September Theme - AHIMSA

One of the 5 Yamas (or Moral Codes) that come under the 8 Limbs of Yoga, Ahimsa refers to the practice of non-violence or non-harming. What makes this a particularly tricky practice is that ahimsa is not only about non-violence toward other sentient beings, but a total absence of violence in thoughts, words and actions. A well-known fable tells of an apprentice monk who was sharing sleeping quarters with his master. One hot and muggy evening, mosquitoes began buzzing around, biting the two monks as they tried to sleep. In an effort to practice non-harming, the apprentice did his best to refrain from smacking the mosquitoes, but finally unable to sleep, the apprentice turned to the master and said, “These mosquitoes are really annoying.” The monk said, “Go ahead and kill them." The apprentice responded: “But that goes against the principle of non-violence." The monk then said: “It’s too late; you’ve already had violent thoughts against them.”

This tale is not condoning violence against anybody, nor is the monk justifying violence in action that’s already been preceded by that in thought. It illustrates how the principle of Ahimsa doesn’t just begin and end with deeds. Non-violence in action is noble, but the practice begins before it becomes a conscious thought.

Next time, try catching yourself in the midst of harmful thoughts, especially toward yourself. “I hate the way I _________ (fill in the blank),” It may not even manifest as thoughts, but as a general feeling, like disdain or disappointment. These are normal human emotions, and shedding light on them can reveal a lot about ourselves.