Put the philosophy of Ahimsa into practice in everyday life. Ahiṃsā (or Ahinsā) means "non-harm," "non-injury" or "non-violence" in Sanskrit, and it's a component, under various names, of most religions and secular ethical systems. Ahimsa is a cultivated awareness of one's abiding presence within a social or natural community. It is a feeling that the surrounding environment is fundamentally benign and that one's well-being depends upon its well-being. Living ahimsa means striving for a connected life of inner grounding with outer action, striving for Self-awareness. It is about living with compassion and not cruelty or indifference, synergizing with the pursuit of peace, calmness and equilibrium within and without. Mindful that each action is a choice, one chooses to live deliberately, with as little disruption to other beings' lives as possible. One thus chooses to live well.
Ahimsa is not just an ethical precept, it seems to me, but also anything that inspires joy or wonder and greater appreciation for other beings or nature. And positive feelings do impel positive actions. So I will say that these images are relevant to Ahimsa, not to mention just plain cool.
Without an ahimsa attitude (benevolent, not me-focused), you'll go off the rails in real life and in your spiritual quest. Ahimsa is compassion, but also conscience! It must be the second thought that brings you back to the ground after a flight of fancy that makes you feel big! It's the editor! Use the ego to strive, then ahimsa to moderate and consolidate. They both become more spontaneous with time. Then it is natural!
— Gabriel Fenteany, ca. September 2015; January 14 & May 4, 2016
