Training in Nonviolence

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Anuvrat Global Organization

Page 13

Nonviolence - An Eternal Religion
Entire social behaviour is motivated by ambition and urge for materialistic pleasures. The result is that it becomes extremely difficult for us to break the cycle of violence. Is it so easy to give up ambition that mere discussion and thinking about it will inspire a person to do so ? Is it so easy to renounce materialistic comforts that men will be diverted from these comforts merely by reading books on ahimsac ? If man doesn't divert his attention from ambition and comforts the cycle of violence, unrest, war and disarmament will also not be broken. If both USA and Russia think of limiting their arms then another nation will think of multiplying nuclear weapons. It will create a question of the balance of power. In order to preserve this balance of power once again there will be a race for manufacturing arms among the developed nations. In this way the terror of unrest and world war will continue to haunt mankind.
Disarmament is one solution of the problem of war but this solution will remain incomplete without considering the background of war which lies in an individual or nation's expansionist tendencies, endeavour to widen one's political system and lifestyle and fanatic zeal to initiate the whole world into one's religion. If we want to prevent war and establish world peace we will have to think of solving the problems that lie in the background.
It is the personality of an individual, which is responsible for violence. It, therefore, becomes imperative for us to develop a balanced individual for nonviolence. If we are able to bring about a balance between intellectual and emotional development in our system of education it will help us greatly in solving the problem of violence. Along with the left hemisphere of the human brain, the right hemisphere should also be activated. If it is done it will create a fertile ground for the growth of nonviolence, in which the seed of ahimsa can easily be sown. It can also be expected to sprout soon.
Why does one particular individual indulge in violence more rapidly than a nonviolent person is an important question? In order to get an answer to this question we will have to go to the subtle level of man's unconscious mind. It is an unrestrained desire or in the language of psychology an latent desire, which is operating here that has become a motivating source of violence. It can be controlled only by developing the power of resolution. Ego remains concealed in man's unconscious mind. Hence he takes interest in considering himself superior to others and looks upon others as inferior. The problem of racial discrimination and caste prejudices is connected with this feeling of ego. Dogmatic attitude is also associated with ego. This alone is the root cause of the problem of communalism.
There is a vow laid down in the Anuvrat Code of Conduct - I will believe in human unity - I will not consider any one high or low on the basis of caste, color, etc. I will not consider any one untouchable.
Our viewpoint for the development of ahimsa is that we should not only remain vigilant about the current incidents of violence, but we should also be aware of the basic human tendencies, which cause violence. In order to address the present problems it is essential for us to work for disarmament and prevention of war. But it is not enough. It is exactly the same as happens when a fire breaks out and we