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Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word that translates as “without injury” or “nonviolence” in English. It’s a principle in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist philosophy that involves causing the least amount of harm possible to all beings. It’s the first ethical principle given as a practice in the eight-limbed path described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. There are endless ways for us to incorporate this intention into our lives—I’ll share some of my reflections and efforts here.
One of the first ways I began to practice ahimsa was with my diet. I embraced a vegetarian diet as a young person, wanting to avoid causing unnecessary harm to any living creature. More recently, I began to eat a vegan diet after learning in detail how the dairy industry causes so much suffering to cows. But I see that when it is inconvenient for me, I too easily give up that commitment and consume some dairy product—case in point, pie at Thanksgiving. Reflecting on this makes clear how limited my commitment has been, and how easy it is to rationalize disregarding a spiritual principle for a little pleasure. I am determined to remember this principle of non-harming that I value and do better with this.
Another important way that I am trying to practice ahimsa is in communication. I have found the teachings of Non-Violent Communication especially helpful in practicing mindful listening and speech. I really appreciate the idea of listening carefully without interpreting the facts and jumping to conclusions. I also believe an important aspect of this practice is to not take to heart the comments that are spoken when someone is upset. If I can remain neutral and refrain from being triggered, I can better ascertain what timing and response will bring the most benefit to a relationship.
In the last 6 or 7 years, my vision of how ahimsa can be observed has been enlarged. I began to think more about the subtler energies that we all bring into being through even our thoughts, as well as our words and actions. I have been considering how the feelings of compassion or ill-will that I cultivate become my contribution to the collective consciousness of our world. This understanding makes me feel that I am responsible, first of all, for making peace in my heart by regularly practicing Hatha Yoga and meditation. These practices have made it possible for me to calm and clear my mind, and give me at least a chance to carry compassion in my heart as I go about my day.
In meditation, I have been cultivating an awareness of the ego — the me-centered thoughts that seem to identify me as a separate entity with beliefs and desires that pertain only to me. I am attempting to see how these habitual ways of seeing myself as separate pervade the way I interact with others, making it easy to identify them as either allies that support my personal desires, or obstacles to those desires. I am beginning to see how even in very small ways I end up being friendly and loving to those whose behavior is supportive, and indifferent or even unfriendly to those whose behavior is not aligned with my desires. Catching myself and interrupting that tendency is another form of this practice.
I do believe that regular meditation practice and the glimpses of freedom I experience are supporting the subconscious mind in a new way of seeing things, and that new values and beliefs can emerge from experiencing a sense of connection with all.
I hope this evolution in my relationship with my own mind is laying the foundation for practicing ahimsa as a gift, not just a way of feeling good about myself or building a spiritual identity. I envision that my efforts are integrating precepts like ahimsa more and more fully into my awareness in a way that will one day make them a natural response to life, implying a concurrent freedom from needing something from outside myself to feel secure and at peace.
At this point, one of the most difficult places for me to practice ahimsa, and even to recognize when I am not practicing, is with myself. I readily push myself to my limits in my service and always feel compelled to do more. This tendency is so familiar and feels so natural that it’s hard to catch it until I really suffer from it. I have improved from the days when I would go for long stretches sleep deprived and stressed, but I still struggle to remember that I can serve from a much deeper place, be more fully present, when I am rested and clear.
Clearly I have not yet learned to value my state of being, staying grounded in the source of connection and peace within, as much as keeping the to-do list down to some imaginary place that seems manageable. At least becoming aware of this is a start and it helps me to remember that those around me that I wish to serve as a leader and teacher, don’t need to see another example of a stressed-out person trying to do more instead of being fully present.
One last intention is to see the practice of ahimsa as a gift. I see all the yogic teachings as gifts in the form of principles that initiate the process of awakening, that bring ever subtler awareness of my behavior and its effects. In this same way, I see the suffering as a gift, the teachings and teachers as gifts, and even the changes in this body/mind as a gift. My prayer is to make good use of these gifts and offer as little resistance as possible to the process of realizing the truth.
About the Author:
Swami Ramananda is the Executive Director of Integral Yoga Institute in San Francisco, a certified Yoga therapist, and a founding board member of the Yoga Alliance. He leads beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Yoga teacher training programs in San Francisco and teaches throughout the world. Having dedicated his life to teaching Yoga for nearly 50 years, Swami Ramananda is highly-respected senior teacher in the Integral Yoga tradition in Yoga communities worldwide. Swami Ramananda co-developed the Stress Management Teacher Training program with Swami Vidyananda, has trained many teachers to bring Yoga into corporate, hospital and medical settings, and has taught mind/body wellness programs throughout the US and abroad. He is also a co-founder of The Spiritual Action Initiative (SAI) which brings together individuals committed to working for social justice for all beings and for the care and healing of our natural world.
