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Young World
Living without violence
USHA JESUDASAN
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Gandhiji made non-violence a political weapon and showed those who were captive to violence and oppression, its power.
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Photo: The Hindu Photo Library
Gandhiji: Mesenger of peace.
On January 30, we remember the anniversary of Gandhiji’s violent death. Violence. How we fear it. How we hope that it will not touch us or those we love. But it does — so often. The violence we face may not be brutal or physical; it may not be on our streets; or with bombs or guns; but nevertheless it is there. We
find it lurking in our everyday relationships, attitudes to each other, words, thoughts, looks and feelings.
For centuries men mostly, and those in authority, marginalised the idea of non-violence as it did not help them prosper or succeed in getting what they wanted as much as violence and fear did. Then came people like Gandhiji, Martin Luther, Vaclav Havel and others who made non-violence a political weapon and showed those who were captive to violence and oppression, its power.
Since then, people all over the world have discovered the power of non-violence as a political weapon. But the non-violent life is more than just a political tactic. It is a way of life for every single person and one that is both challenging and meaningful. The idea of non-violence is revolutionary and feared by those who cling to power, because it is an idea that can completely change the nature of society, and thus is a grave threat to the established order.
For everyone
Non-violence or ahimsa living, isn’t just for activists; it is for us ordinary people — we all need to transform our minds and hearts to embody non-violence. This is a huge challenge because our society surrounds us with violence – in the media, in our workplaces, relationships and way of life. So, unless we train ourselves to consciously unlearn all the habits of violence we use, our first response to a crisis is violence.
We need to practise the art of
“ahimsa living” every day. We need to store within ourselves a repertoire of non-violent actions, thoughts and words, so that when we do face crises, we can draw upon these practical, ethical, and spiritual ahimsa resources.
Could you make a commitment to an ahimsa way of life for a day or a week? Which areas of your life would you have to specially target to live this way?
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