The word 'ahimsa'

prasanth5 · May 16, 2010

Ahimsa is non-injury. It is not well understood to mean 'non-violence'. Non-injury after all leads to 'non-violence'!

Dirk · May 16, 2010

The clarification is appreciated.

I tend to be quite pacifistic. I will hurt others only if:

*They threaten the physical well-being of people important to me
*They engage in racist or homophobic violence
*They insist that I hurt them
*They will enjoy it - e.g. the bedroom

There may be other situations I haven't considered.

prasanth5 · May 16, 2010

Yes. Most of the points you have mentioned form the crux of the system of yoga and the aphorisms of yoga by sage Patanjali who lived in the 6th century B.C.

alexmike · May 23, 2010

I am also a pacifist. I don't appreciate violence and honestly there is no point in violence. There is nothing that violence can that can't be solved by reason and rational thinking. If only people would focus on other things.

prasanth5 · May 26, 2010

Well said. Emperor Ashoka realized that very early in his life after the bloodshed in Kalinga. He became as ascetic later on.

The word 'ahimsa'

prasanth5

Dirk

prasanth5

alexmike

prasanth5

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