What comes to mind when you hear the word warrior? Having spent much of my youth as an army paratrooper, I thought that I had a very good understanding of what that word meant. I wore a uniform; I carried a weapon, and I went to war. However, when my life after the army became a second chance to re-open my heart, I came to understand what it means to be a Spiritual Warrior. Rather than seeing a warrior as an external phenomenon, I invite you to see the warrior that resides within us, helping us act with courage, integrity, and devotion in the name of ahiṃsā.
The word ahiṃsā itself, as is so often the case with Sanskrit, speaks beyond translation. Ahiṃsā comes from the Sanskrit a- (“not” or “without”) and hiṃsā (“violence,” or “the impulse to harm”), making its root meaning “freedom from the desire to injure.” It is the conscious choice to stand against harm and to actively embody compassion toward all life. This is a call to action, a rallying call for Love with a capital L. In the Bhagavad Gītā, śloka 16.2, Kṛṣṇa tells the great warrior Arjuna that ahiṃsā is among the divine qualities, alongside truthfulness, compassion, gentleness, and freedom from anger. Non-violence is not weakness. It takes great strength to stand up for what is right. “You cannot do yoga; yoga is your natural state.” These beautiful words from Sharon Gannon speak of the love that already lives within our hearts, yearning to be set free. Love is our nature, not hatred; kindness, not violence. We learn violence, and from personal experience, I know we can unlearn it. Where hatred is removed, love will arise.
To establish a sādhana means being open to having your entire perspective of the world changed. It means stepping outside of social norms that make us numb to the world we live in. Yoga itself is an act of rebellion against avidyā, the ignorance that leads us to believe that we are somehow separate.
I have seen, as of late, voices in the yoga world, many once outspoken for compassion, now publicly abandon their commitment to ahiṃsā. They tell us that the trend of veganism is over, and that we should all simply do what feels good. There are two problems with this. Firstly, kindness and compassion are not trends; they are a path to enlightenment. They are rooted deep within the heart, not in the coming and going of popularity. Secondly, and this may sound strange, the practice of yoga has never been about just feeling good about yourself. A sādhana is a deeply personal thing, and on this path we must look honestly into the depths of who we are, and how we connect with and experience this world.. Through dedicated practice, a feeling of bliss will inevitably arise, but this is very different from the temporary pleasures being marketed to us by influencers. What leaders embody becomes the standard others follow. This is why the example we set is so important. It is, in fact, our attachment to temporary pleasure and our aversion to discomfort that make us suffer so much. When Gautama Buddha taught that life is suffering, he did not mean that life is inherently suffering; he meant that we make it this way through our attachment and aversion. He also taught that there is a way beyond this suffering, available to all: the Noble Eightfold Path.
It does not take bravery to hold a weapon or to commit acts of violence. True bravery is when we witness violence and choose to stand against it. It comes from the integrity to stand up for what is right, even when no one is watching. This becomes even more difficult when violence has been normalized in our society. Human history is full of examples of people committing violent acts because they were following orders, or because those around them were doing the same. To be the one who stands up for what is right amidst all of this takes incredible courage. This is our own Dharmayuddha, our righteous struggle, not against other people, but against ignorance, indifference, and the violence that has been normalized within ourselves and in the world around us. Every time we make a choice rooted in kindness and compassion, we move toward that Love which is rooted in ahiṃsā. Even a choice that may seem small, like choosing oat milk in your coffee, or a pizza with vegan cheese, is an act of love for all sentient beings who suffer at the hands of humanity. Our choices are rooted in our observance of the yamas, the very foundation of our practice.
To walk this path is not easy, but it was never meant to be. Yoga asks us to choose love when hatred is easier; to protect life when others look away; to live with courage, guided by kindness; and to stand firmly in compassion in a world that often rewards indifference. This is ahiṃsā. This is the courageous path of the Spiritual Warrior.
