Ahimsa as Hinduism's Greatest Gift to the World
I do not agree with this statement that Ahimsa is Hinduism's greatest
gift to the world. Ahimsa, the principle of non-violence and respect
for life is sure a great and important part of Hinduism. However many
regards other aspects of Hinduism is more important principles such as
Dharma. Many believe Dharma the right conduct and laws that upholds
harmony in society is the central concept of Hinduism. Or maybe
Samsara the cycle of life is greater even Buddhism. Many believe that
Buddhism one of the most important religions came from Hinduism. Its
also clear from the Bhagavad-Gita that Dharma is more important than
ahimsa. When Arjuna the warrior was set back about killing his uncle
in the battle lord Krishna ordered him to kill because he must fulfil
his duty his Dharma.
Another reason why I don't think ahimsa is the greatest gift is
because that we are still not sure weather non-violence works in all
conditions. For the Jews that went through holocaust/ shoah it would
seem no matter how you defend you self you will still get hurt. People
will continue to die even if you don't retaliate against the violence
done by the Nazis; therefore non-violence sometimes would achieve
nothing and is for the cowards.
However, some people would agree with the statement. They would argue
that ahimsa is not just non-violence it's the attitude of love and
respect to all other living things. Hindus believe god is in
everything and therefore all life is sacred no one should hurt and
take away something so sacred. It is one of the reasons why most
Hindus are vegetarian. Ahimsa is also one of the eternal laws and one
must through achieving ahimsa to reach moksha - the ultimate goal.
Also arguably one of the greatest man modern history and a significant
figure one Hinduism Mahatma Gandhi believed that the most important
way of dealing with things is non-violence. Ahimsa was his principle
for he believed that:
" The principle of ahimsa does not include any evil thought, any
“Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon without cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
In the chapter on Hinduism in Philip Novak’s book The World’s Wisdom the section titled “The Transmigration of the Soul” describes the Hindu concept of reincarnation, the wheel of life, and ultimately becoming one with god. The lines in this passage very concisely describe the Hindu concepts of Brahman, Atman, Samsara, Karma, Maya and Moksha (Molloy). I believe that these concepts are at the core of all of the expressions of the Hindu religion; which makes understanding this paragraph the key to having a basic understanding of the Hindu religion.
Every living creature has the same right to live in peace as you have, and all beings should respect that right. Furthermore, Ahimsa does not mean to tolerate or passively accept violence or evil. It means to resist violence and evil, but with detachment and by loving the person through which that evil manifests. Ahimsa also cited a lack of unnecessary criticism. It requires respecting other's views and beliefs, and to listen to and approach with an open mind ideas that vary from your own.
There are many different areas of Hinduism covered in the book The Hindu Religious Tradition. The first important area discussed is about Aryans and early Indian culture. The Indus civilizations, cities, art, and culture are explained. Also discussed is the coming of the Aryans, the Gods of the early Aryans, and Aryan fire sacrifice.
Other than a religion, Hinduism is a way of life through philosophy that is mostly concerned with spirituality and enlightenment. The impracticality of the Hindu religion comes from the Vedas. Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu religion that are considered to be a straight ...
Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism, a religion that is heterodoxy to Hinduism. In Hinduism, Gautama Buddha is viewed as the ninth avatar, or a purposeful descendant of a supreme being, of the God Vishnu-specifically in Vaishnava Hinduism. It is believed that he lived and taught between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. The word “buddha” refers to the first awakened being during in a Yuga era, but Gautama Buddha is regarded as the Supreme Buddha.
He claims that it needs a lot of discipline and patients. In a try to support this claim Gandhi compare between him and his readers and admits that he too is capable of anger but he learned how to control it by practicing patience. Gandhi says “Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong. With the weak, it might easily be hypocrisy.” (p. 203), this sentence may face allot of criticism because in many cases especially at the times of war and occupation the citizens are the weak side. So is it fair to call them the hypocrite if they chose nonviolence? If the readers thought of it like that Gandhi may look like he is contradicting himself. There is another way of explaining this quote. What Gandhi meant is that the strong has the capability to punish the weak if he chooses to do so. But the weak have no option but
There is a considerable debate about the precise meaning of nonviolence. Some people believe that nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of violence. In other words, nonviolence is a method for resolving a conflict without the use of physical power nor enmity towards opponents. Instead, it emphasizes you to look beyond convictions and one’s urge for victory, it is the motto behind the saying “hate the sin and not the sinner”. For others it is a way of living and an essential part of their values and norms, for those people, nonviolence is the road which will lead them towards attaining inner piece and moral satisfaction. “Learn and teach nonviolence as a way of life; reflect it in attitude, speech and action” say’s Gerber in his article The Road to Nonviolence. Thus making nonviolence the ultimate behavior towards achieving truthful, spiritual, loving life. Mahatma Gandhi, the nonviolence guru, defines nonviolence as “a power which can be wielded equally by all-children, young men and women or grown-up people, provided they have a living faith in the God of Love and have therefore equal love for all mankind”. (mkgandhi.org) Therefore we understand that nonviolence has some terms and conditions to be met; living faith in God, truthfulness, humility, tolerance, loving kindness, honesty and the willingness to sacrifice. ...
“If I were asked to define the Hindu creed, I should simply say: Search after truth through non-violent means. A man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu. Hinduism is a relentless pursuit after truth... Hinduism is the religion of truth. Truth is God.”
Hinduism is unlike many other religions in that it does not have a single founder or text, but is more like an umbrella in ways of life. In death and life for the Hindu, “The ultimate goal of the soul is liberation from the wheel of rebirth, through reabsorption into our identity with the Oversoul (Brahma)-- the essence of the universe, immaterial, uncreated, limitless, and timeless” (Leming & Dickinson, 2011, p. 134). Susan Thrane MSN, RN, OCN discusses the beliefs of Hindu culture in the article “Hindu End of Life: Death, Dying, Suffering, and Karma” published in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. Thrane (2010) states that there are almost 2.3 million Hindus in India. Hindu’s believe in interconnectedness, karma, and reincarnation.
It could be said that Gandhi's strategy of non-violence delayed the independence of India, but it could also be said that through his strategy of non-violence Gandhi spared many lives the tragedy of a violent war. Non-violence may be a means of gaining independence it is unfortunately not a means to maintain it. When the leader who is influencing the nonviolence is no longer there to inspire people human nature kicks in and people revert to violence.
Hinduism is a very complicated religion from an outsiders prospective. When I think about it I never have really given any thought to what Hinduism is, so what is this religion, what do they believe in, what are the social and cultural influences and what is the desire for liberation from earthly existence?
Character of Chandra or the Moon is exemplified by Bhatari Ratih. Moon emits light the darkness of night. Soft moonlight cultivates the spirit and wonderful expectations. A leader should be able to provide encouragement or motivation to evoke the spirit of its people in an atmosphere of joy and sorrow.
Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and was originated in the Indian subcontinent. Is rare that a big religion like Hinduism don’t have a single founder, religious organization, specific theological system and don’t even a system of morality, but it is a religion that has evolved over thousands of years. Hinduism has a diverse body of cultural and philosophical practices. Hinduism consists of belief and tradition. The most recognized belief and traditions of the Hinduism are Karma, Dharma, Samsara and Moshka. Hindu people don’t believe in violence, but they do believe in prayers, honesty, truth, austerity, celibacy and penance. The Hindu scriptures are collectively referred to as the Shashtras. The Hindu scriptures were initially passed on orally from generation to generation until finally ancient scholars wrote them down; mainly in the Sanskrit language that was the prevailing language of the time. Some of the Hindu scriptures are the Shruti and Smritis. The Shruti primarily refers to the Vedas which represent eternal truths revealed to ancient sages but some other Hindu individuals associated the Vedas with a God or a powerful person. The Smritis are all of the other text different than the Shruti. The most know of the Smritis are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Although the Hindus worship a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, they believe in the one Supreme Power that manifests itself in various forms.
The very first of Patanjali’s yamas, or restraints, is ahimsa. “Himsa” is Sanskrit for violence, and modifying it with “a” makes the literal translation “nonviolence.” Many teachers have said that if you can master this one practice, you don’t need to master any others, because they all roll up into this idea. And, though it cover a broad range of actions (physical, verbal, and mental), it’s a fairly easy concept to wrap your head around. The yamas and the niyamas are guidelines for living, so it makes sense that we start with doing no harm.