Ahimsa Flashcards
Ahimsa
Non-violence
Compassion. A positive expression of universal love and compassion. Not just non-doing. Being established in ahimsa means understanding and experiencing the divine essence that pervades all creation. And with that vision treating everything with gentleness and conscious awareness. “Whenever I walk I feel like I’m stepping on the breast of my mother” GuruDev. Imagine that kind of awareness. He saw the whole earth as mother earth and treated every squareinch with tenderness and gentleness.
Inside Yama & Niyama with Swami Karunananda
Obstructions to ahimsa
Obstructions to ahimsa are often fear and desire. We fear that someone will maybe hurt us and hurt them proactively. Another is pursuit of our desires and our better judgement gets overwhelmed. Fear and fulfilment of desire can sometimes unadvertently if not deliberately harm others.
When established in ahimsa the Yoga Sutra states
All hostility ceases in our presence. We eminate a presence of peace everyhwere. Swami saw this years ago here in the Ashram. A yogi woman helped a spider to escape full of love and they bonded :)
Questionson ahimsa
Are my thoughts or actions harmful towards myself or others in any way?
Am I rough, careless or uncaring in the way I handle things or move through life?
Are my dietary choices non-violent?
Are my communication patterns non-violent?
Do I lisen carefully what others have to say and allow them to finish before I start speaking or do I try to dominate interactions?
Am I ever sarcastic?
Am I ever humorous on other peoples expense?
Am I ever rude or harsh to others?
How do I express myself emotionally?
Do I consider the feelings of others when I express my own?
Is anger ever an issue for me?
How could I do better?
