“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” ~Buddha
Welcome to Think Ahimsa. Ponder over the following questions:
Why do we raise our hand to kill another human?
Why do we yell at another person?
Why do we commit suicide?
We live in a society where negative actions such as murder, abuse and suicide to name a few are largely prevalent and increasing. The underlying reasons behind these behaviors is many and can’t be attributable to one root cause.
However, what is common in each of these areas is that they are each brought forth by human action. It is likely one or a combination of pain-elements (e.g, unhappiness, jealousy, hatred, etc.) that is the cause behind the behavior.
Now look at these questions from the perspective of our mind controlling the action:
How can one raise their hand to kill if they don’t have the thought to kill?
How can one yell at another if they don’t have the thought to scream?
How can one commit suicide if they don’t have the thought to take their life?
This area of “how” and increasing thoughts within ourselves to act non-violent is one of the underlying premise of Think Ahimsa – Inner Peace drives Outer Harmony. In other words, a peaceful mind contributes to peaceful words, actions, and thoughts. In each of the examples above, we are either causing harm to another person or causing harm to ourselves.
What we are sometimes blind to is the fact that through our negative words, actions and thoughts of violence, we are actually bringing less peace within ourselves. Explore the following questions:
Have you ever regretted saying something bad to someone after the fact?
Have you ever hit someone only to realize it was a mistake seconds later?
Have you ever felt buyer’s remorse after making that huge purchase?
The questions indicate that we become not just a victim of violence, but also a contributor. We have impacted someone’s emotion yet “spit against the wind.” What this means in many situations is that it is both our action and our reaction toward humanity that are increasing the various pain-elements (e.g, anxiety, fear, regret, depression, etc.) within us.
The one thing we can’t control is the action of others. So what do we need to focus on? The answer lies in how we consume other peoples action toward us and how we contribute back – either positively or negatively.
A peaceful mind can become a powerful force of good for others but it needs to be continuously improved and fine tuned. The goal of Think Ahimsa is to present ideas for increasing inner peace so you can foster positive words, actions, and thoughts to create non-violence not just for yourself, but others.