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Vol. XXIII, No. 4
177
The Natare of Non-Violence
Indian culture is basically a religious culture. Indian seers and sages have always sung the songs of non-violence and that is ourideal-to give away to others and not to grab for ourselves, Non-vio. lence is a permanent value with us. It is difficult to pin-point who was the first to discover this basic approach to life, but according to Gandhiji he who first enunciated this principle was at least as big a scientist as Newton and as big a hero as wellington, if not bigger, in fact, my salute to him.
Lord Mahavir bas called Non-violence a science of life. All Indian scriptures like Vedas, Upanishadas, Smritis, Mahabharat etc. are replete with various aspects of the concept (Non-violence) and still more can be said and expounded. The process is never ending. Gurudev Tulsi has tried to give it additional dimensions in the new environment of modern values.
His (Gurudev Tulsi's) thinking provides some fresh horizons not only in the context of Indian culture, but also in the context of western culture. Some of these can broadly be delineated as under. Ahimsa (Non-Violence) is :
1. the realization of Sat (Truth), Chit (consciousness) and
Anand (Bliss). 2. having oneness with all, to share and own the pain of all. 3. keeping mind, speach and action clean, 4. to haġe virtues tendencies in physical, mental and intellec
tual field, 5. to become fearless and thereby provide fearlessness to
others, 6. to accept and suffer all pain and problems of life with
equanimity, 7. to get rid of the outer attractions of life and secure develop
ment of self, 8. to do away with the pleasures of physical senses and enve
lope oneself in calm, 9. not to get disturbed by small things, 10. not surrendering to force, but to combat and stand up to
tyranny non-violently, 11. not to be non-violent only towards others, but towards our.
selves also. 12. doing all actions in the world without eye on the benefits
accruing from it, 13. to merge one's consciousness in the cosmic consciousness
and become one with it and that is the climax of Ahimsa.
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