Ahimsa Parmo Dharm

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Ahimsa Parmo Dharm" by Brahmeshanand Swami, based on the provided pages:

The article "Ahimsa Parmo Dharm" by Swami Brahmeshanand, edited by Vedanta Kesari, explores the profound concept of non-violence (Ahimsa) as the supreme religion, drawing parallels between Jainism, Buddhism, and Vedic traditions. The author, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Mission, delves into the essence, types, and practical implications of Ahimsa.

The Pervasiveness of Violence and the Ideal of Ahimsa: Despite thousands of years of civilization, the author begins by acknowledging that fear and violence are deeply ingrained in individual and social life. Even if not physically violent, negative emotions like malice, hatred, and fault-finding are prevalent. This is evidenced by our interest in news of war, murder, and crime.

The text highlights historical attempts to establish societies based on Ahimsa in India approximately two thousand years ago. Lord Mahavir, the proponent of Jainism, placed Ahimsa at the core of life, advocating for the renunciation of killing not just humans but even the smallest insects, aiming to elevate humanity. Emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism and made Ahimsa a state policy. However, the author notes that while these religions provided a higher direction, they also, paradoxically, weakened society. Ahimsa, being the highest ideal, could only be truly embraced by a minority. The widespread adoption of this ideal by those not fully equipped or by the entire society, the author suggests, contributed to India's decline and subsequent thousand years of servitude.

The Philosophical Underpinnings of Ahimsa:

• Yoga Sutras: Patanjali's Yoga Sutras identify Ahimsa as the first and most crucial of the five Yamas (ethical restraints). While part of the Ashtanga Yoga, Ahimsa's importance is such that considering it the ultimate goal and supreme Dharma is not an exaggeration. Vyasadeva states that Ahimsa is the root of all other Yamas and Niyamas, and other scriptures are ultimately established for its propagation.
• Interconnectedness of Life: The text emphasizes that harming another being is equivalent to harming oneself. Lord Mahavir states, "That which you consider to be destroyable, that is you; that which you consider to be controllable, that is you." The joy and sorrow of all beings are seen as one's own. The Isha Upanishad echoes this, stating that those who kill the Self (Atman) go to dark worlds.
• The Nature of Violence: Lord Mahavir defines Ahimsa as the absence of anger, greed, and delusion, and violence as their arising. True Ahimsa is attained by establishing oneself in non-duality (Advaita) and conquering these negative emotions.
• Karma Theory: The Karma Siddhanta explains that birth, death, happiness, and sorrow are all dictated by past actions. Harming another is not truly external violence; it is a consequence of one's own karma, and the perpetrator will eventually face the repercussions. The text quotes, "No one is the giver of happiness or sorrow. It is wrong thinking to say another gives. 'I do this,' this is vain pride. In truth, the world is bound by the threads of its own karma." Harming others leads to one's own weakening, suffering, and reduced lifespan.

The Practicality and Levels of Ahimsa:

• Practical Impossibility of Absolute Ahimsa: From a practical standpoint, absolute Ahimsa seems impossible. To sustain a physical body, some degree of violence is unavoidable, from the microscopic organisms killed in breathing to the insects crushed underfoot. Even consuming plants involves a form of violence. Life itself is sustained by one organism consuming another.
• The Path of Minimizing Violence: Those who truly understand this and wish to be free from worldly bondage, to avoid rebirth and harming others, choose the path of Yoga over indulgence. Yoga, in this context, means a life of minimal violence.
• Living Examples: The text provides examples of enlightened beings demonstrating their understanding of Ahimsa:
  • A Sufi saint, whose body was no longer valuable to him, preferred it to be food for grave worms rather than accept meat.
  • Sri Ramakrishna, afflicted with throat cancer, refused to heal himself, believing his body was already dedicated to the Divine Mother. He later accepted a minor healing only to be able to eat, demonstrating the subtle balance between self-preservation and dedication.
• Three Levels of Ahimsa:
  1. Paramarthic (Spiritual/Absolute): Attaining the realization of the Self in all beings. This is the ultimate goal.
  2. Mansik (Mental/Emotional): Renouncing hatred, anger, and malice. This is a means to the goal.
  3. Vyavaharik (Practical/Physical and Verbal): Refraining from harmful actions and speech. This is also a means. Mental Ahimsa is considered more important than physical or verbal Ahimsa, as inner peace is necessary for genuine external non-violence.

Cultivating Mental Ahimsa:

• Practicing Self-Perception Everywhere: Constantly contemplating that the same Divine presence resides in all beings, identical to one's own soul.
• Renouncing Enmity: Addressing the four types of ill-will: envy towards those who are happy and not related to our interests, malice towards enemies, jealousy towards virtuous people, and anger/slander towards the unvirtuous. This is overcome by cultivating feelings of friendliness towards the happy, compassion towards the suffering, joy towards the virtuous, and indifference towards the unvirtuous.
• Avoiding Fault-Finding: Seeing faults in others (Paradosh Darshan), competition, and the desire to surpass others are forms of violence. Instead, practicing Anasuya (appreciating others' virtues and not mocking their faults) is advocated.
• Contemplating the Results of Violence: Understanding that violence leads to suffering, weakened senses, and unfavorable rebirths, while contemplating the merits of Ahimsa – peace, love, compassion, and well-being – strengthens the resolve to practice it.

The Broader Meaning of Violence and Non-Violence:

• Subtle Forms of Violence: The text broadens the definition of violence to include actions that cut off a being's livelihood or cause suffering indirectly, such as destroying a plant's roots instead of cutting it, or creating social conditions that make earning a living difficult. Negligence that leads to harm or death, and failing to speak out against societal injustice, are also considered forms of violence.
• Ahimsa as the Foundation of Other Virtues: Truthfulness, non-stealing, and non-possession are seen as extensions of Ahimsa. Speaking untruth harms others, taking what is not given causes distress, and excessive accumulation deprives others. Similarly, Brahmacharya involves not coveting what belongs to others.
• Ahimsa as a Vow: In Jainism, Ahimsa is the highest vow. Monks (Sanyasis) practice Mahavrata, complete abstinence from all forms of violence (committed, caused, or approved) without limitations of caste, place, or time. Householders practice Anuvrata, a modified form with exceptions, as a step towards fuller Ahimsa.

Challenges in Practicing Ahimsa:

• Saadhya vs. Saadhana: Ahimsa can be both the ultimate goal (Saadhya) and a means (Saadhana). The goal is the realization of the Self in all beings. However, different individuals focus on different means (truth, non-violence, celibacy) based on their disposition, time, and place.
• Contextual Challenges: For a poor person struggling for survival, or a nation facing constant external threats, absolute Ahimsa may not be an immediate practical possibility. Weakness can be exacerbated by the pursuit of Ahimsa without proper understanding.
• Means Becoming the End: A significant challenge is when the means (like strict adherence to rituals) become the end, leading to fanaticism and forgetting the ultimate goal. An overemphasis on protecting insects, for example, can overshadow the spiritual goal of seeing the Self in all.
• Preference for the Concrete: Mental Ahimsa, while more profound, is often more difficult to practice than physical Ahimsa. The tendency is to focus on the tangible aspects like not eating meat, neglecting the more challenging task of eradicating negative emotions like hatred and envy.

The Ramakrishna Tradition's Perspective: The article concludes by highlighting the Ramakrishna tradition's emphasis on Ahimsa.

• Sri Ramakrishna: Embodied Paramarthic Ahimsa, seeing the Divine in all beings and even plants. His life was dedicated to alleviating the suffering of others. His compassion extended even to his persecutors, and he never indulged in criticism or denigration.
• Swami Vivekananda: Championed Ahimsa as paramount, illustrating its importance through the example of Pavahari Baba, who saw God in all beings, including snakes and thieves. Vivekananda stressed that ethical purity naturally leads to non-violence and that true strength lies in complete Ahimsa. He himself experienced the suffering of all beings and was willing to be reborn to alleviate it.
• Maa Sarada: Embodied love and Ahimsa, urging followers to see everyone as their own and to avoid seeing faults in others.

Ahimsa and Diet: The article clarifies that true Ahimsa is far broader than just not harming insects or eating vegetarian food. However, for those who accept Ahimsa as a central vow, abstaining from meat is essential. Meat is considered a Tamasic (qualities of darkness, inertia) food, unsuitable for spiritual seekers. While dietary habits are influenced by upbringing, progress in spiritual practice often necessitates a shift to vegetarianism. The purity of diet influences the purity of mind and memory.

In essence, "Ahimsa Parmo Dharm" is a comprehensive exposition of Ahimsa, tracing its philosophical roots across major Indian religions, defining its various levels, exploring its practical challenges, and illustrating its profound spiritual significance through the lives of saints and sages. It emphasizes that Ahimsa is not merely a physical act but a state of mind and heart, a universal principle of love, compassion, and interconnectedness that is central to spiritual growth and a harmonious society.