The Year of Non-Violence
Swami has declared the year 1999 to be the year of non-violence. What is non-violence? Here’s what Swami says.
“We generally think that non-violence means not causing harm to some living being. Ahimsa is not just this. Even bad vision or bad hearing or bad talk is himsa (violence). Non-violence really means that you should not cause harm to anyone through your vision, hearing or talking. Buddha also said, “Nonviolence is the only supreme right action.’ We should interpret non-violence as not causing any harm to any individual by any means.”
Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978, p. 210
“Ahimsa (non-violence) means avoiding causing harm to anyone by thought, word or deed. It is desirable that you revere your native region and native language. But the reverence should not lead to irreverence towards other regions and languages. Be proud of your language and culture—in that there is no harm. But do not allow that pride to lead you to dislike other languages and cultures. The languages by which thoughts are expressed may be varied, but the thoughts, emotions and feelings are the same. The language of the heart is the same, but when it comes to the tongue, it may take various forms. When it is known and appreciated that the One manifested itself as the many, and that the one is known by many names, there is really no scope for hatred or irreverence. Attitudes of tolerance a reverence can be cultivated only along the spiritual path. That is the one path for achieving peace and harmony in this world of ceaseless striving and never-ending despair.”
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 10, p. 191
“You have to make your love pure. To do so you have to develop forbearance, which is a serene patience and self-restraint under all circumstances, giving good to all, even to those who may want to harm you. There is nothing greater than having this quality of forbearance. Forbearance is equivalent to truth itself, forbearance is the heart of righteousness, forbearance is the very essence of the Veda, forbearance is non-violence in practice, forbearance is contentment. It is compassion; truly it is everything in all the worlds. Only when you have developed patience and forbearance will you be able to obtain the Lord.”
Discourses on Bhagavad Gita, p. 30.
“As far as lies in your power, do good to others. Do not sow fear in others’ hearts; Do not inflict pain on others; do not promote anxiety or grief. If you take pleasure in the pain of others, you only scotch the divinity in you and bring to the light the demonic nature. The Lord resides in all. He is in you as much as in the ‘other’ whom you try to harm. Know this and give up all efforts to ruin others. You cannot help another; you can only help yourself by that act; you do not harm another; you harm yourself by that wicked act.”
Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. IV, “The Immortal Guide to Immortality”
