True Ahimsa would wear a smile even on death bed brought about by an assailant. It is only with that Ahimsa that we can befriend our opponents and win their love.

-Mahatma Gandhi

The Quality of the Bravest!

Indeed, Non-violence, or Ahimsa in the Sanskrit language, is a weapon of the brave and strong. For Mahatma Gandhi, Truth and Non-Violence were two basic pillars, for attaining a higher goal in life and his principle is still relevant and practical.

Understand that, not hurting anybody by any means, including words and deeds, is non-violence. The creator of Yoga Sutras, Sage Patanjali has said, non-violence means ‘abandonment of hatred’.

Further, the beautiful attribute is the ultimate Dharma for a human being and it is practised in almost all major faiths and religions. In fact, for some of these religions, Ahimsa is not just a matter of choice; it is an eternal way of life to which followers must strictly adhere.

Jainism is one such religion.

The Brave Prince, who Preached Non-Violence

Lord Mahavir was born as Prince Vardhaman to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala. As a child, he was quiet and calm, but exceptionally brave who displayed acts of extraordinary heroism many times during difficult situations. No wonder that later, He came to be known as Mahavir- the one who is extremely courageous.

His spiritual beliefs drew him towards meditation at a young age of 30. He abdicated the throne to seek the highest spiritual truth and started living an extremely tough life. During years of wandering as a homeless seeker, he endured unbelievable hardships, including cruel treatment by many men and fatal attacks by animals. Despite facing such cruelty, the brave prince became Lord Mahavir and made ‘Non-violence’ the cornerstone of his teachings.

He preached five principles-Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy), and lastly, Aparigraha (non-attachment). And therefore, you’ll find that all the gestures, postures, behaviours, and habits of His followers are based primarily on non-violence. For them, non-violence is the supreme virtue and that’s why they give much importance to compassion.

For Humans, Violence is Unnatural!

When a person turns violent, his animalistic nature surfaces. Violence, however, is a natural attribute for some birds and animals because they have to kill in order to eat, yet it is unnatural for humans. And if it becomes a natural part of humans, it can snatch away the element of humanity from them. Such innate cruelty in humans could become the ‘biggest threat’ to mankind.

Moreover, some people become cruel due to anger and some due to greed, but when nature itself becomes cruel, then the consequences could be very dangerous.

Non-violence, the Attribute of the Brave!

Mahatma Gandhi has said, “A man cannot then practice Ahimsa and be a coward at the same time. The practice of Ahimsa calls forth the greatest courage.”

Such an idea of courage is so unique that it found its admirers all over the world. The notion is repeated several times in the works and words of Martin Luther King, the great American thinker, who treated ‘non-violence’ as a practical moral principle.

All his philosophies exemplify commitment to non-violence and he believed, non-violence is not for cowards.

Certainly, it takes great courage to place oneself vulnerable in front of an opponent who is eager to use violence. And this is the key message of Mahatma Gandhi’s extraordinary life. His teaching is still relevant as everyone is seeing bad implications of violence everywhere.

So, never consider non-violent people as weak. Rather, believe that they are brave with a wise heart. Always give respect to them and practice non-violence in your day-to-day life as well. It will enable you to lead a life bravely and happily.