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Thread: Yama and Niyama: ahiṁsā or non-injury

  1. #31
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    Re: Yama and Niyama:non-injury

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namast

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    ... one does harm to ones own self.
    From where can come the greatest harm ?

    If we look to the 3rd śloka of the īśāvāsyopaniṣad ( īśāvāsya upaniṣad) it talks about those that are the killers of the Self or ātma hano janāḥ . Who would do such a thing! Who does such harm! It is those (us) that live in complete ignorance - not even knowing there is ātman (Self).
    The wise inform us that not knowing one's Self is equal to killing one's own Self.

    praṇām

    words
    • īśāvāsya = īśā + vāsya
      • īśa = Supreme; complete master
      • āvāsya = inhabited by , full of
    Hence īśāvāsya is the Supreme that inhabits or dwells (va) in all; We come to say from the 2nd śloka that it is īśa that covers all or everything (sarvaṁ)
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  2. #32

    Re: Yama and Niyama:non-injury

    Namaste Bhakta of God,

    Quote Originally Posted by Bhakta of God View Post
    In a book written by a shivaite guru I did read that playing violent videogames violate ahimsa.
    Is this true?
    Well, for that guru it is true.

    But I have heard of this idea before as well. I believe it definitely has some merit to it, as studies have shown that children who play violent video games are more likely to commit violent crimes when they grow up. But of course this certainly isn't true for everyone, or even most people.

    As for the act itself of playing violent video games, I personally don't think it violates ahimsa. People should be cautious, though, and not get too much "into" the game. I think the main thing to watch out for is to not have actual violent thoughts in your mind as the game is being played. It is possible to play a violent video game and to not have actual violent thoughts in your mind, as I have done it before

    Jai Sri Ram
    Sanatana Dharma ki Jai!
    Jai Hanuman

  3. #33

    Re: Yama and Niyama:non-injury

    Namaste

    I would say such games are ante-thetical to being on a spiritual journey of peace, ahimsa and Love - prema, Love of God. One may argue, "But mom I am a kshatriya ! I have to practice, and I am so detached"

    1. The younger the person in age OR
    2. the more advanced the person spiritually, i.e. inner koshas subtly vulnerable, - in both cases it is hiMsA.

    Think - a six year-old goes to an approved kids-only website where some people have gallantly loaded some violent video games -

    Mom checks to make sure everything is OK
    "Ha ha ha mom, look, they are hitting each other with a knife"

    Shocked, what do you say ? "No sweetheart, it is not a knife it is a sword" ?(A Japanese game).

    The child is so innocent that he does not know the difference, has never seen a sword before. All he knows is knives are for cutting fruit and veggies other foods, and it is "so funny" that they are using it to "hit"

    Was it necessary to introduce that idea to the child in the first place ?

    I am all for letting children be innocent as long as they can, then they fill their lives with increasing common sense and good, so when they do stumble across bad, they know the difference.

    Similarly, the further down on the spiritual path one goes, the thick-skinned-ness wears away, the thick skin peels off, and although detachment is there, it is for inevitable events that may occur. Such games (a voluntary option) seem a pointless waste of time.
    I may not be looking at some aspects forgive me (like enhancing dexterity and reflex etc. for whatever reason people play them - play pipe dream or jess ball then).

    Radhe-KRshNa
    || Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||

  4. #34
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    Re: Yama and Niyama: ahiṁsā or non-injury

    I do not know if this question has already be done.

    My question is: does the Patanjali/Yoga-sutra/Raja yoga concept of ahimsa include the being vegetarian?

  5. #35
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    Re: Yama and Niyama: ahiṁsā or non-injury

    hari o
    ~~~~~~

    namast

    Quote Originally Posted by Bhakta of God View Post
    My question is: does the Patanjali/Yoga-sutra/Raja yoga concept of ahimsa include the being vegetarian?
    Do you know another way of doing non-harm?

    Let me offer this...

    In the anusasana parva, section CXV ( or section 115) of the mahābhārata, yudhiṣṭhira-ji asks bhīṣma-ji a few questions.
    He says, you ( bhīṣma) have informed me many times that the abstention from injury is the highest religion. Yet in sraddhas, however, that are performed in honour of the Pitris, persons for their own good should make offerings of diverse kinds of meat.
    • How can meat be procured without slaying a living creature?
    • What are the faults one incurs by eating meat?
    • What are the demerits one incurs who eats meat by killing a living creature? Or of him who eats meat buying it from others?
    Bhīṣma then says, Listen to me O' scion of the Kuru race, what the merit is that attaches to the abstention from me.
    • Those high souled persons who desire beauty, faultlessness of limbs, long life, understanding, mental and physical strength, and memory should abstain from acts of injury.
    • The merit by a person with steadfastness of vow adores the deities every month in horse sacrifices is equal to him that discards honey and meat.
    • The seven rishis, the Valakhilyasm and the rishis that drink the rays of the sun applaud the abstention from meat.
    • Bhīṣma continues and says, Narada muni has said that the man who wishes to increase his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures meets with calamity.
    • The man who has eaten meat then gives it up acquires merit by such an act that is so great that a study of all the vedas or a performance of all the sacrifices cannot bestow its like ( or its equal).
    • The period of life is shortened of persons who slaughter living creatures or cause them to be slaughtered ( i.e. demand for meat).
    • One should never eat meat of animals not dedicated in sacrifices and that are slain for no reason.
    praṇām
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  6. #36
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    Re: Yama and Niyama: ahiṁsā or non-injury

    Vannakkam: Personally, I wouldn't play violent video games. Ahimsa in its puret sense, in my belief, is THOUGHT, WORD, and ACTION. So that pretty much covers it.

    Aum Namasivaya

  7. #37
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    Re: Yama and Niyama:non-injury

    hari o
    ~~~~~~

    namast
    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post
    This ahisā अहिंसा we know as non-injury. Some call this non-violence. This infers to all beings ( even ourselves). At the ultimate level this ahisā when in full bloom brings no harm in thought, deed, word or action.
    We have talked of this ahiṁsā on multiple occasions. Yet we have not considered rakṣaṇa. What is this ? Rakṣaṇa - the act of guarding , watching , protecting , tending (of cattle) , preservation.


    The scenario for discussion
    Ahiṁsā is doing no harm. Yet what of preventing harm to others ? Animal A is going to do harm to Animal B . What should you do? What can you do ?

    Person A is going to do harm to Person B, what can (or should) you do ? Does one intervene ?

    Is there an action one can do that can mitigate the situation so no harm occurs ? Or does one stand back , keep out of the way?
    It seems, allowing harm to happen just does not feel right - yet if it takes harm to stop an action is this inside or outside of ahiṁsā but perfectly reasonable for a śaraṇa (protection, guarding) to occur ?

    If you care to share your ideas, or any śāstric references, please add to the string as you see fit.

    praṇām

    1. śaraṇa - refuge , protection , refuge



    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  8. #38
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    Re: Yama and Niyama:non-injury

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post


    Is there an action one can do that can mitigate the situation so no harm occurs ?

    Vannakkam: Thank you for the resurrection of thread. Once I stepped in at school. One kid was about to swing a floor hockey stick at another student's head. But usually a mere signal of presence was sufficient. Each individual situation has such variety, and extenuating circumstance, no?

    I've gone outside to stop a neighbour cat and my own from fighting.

    So ... when possible, and when it is seen as unnatural, I think our dharma is to step in.

    But the problem is the use of discrimination and clear thinking in making such a determination. Striking with the reasoning of it being a preventive measure would basically be saying that my neighbour's cat was, at some point, going to come over and attack my cat. Therefore I should go kill it before that happens. So I see this as false reasoning.

    Each individual circumstance has to be weighed, and consideration of alternatives. I will drive may car through a grasshopper infestation on a warm summer evening, killing many of them, yet later that same evening blow a mosquito off my forearm. So go figure.

    Aum Namasivaya

  9. #39
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    Re: Yama and Niyama:non-injury

    Namaste all!

    Quote Originally Posted by smaranam View Post
    I would say such games are ante-thetical to being on a spiritual journey of peace, ahimsa and Love - prema, Love of God.
    I agree.
    In fact I don't play anymore such videogames.

  10. #40

    Unhappy Re: Yama and Niyama: ahiṁsā or non-injury

    [Bhīṣma then says, Listen to me O' scion of the Kuru race, what the merit is that attaches to the abstention from me.
    • One should never eat meat of animals not dedicated in sacrifices and that are slain for no reason.
    All,

    Im little concerned on one of replies by Bhisma.Is he justifying people to eat meat after dedicating to GOD? In Villages in tamilnadu,people kill lot of goats on name of sacrifice for village gods like karuppasamy,Munisamy and eat them.

    Each people has different understanding on Ahimsa but im pained by the sufferings those animals go through.

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