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ahimsa
June 2008 
Ahimsa: The Way of Nonviolence
Posted on Jul 26th, 2007
by 
Tansau
Tansau
Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.
-- Mahatma Gandhi
Literally speaking, ahimsa means non-violence towards life but it has much higher meaning. In its comprehensive meaning, ahimsa or non-injury means complete abstinence from causing any pain or harm to another living being, either by thought, word, or deed. Non-injury requires a harmless mind, mouth, and hand.
One of the tenets of Karmacology is, "First, do no harm." This is the initial consideration towards right action, and fits nicely with the concept of ahimsa.
Ahimsa is the first of the five Yamas, or abstentions, taught as part of the Eight Limbs of Yoga in the classic Yoga Sutras. It is, however, more than just "lack of violence" as taught in the sutras. It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things. It also has to do with our duties and responsibilities. Ahimsa implies that in every situation we should adopt a considerate attitude and do no harm.
So how does a martial artist reconcile the paradox between the conflict of combat and the teachings of nonviolence? My path has led me to Aikido, a martial art that embodies the principles of nonviolence and nonresistance in both philosophy and practice. One insight from my own training is that Aikido's non-violence is not a way of avoiding violence, but is rather a way of transcending violence.
As explained by the founder, O Sensei:
Aikido is nonviolence. Every human being has been entrusted with a mandate from heaven, and the victory we seek is to overcome all challenges and fight to the finish, accomplishing our goals. In Aikido we never attack. If you want to strike first, to gain advantage over someone, that is proof your training is insufficient, and it is really you yourself who has been defeated. Let your partner attack, and use his aggression against him. Do not cower from an attack; control it before it begins. Nonviolence is the true practice of Aikido.
-- Morihei Ueshiba
Aikidoists do not initiate attacks, or try to win fights or defeat opponents. Instead, their goal is to control and neutralize an attack through circular and spiral motions that blend with the energy of an attack and redirect that energy back against the attacker.
Instead of directly blocking or controlling an attack, the techniques of Aikido are designed to harmonize with the power and direction of the attack and convert it into a force that will unbalance the attacker and render him helpless. Attacks are then neutralized by the use of various anatomical locks and pins, rather than crippling kicks or blows.
A final thought on this concept of non-violence is that it must be a conscious choice, not the only remaining option, borne of helplessness. Gandhi expressed this idea as, "It is better to be violent ... than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence."
Aikido sensei Yukiyoshi Takamura had another perspective on this same idea:
A pacifist is not really a pacifist if he is unable to make a choice between violence and non-violence. A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence. He chooses peace. He must be able to make a choice. He must have the genuine ability to destroy his enemy and then choose not to. I have heard this excuse made. “I choose to be a pacifist before learning techniques so I do not need to learn the power of destruction.” This shows no comprehension of the mind of the true warrior. This is just a rationalization to cover the fear of injury or hard training.
The true warrior who chooses to be a pacifist is willing to stand and die for his principles. Only a warrior who has tempered his spirit in conflict and who has confronted himself and his greatest fears can, in my opinion, make the choice to be a true pacifist.
http://karmacology.com
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Thanks for your comments on my blog as they directed me here. Very interesting read, and Aikido & Laido are both martial arts that I intend to get into.
again, cheers
Hi, I like the idea about non-violence but I still find it hard during my aikidopractise not to think in terms of defeating my opponent. I don´t like violence but I still practise aikido as a way of selfdefence. I don´t know if I ever will let this thought of selfdefence go in favour of a more peaceful idea. I read a very interesting story about an aikidoka that went from Japan to Burma and started with meditation for years. Have you read his story? Miles Kessler is his name and the story was very interesting.
Brgs Roger
In the dojo, it is correct to seek to defeat the opponent. This is training. The distinction is that you want to defeat the opponent as a way of practicing and understanding technique, but you do not want to injure your opponent or cause them undue pain. Aikidoka who put winning above all else will use muscle and strength where their technique is weak, and so put their partners at risk of serious injury. Soon they have no one to practice with!
Self-defense is stopping or preventing violence. Those who walk the warrior's path understand both the objective and karmic risks that this runs: sometimes violence must be stopped by violence. The subtle difference is intention. It is the higher calling of the warrior: the willingness to put oneself at risk to protect others, be that as a soldier, firefighter, aid worker or police officer. The warrior understands and accepts the price that must be paid for such action.