Tuesday 24 February 2015

Ahimsa

This is a story about a large snake who was feared & hated in his own village; he bit and terrorized everybody. A Sadhu came visiting the village, and taught him non-violence and told him to practice Ahimsa. The snake heard and took the lesson to heart.

The next time the Sadhu came to the village – he was surprised to see that the snake was extremely battered and bruised. 
Upon inquiry, the snake told him, “I realized the error of my ways and stopped attacking others. But when people saw that I was no longer menacing, children started throwing rocks at me… Even though I was wounded badly, I did not bite anyone… I followed the path of Ahimsa, but now people have started hurting me just for fun!

The sadhu shook his head wisely and said, “Yes, while I taught you the importance Ahimsa and I told you not to bite people, but I never told you NOT to hiss – even in self-defense!

Gandhian Ahimsa is not the real Ahimsa as described in Vedic texts. Gandhi was not the discoverer or creator of this concept. He merely took Ahimsa from the Indian Scriptures, and distorted its meaning to suit his agenda. (Ironically, when Gandhi implored Indian soldiers to go and fight the 2nd world war on behalf of the British – he seems to have forgotten the Ahimsa lesson).

Any wise Guru will tell us that making a choice to protect others and ourselves does NOT violate Ahimsa. To allow violence to occur does NOT express Ahimsa.

In fact, staying “neutral” is in reality, a form of action.

My father narrated this Vedic story of snake and Sadhu when I was a little girl, and now I tell it to my daughter. Let us instill the right values of self-respect and pride in our children. Let us tell them how great their culture and heritage is. 

Let us tell them what Ahimsa and other Sanatana Dharma values really mean.



4 comments:

  1. Swati ji,
    Namaste!
    The interpretation of धर्मो एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षिति रक्षितः can be in one illustration also. Dharm is a system, it is a way of life. it is like a house, if we maintain the house properly, the house will protect us in extreme weather, it will protect us from theft, it will protect us from scorching heat and freezing cold, and blowing storm. if house is not protected it will collapsed and we all be collapsed with that. with thing apply with our family, society, country, etc.

    With regards

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swati ji
    Namaste!

    I am agreed with you. Undoubtedly ahimsa doesn't mean to be inactive, idle, and ready to be exploited and assaulted. The Darwin theory says the survival of the fittest. And those who doesn't survive, either they are idle, inactive, or weak. The prime condition for our existence is to struggle with everything in our life. This struggle might be with animated subjects or with in-animated objects. if in the name of Ahimsa our struggle is suppressed, we will cease to exist.
    अहिंसा परमोधर्मः धर्मं हिंसा तथैवः च

    With regards

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your views Rajeev ji. I hold your opinion in high esteem because you analyse things in an objective manner.
      Regards.

      Delete