-Patanjali (Sri Swami Satchidananda)
What is violence and what injures?
We often think of violence as that which causes physical injury to another. But what is violence actually? The Sanskrit term himsa means to cause pain. That pain is not necessarily physical in nature but it can be. Anytime we say a negative word to another or even when we think a negative thought about another we are in fact being violent, according to the teachings of many wise masters including Patanjali and Christ. So our minds can injure as well as our bodies. We condemn in many ways.
Who gets injured?
Of course, most of us believe that the only person who gets injured by such acts of violence are the targets for our wrong doing. And we often see ourselves as the target of himsa from others.
Is it just the target that is harmed? Most spiritual teachings will explain that the one inflicting the pain on another is just as likely to suffer as the one who receives the unkind act, thought or word. ACIM teaches that if you condemn, you can be injured. When we throw a blow at another, say an unkind thing about or to another or when we think cruel thoughts we are only harming ourselves in the long run.
What happens when we or others perceive violence or condemnation?
Think about it. If you thought I was about to attack you what would you do? You would do what you could to defend and protect yourself first of all. Remember that defense is a form of attack.
You may equip yourself with a firearm to protect me from you. If you shoot me, in your defense when you perceive me attacking you, you are the one being violent, are you not? We call it "self-defense" but it is still himsa. You will be causing pain to another and you will be causing pain for yourself. No matter how society sanctions it, you will have to live with the knowing that you seriously harmed or killed another being.
What if you thought I was saying unkind things to you or about you? What will you do then? In your hurt and your anger and your fear...will you not say unkind things back? Will you not attack me directly or at least go to another and say, "Do you know what she said about me? She is so cruel, so mean. etc etc" You may go so far as to get the authorities involved on grounds of harassment, defamation etc. That too is a form of attack.
And what about our thoughts. If you assumed that a crowd of people you had to walk through were condemning you for one reason or another, that they disliked you and that they were in fact thinking 'unkind' thoughts about you...what would be going on in your head as you walked through? Would you be thinking how wonderful all those people were or would you be thinking how mean they were? Would you be on the mental defensive, ready to attack?
Now...just the opposite is true. If you were condemning yourself, thinking unkind thoughts, saying cruel things or actually physically harming yourself, will others be hurt by that? Yes. Those that know you and love you, and even those that don't, will hurt for you. And if we blame or insinuate that someone else is to blame for the way we feel about ourselves we are hurting them...leading to guilt and judgement.
Violence creates violence; hostility creates hostility and himsa creates himsa. Illusion creates illusion.
What is the answer then?
There are two things we can do to get rid of hostility. We can practice ahimsa and we can forgive and let go.
What is Ahimsa?
Ahishma is one of Patanjali's Yamas and involves making a commitment to not purposefully inflict pain on another being. Gandhi lived by this as well as many of the other saints who walked or walk in our world. He was able to establish freedom for his nation without lifting a hand against anyone. People felt peace in his presence. Saint Francis of Assissi was another being who practiced ahimsa and it was said that wild animals flocked to him and felt safe in his presence.
When we put aside our need to defend and attack, when we adopt a commitment to non violence hostility ceases. If you knew I was perfectly harmless would you feel the need to protect yourself from me? Would you feel the need to point a gun at me, to foster negative opinion about me to protect your idea of 'self' or think unkind thoughts? You wouldn't feel you had to, would you?
So if all beings on this planet vowed to be non violent, would there be a need for national defense, border protection and war?
Ahimsa then can save us from ourselves.
Forgiveness and Letting Go of the Illusion.
How on earth are we going to get to the point we do not need to defend against attack? You know what that world is like, what people are like. It's crazy out there...get real...we can't realistically practice ahimsa!
Is the world as crazy and as threatening as we perceive it to be? What if I were to tell you that: Injury is impossible. And yet illusion makes illusion. (ACIM-W-198: 1:1-2)? Would you swallow the idea that the world isn't crazy but we are? That the world cannot hurt us anywhere but in our minds. ACIM and Yoga teaches that the only thing we need to defend against is our crazy, mixed up minds that are feeding us one illusion after another.
To change perception so we see the world clearly, all we need to do is to forgive. When you feel condemned, persecuted , being treated unkindly instead of picking up that shield or that weapon, instead of justifying the need for violence in any form...just say to yourself. "...forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). For the truth is, they, you, know not what you are doing.
Our monkey minds are feeding us with a whole bunch of crazy nonsense that seems pretty darn real...but it isn't. It is just thought, story and distorted perception creating fear.
Forgiveness, is recognizing that the injustice we are perceiving, the violence we are witnessing is just an illusion that cannot really hurt who we really are. When we wake up from this nightmare, we are no longer afraid and therefore no longer in need of defense and attack.
As long as I am defending. As long as I am attacking. As long as I am condemning for whatever reason...I am stuck in a nasty dream of violence. But if I forgive others and myself and let go of this illusion I wake up. Condemn and you are made a prisoner. Forgive and you are freed. (ACIM-w-198:2:1-2)
When we let go of the illusions that keep us stuck there will be no need for violence. Ahimsa is the natural consequence. Peace within and peace without is what follows.
Now is there silence all around the world.
Now is there stillness
where there was before
a frantic rush of thoughts that made no sense.
Now is there tranquil light
across the face of the earth,
made quiet by a dreamless sleep.
(ACIM-W-198:11-1-3)
All is well!
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