Ahimsa and how we as individuals have the power to change the state of the world.
Ahimsa! A simple sanskrit word, yet one with extreme power to positively change the world around you. How, you may ask? Well, let’s review its basic meaning, which is Non-Harming. Now let’s expand on that and explore some of its most potent synonyms, which are… kind, compassionate, generous, good, affectionate, amiable, charitable, compassionate, considerate, cordial, courteous, friendly, gentle, gracious, humane, kindhearted, loving, mindful, sympathetic, thoughtful and tolerant.
What is extreme anyway? The word is often defined as “being of a high or of the highest degree or intensity” The foundational concepts brought up through the study and practice of ahimsa are sometimes labeled as extreme, not because of the positive change they may bring about but because they are so far away from normal. For some it may seem extreme to get the word Ahimsa tattoo’d on your forearm (as I did) or to adopt a vegan diet. And to the same people it may not be extreme at all when confronted with the massive waste of resources and animal suffering that goes into raising animals for food. It seems that the question of what is extreme depends on where you are sitting. Yogis have traditionally been the champions of testing the limits of what seemed extreme to positively change themselves and the world around them.
Simply reading and understanding these ‘extreme words’ mentioned above is not enough. Action is required. And action is what we as yogi’s know and do best every time we practice Yoga. Ahimsa or non harming requires action whether we choose to act in a good, kind or compassionate way or to refrain from engaging in actions we consider harmful. Yoga is based on living an ethical and moral life and the practice of ahimsa cannot be separated or abstracted from the rest of Yoga. As yogi’s we have been taught, much like in the field of science to evolve with that which is right knowledge and most factually sound action.
So this month, I provide you with a challenge. The concept is quite simple. I invite you to choose one word daily, from the list of ‘extreme words’ above. Now mindfully embody the chosen word by adding the verb BE! Instantly the words evoke new potent energy… Today I will choose to Be Kind. Be Compassionate. Be Generous. Be Thoughtful… etc.
Soon you may begin to notice subtle changes in your daily interactions, where negative circumstances begin to positively change because you have chosen to mindfully focus on imbuing your words with meaning and power. We may find that we are the first beneficiary of the practice of non-harming what a wonderful result of working to uplift others, we find ourselves uplifted!
But wait, there’s more! Because each and every day we also have at least 3 additional opportunities to put these words into action through the food we eat by choosing a more compassionate diet in the form of a plant-based or vegan lifestyle.
In closing, I’d like to leave you with this thought from musician Oli Sykes, fellow vegan and frontman of one of my favorite metal bands, Bring Me The Horizon. “I was talking to a pop artist who we collaborated with recently and when she found out I was vegan she said “it’s always the ‘scariest’ metal heads that are the kindest to the environment”. I feel part of why veganism has really taken off in the metal community is that it is, like metal, an extreme ideology. And like metal, it admits that the world is an inherently F’d up place and that we need to work on ourselves, and not shy away from the truth.”
