"Nonviolence is an active force of the highest order.

It is soul force or the power of Godhead

within us. Imperfect man cannot grasp the whole of that essence - he would not be able to
bear its full blaze, but even an infinitesimal fraction of it, when it becomes active within us, can
work wonders."
- Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhism, an amalgam of Gandhi's views and practices, revolves around ahimsa, the non-
violence. Gandhi had no weapon but nonviolence. He successfully implemented the rule of
non-violence in the struggle for independence. All his experiments in ahimsa had taught him
that nonviolence in practice means common labour with the body. To his mind, the most
perfect demonstration of nonviolence was in Champaran.
Concept of Ahimsa
Ahimsa is derived from the Sanskrit verb root san, which means to kill. The form hims means
"desirous to kill"; the prefix a- is a negation. So a-himsa means literally "lacking any desire to
kill". Literally translated, ahimsa means to be without harm; to be utterly harmless, not only to
oneself and others, but to all living beings. But its implications are far wider; it is more than not
doing violence, it is more than an attitude, it is a whole way of life. Itis the opposite of himsa,
"violence" which is to hurt the vitalities (pranas), through vibration due to the passions, which
agitate mind, body, or speech.(Tattvarthadhigama Sutra vii:13) The concept of ahimsa extends
to all living beings, and therefore, protection of environment, natural habitats and
vegetarianism are its natural derivatives. Buddhism and Jainism impose total nonviolence on
their followers. In Hinduism, it means the principle of non-injury to living beings. Hindus,
particularly in the southern parts of India, often abstain from eating meat in accordance with
the belief in not harming animals. To one who reads the spirit of the Gita, it teaches the secret
of nonviolence, the secret of realizing self though the physical body.MOG-16
Ahimsa in Gandhism
Gandhi learnt the lesson of nonviolence from his wife, when he tried to bend her to his will. Her
determined resistance to his will, on the one hand, and her quiet submission to the suffering his
stupidity involved, on the other, ultimately made him ashamed of himself and cured him of his
stupidity in thinking that he was born to rule over her and, in the end, she became his teacher in
nonviolence. Generally, ahimsa means non-violence. But to Gandhi, “it has much higher, infinitely
higher meaning. It means that you may not offend anybody; you may not harbour uncharitable
thought, even in connection with those who consider your enemies. To one who follows this
doctrine, there are no enemies. A man who believes in the efficacy of this doctrine finds in the
ultimate stage, when he is about to reach the goal, the whole world at his feet. If you express your
love- ahimsa-in such a manner that it impresses itself indelibly upon your so called enemy, he
must return that love. This doctrine tells us that we may guard the honour of those under our
charge by delivering our own lives into the hands of the man who would commit the sacrilege. And
that requires far greater courage than delivering of blows”. My nonviolence is made of stern stuff.
It is firmer than the firmest metal known to the scientists. (T-5169) Nonviolence, in its dynamic
condition means conscious suffering. (T-2-5) If nonviolence is to be contagious and infectious, I
must acquire greater control over my thoughts. (MM-277) A nonviolent action accompanied by
nonviolence in thought and word should never produce enduring violent reaction upon the
opponent.(T-5130) A nonviolent warrior knows no leaving the battle. He rushes into the mouth of
himsa, never even once harbouring an evil thought. (T-5-116) His nonviolence demands universal
love, and we are not a small part of it. (T-5-295) and bids him dedicate himself to the service of
minorities.(T-7-385) His nonviolence is not merely kindness to all the living creatures.(T-7-128) His
love for nonviolence is superior to every other thing, mundane or super mundane.(MM-1180) His
creed of nonviolence does not favour the punishment of thieves and dacoits and even murderers.
(T-3-62) His faith in truth and nonviolence is ever growing, and as he is ever trying to follow them
in his life.( T-4-154) His life is dedicated to the service of India through the religion of nonviolence
which he believe to be the root of Hinduism. His mission is to convert every Indian, even
Englishmen, and finally the world to nonviolence for regulating mutual relations, whether political,
economic, social or religious.(T-5-221) His nonviolence does not admit of running away from
danger and leaving the dear ones unprotected.(T-2-131) He says, nonviolence is a creed. I must
act up to it, whether I am alone or have companions.(T-5-287) My creed of nonviolence is an
extremely active force. (MM-143) As there is no place to ego and pride in Ahimsa-the non-
violence, it is necessary for a person who claims to be non-violent that he follows it in his routines.
In this context Mahatma Gandhi himself says: "If one has pride and egoism, he is not non-violent.
Non-violence is impossible without humility."
Ahimsa as a LAW
Nonviolence is a universal law acting under all circumstances.(T-5-135) Gandhi characterized his
practice of ahimsa as a science, and said: "I have been practicing with scientific precision
nonviolence and its possibilities for an unbroken period of over 50 years." He was a precise man,
meticulous and exacting, fond of quoting a Marathi hymn that goes, "Give me love, give me
peace, O Lord, but don't deny me common sense." He valued experience as the test of truth, and
the nonviolence he pursued and called "true nonviolence" had to conform to experience in all
levels of human affairs. "I have applied it," he declares, "in every walk of life: domestic,
institutional, economic, political. And I know of no single case in which it has failed." Daily practice
could determine its value, "when it acts in the midst of and in spite of opposition," and he advised
critics to observe the results of his experiments rather than dissect his theories. Nonviolence is the
law of our species as violence is the law of the brute.(MM-112) "Nonviolence is not a cloistered
virtue to be practiced by the individual for his peace and final salvation, but it is a rule of conduct
for society. "Total non-violence consists in not hurting some other one's intellect, speech or action
by own thought, utterance or deeds and not to deprive some one of his life." Gandhi's adherence
to nonviolence grew from his experience that it was the only way to resolve the problem of conflict
personally. Violence, he felt, only made the pretense of a solution, and sowed seeds of bitterness
and enmity that would ultimately disrupt the situation.
For Gandhi, to profess nonviolence with sincerity or even to write a book about it was, not
adequate. "If one does not practice nonviolence in his personal relationships with others, he is
vastly mistaken. Nonviolence, like charity, must begin at home." The practice of nonviolence is by
no means a simple matter, and Gandhi never intimated that it was. As a discipline, a "code of
conduct," true nonviolence demands end, less vigilance over one's entire way of life because it
includes words and thought as well as actions." Ahimsa is not the crude thing it has been made to
appear. Not to hurt any living thing is no doubt a part of ahimsa. But it is its least expression. The
principle of ahimsa is hurt by every evil thought, by undue haste, by lying, by hatred, by wishing ill
to anybody. It is also violated by our holding on to what the world needs."
The significance of ahimsa is that, as part of the moral abstentions, it is considered before the
spiritual, physical, or mental angas. Also, it underlies the other moral abstentions, namely; satya,
i.e., truth or not lying; asteya, i.e., not stealing, aparigraha, non-grasping or non-possesion, and
brahmacarya, i.e., celibacy. For Gandhi, ahimsa means: non-injury, nonviolence, non-harm, the
renunciation of the will to kill and the intention to hurt any living thing, the abstention from hostile
thought, word or deed, and compassion for all living creatures. Nonviolence is the law of the
human race and is infinitely greater than and superior to brute force.