Ahimsa

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In Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism, ahimsa (Sanskrit for 'nonharm') is the ethical principle of not causing harm to other living beings.^[1]

Vegetarianism[edit]

Believers in ahimsa are generally vegetarian. Although one of the ten commandments shared throughout Christianity is thou shalt not kill, a majority of Christian clergy interpret that commandment as applying only to other human beings, but not necessarily to the animals. Thus, followers of Christianity can be meat-eaters.^[2]

Violence defined as thoughts, words or deeds[edit]

Ahimsa's precept that humans should 'cause no injury' to another living being includes one's deeds, words, and thoughts.^[3] Indeed, the Buddha taught that, since thought is prior to action, it is of paramount importance to cleanse one thoughts of harmful impulses. The Buddha also considered words capable of inflicting great harm; thus, the priority of attention to ahimsa, in Buddhisms, is in this order: 1) thoughts, 2) words, 3 deeds.

Sikhism also is not completely non-violent in philosophy, allowing for self-defense and the defense of others, and permitting or even encouraging its followers to join military forces as their livelihood.

On self-defence[edit]

Classical Hindu texts like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, as well as modern scholars,^[4] disagree about what the principle of ahimsa dictates when one is faced with war and other situations that require self-defence, as reflected in theories of just war.^[5] While both the Buddha and Jesus advocated complete non-violence even when personally attacked^[6], Christian leaders have a long history of support for wars, and even Buddhist monks have sometimes become involved in political protests that resulted in self-immolation (suicide).

Notes[edit]