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We
live at the most violent time in human history. We are
violent to fellow humans as also Mother Earth.
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Essentially,
there should be no conflict between man and creation.
Just as a child is entitled to milk from his mother,
there can be no objection to man's enjoying the resources
of nature. It is because of uncontrollable desires and
reckless expliotation of natural resources that nature
is exhibiting frightening disorders like earthquakes,
volcanic erruptions, droughts and floods.
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Non-violence
is recognizing the omnipresence of God. He is imminent
in every living being in equal measure. So man should
neither harm others nor be afraid that others would
harm him. This is the philosophical basis of the Indian
ideal of ahimsa.
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The
true meaning of ahimsa is not to cause hurt or
harm to any living thing either through thought, word
or deed. You must examine every act to find out whether
it will cause pain to others. Do not do to others what
you do not like to have done unto you. This is called
the Golden Rule.
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We
have to understand that revenge is pointless and there
is really nothing to forgive even when the damage inflicted
upon you is severe and devastating. Jesus called upon
God to pardon his tormentors for they did not know what
they were doing.
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There
is value in remaining openhearted when others try to
blacken your name. Kabeer has advised that it is better
to have an enemy that is ever eager to criticize you
for your faults than have a friend who will cast a blind
eye on them. The enemy is your censor, corrector and
conscience. Be thankful to him for he is examining each
act of yours on the touchstone of morality, truth and
righteousness.
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It
is not enough to be without hatred towards all beings.
You must positively love them. Live without hating others,
condemning others and seeking fault in others. Do not
try to discover differences; discover unity.
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A
question is often raised as to the reason why Krishna
permitted 40 lakh persons to be killed on the battlefield
of Kurukshetra. It is somewhat comparable to the surgeon
destroying millions of cancerous cells in order to preserve
the body. This is a very delicate area, where we should
tread with caution. What is a 'righteous war' can be
decided only if we have the absolute commitment that
all are One.
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Be
very careful about your speech. Man's greatest weapon
of offence is his tongue. The wounds that the tongue
inflicts can be more severe than the damage caused by
an atom bomb. Loud talk, long talk, wild talk, talk
full of anger and hate - all these affect the heart
of man. The less you talk, the softer you talk, the
sweeter you talk, the better for you and the world.
Execute each act with minimum of noise. Transact all
dealings with minimum of speech. Loud noise is sacrilege
to the akasa.
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Never
think of hurting others. Do not criticize or condemn
others. If parents, your children will pay you back
in the same coin. This kind of reaction, resound and
reflection are inherent in man's mind.
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Anyone
who cultivates love for all living beings can never
kill animals for food. Nor will he be a passive spectator
to vivisection and the testing of drugs on animals.
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Anger
is poison. It is an enemy of health. It injects poison
into the bloodstream and contributes to cancer and other
illnesses. If you suffer from a fit of anger, do not
act or speak immediately. Drink a glass of water or
sit down or look into a mirror. Sit quietly at one place
or go for a brisk walk.
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Non-violence
also means having a ceiling on desires. We should regulate
our use of food, money, time and energy. The root cause
of violence is the proliferation of desires. The only
way to curb violence is to minimize desires.
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