
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violence behind one's efforts to try and save life forms?
Questioner : But in India there is so much emphasis on Ahimsa.
Dadashri : Saving the life forms is not subtle, but overt non-violence. Subtle Ahimsa is not easily understood. How can one understand it, when one cannot even understand overt Ahimsa? People practice overt Ahimsa naturally, because they are born into it as a result of their past lives. They practice Ahimsa against the smaller life forms but at home these very people, without exception, do nothing but violence.
Questioner : In the western world there is violence in almost everything they do, in eating, in drinking, in all acts. They kill flies and mosquitoes and use pesticides on their lawns and farms. How will these people attain liberation?
Dadashri : Alas! Indian people commit even greater violence. All day long they commit violence against the self by their kashayas: anger, false pride, greed and illusion. This is called intent-violence (bhaav himsa). This is subtle himsa.
Dadashri : Even so Indians are the most violent, because they bicker and quarrel all the time. Why is this? It is because they have greater awareness of the relative world. Their children
wever do not have as much intent-violence because they have started to eat meat. A non-vegetarian diet decreases awareness and consequently does not cause as much intentviolence. People with increased awareness commit tremendous intent-violence. They bicker over very trivial things.
Intent Is Independent; Result is not
Questioner : Nevertheless, these foreign people are doing violence all the same.
Dadashri: Intent-violence is independent, whereas effectviolence is not. The result of intent violence, which one experiences in the next life, is not under anyone's control. People who practice non-violence today is the result of their past life's intent. What they do today is not their real effort.
Questioner : But the people in India are doing violence only against their own self, whereas in other countries they are doing violence against other life forms.
Dadashri : No. Indians do violence against everyone, violence against whomever they come into contact with. Their ways are devious and crooked. People in other countries are happier. The people of the western world never have thoughts about hurting others, they are very gracious and always willing to help. Indian people however, are opportunistic; they will first analyze a situation to see how they can benefit from it, and will only help others if there is something in it for them.
This type of Ahimsa is directed towards only those life forms that are visible to the eye. It is not wrong. The Lord has said that if one were to practice Ahimsa outwardly, it should be directed towards both the gross and the subtle life forms alike. More importantly one should ensure that one does not commit intent-violence towards one's own self. People are constantly committing intent-violence; they even talk about it and yet they do not understand what it is.
All of India is guilty of intent-violence (bhaav hinsa), which in the eyes of the Lord is the gravest violence of all.
Intent-violence is subtle and people cannot perceive it, whereas effect violence is visible to all. All the violence that is perceived through one's thoughts, speech and acts is an effect.