It's a funny thing, this Ahimsa


It's a funny thing, this Ahimsa, isn't it? On the one hand, it is compassion, non-harm and non-perturbation, and beyond that a sense of universal interconnectedness. On the other hand, it also implies non-violent resistance to harmful, perturbing influences. These are consistent abstractly, but in practice not quite the same. Resistance, which implies risk, is always active. There is no such thing as resistance that is passive. Gandhi was a master of orchestrating immense theatrical confrontations, though with an ahimsa heart. He knew that what he provoked in the short term would release uncontrollable forces, and he could only hope that in the long run it would lead to more harmony through independence and a reinvigoration of Indian culture. Gandhi struggled and constantly reevaluated his philosophy, slowly developing the more flexible idea of what he called Satyagraha from his Jain-influenced ahimsa ideals. So it's tough, ain't it? But always consider universal equilibrium - the ripples even your smallest actions generate - and develop that focus as a second-nature. Then you can always trust your instincts (even knowing when you can't!), and your thoughts and actions will simply be what is spontaneously "right" at that moment.


— Gabriel Fenteany, December 2, 2015


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