अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः ॥३५॥
ahiṁsā-pratiṣṭhāyāṁ tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ
Yoga Sūtra 2.35
In the presence of one firmly established in nonviolence, all hostilities ceases – Śri Swami Satchidananda
Hiṁsā, or harming, happens on three levels: physically through the body, verbally or in writing through words that wound, and mentally through harmful thoughts toward ourselves or others.
A Buddhist saying puts it simply: Do what is good. Do not do what is bad. Purify the mind.
Of course, good and bad can look different to different people, but generally: if a thought, word, or deed harms another being or ourselves, it leans toward “bad.” If it contributes to well-being, it leans toward “good.”
If in doubt, always pause and try to draw wisdom from within. Ong Namo Gurudev Namo “I bow to the Creative Wisdom, I bow to the Divine Teacher within”.
One cannot harm another being without first harming oneself. Harming others is the result of a willingly, or unwillingly harmful thought. Harmful words are more serious than physical harm, mental harm is by far the most serious. To a strong mind physical harm can only destroy physical forms. By vocal harm one can destroy both physical and mental forms. Even some of the wisest are hurt by vocal harm. By mental harm one can damage one’s connection to one’s very essence. This can change the entire path of one’s existence.
Yoga has been called the perfection of action. All actions originate as thoughts, so a perfect action must come from perfect thought. What is a perfect thought? A perfect thought is one that is free from selfish desires, anger and hate. We return to ahiṁsā as the means to perfect action. See yourself in others, all others and go beyond seeing. BE yourself in others until there are no others, until there is only LOVE, only ONE. THE STATE OF ONENESS IS YOGA
-From The Textbook of Yoga Psychology – Śri Brahmananada Sarasvati
In daily life we can ask: “Is what I’m doing, saying, or thinking really contributing to peace and love? If not, am I willing to risk the consequences?” Most of the time, our inner conflicts manifest outwardly. The good news is that if thoughts shape actions, then changing our thoughts changes our reality. This is why internal mantra repetition is so powerful.
When we fall short, guilt often shows up. Guilt is remembering an action we took we wish hadn’t happened, a sign that our inner moral compass is awake. Used well, guilt can guide us, but remember to AFL the past – Acknowledge, Forgive, Learn. Without this, guilt can spiral into shame and self-hate. The key, once again, is compassion – toward ourselves first, so we can create peace within and around us.
We all know those moments when we say something we regret or act out of alignment. These are golden opportunities to practice ahiṁsā. We can apply AFL, try again, and with time we even catch ourselves before it happens. That’s purification of the mind. It’s not about excusing harmful actions – t’s about breaking old patterns and moving toward liberation.
A strong established meditation practice helps catching ourselves in moments of weakness. Using the “let go” as a mantra internally helps with the concept of AFL, letting go of the past.
Ahiṁsā and veganism – choosing more vegan meals is a great way to practice non-harming. Even one extra vegan meal a day makes a difference. My own story began with gratitude – because I never liked the idea of eating animals I started to thank animals for their sacrifice before meals, while still believing humans needed animal products. Once I learned how untrue that was, I went vegan cold turkey. Guilt stayed for a while, but through acknowledging, forgiving, and learning, I let go over time.
So ahiṁsā isn’t about instant perfection. Patanjali uses the word pratiṣṭhāyāṁ – “to be established.” It’s about creating space where hostility stops, both inside us and around us, toward all beings: those who agree or disagree, those far away or near, those who look like us or not, those with two legs, four, many, or none.
Instead of judging ourselves or others for not being perfect, we can choose compassion and gratitude. We don’t need to force or blame – just live kindly, openly, and let that inspire.
– Dean Galip