Sarkarverse

Ahimsa: Difference between revisions

Page Discussion

Ahimsa (view source)

Revision as of 11:05, 17 November 2013

2,295 bytes removed ,  17 November 2013
m
Some edits... Updating article will continue
m (grammar)
m (Some edits... Updating article will continue)
Line 4: Line 4:
}}
}}


[[File:Lord Mahavir Gold.jpg|thumb|right|[[:wikipedia:Mahavira|Mahaviira Jain]] offered an extreme view of Ahimsa]]
[[File:SVmap_NonliteraryWorks.png|right|240px]]
{{Yama-Niyama}}


'''Ahimsa''' ({{lang-sa|[[अहिंसा]]}}; [[IAST]]: {{IAST|ahiṃsā}}, [[Pali|Pāli]]:<ref name="Johansson2012">{{cite book|author=Rune E. A. Johansson|title=Pali Buddhist Texts: An Introductory Reader and Grammar|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=CXBmlQvw7PwC&pg=PT143|accessdate=8 August 2013|date=6 December 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-11106-8|page=143}}</ref> {{IAST|avihiṃsā}}) is a term meaning benignity, non-injury. The word is derived from the Sanskrit root ''hiṃs'' – to strike. ''Hiṃsā'' is injury or harm. ''A-hiṃsā'' is the opposite.<ref>Mayton, D. M., & Burrows, C. A. (2012), ''Psychology of Nonviolence'', The Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology, Vol. 1, pages 713-716 and 720-723, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 978-1-4051-9644-4</ref><ref>[Encyclopedia Britannica], see Ahimsa</ref>
'''Ahimsa''' ({{lang-sa|[[अहिंसा]]}}; [[IAST]]: {{IAST|ahiṃsā}}, [[Pali|Pāli]]:<ref name="Johansson2012">{{cite book|author=Rune E. A. Johansson|title=Pali Buddhist Texts: An Introductory Reader and Grammar|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=CXBmlQvw7PwC&pg=PT143|accessdate=8 August 2013|date=6 December 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-11106-8|page=143}}</ref> {{IAST|avihiṃsā}}) is a term meaning benignity, non-injury. The word is derived from the Sanskrit root ''hiṃs'' – to strike. ''Hiṃsā'' is injury or harm. ''A-hiṃsā'' is the opposite.<ref>Mayton, D. M., & Burrows, C. A. (2012), ''Psychology of Nonviolence'', The Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology, Vol. 1, pages 713-716 and 720-723, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 978-1-4051-9644-4</ref><ref>[Encyclopedia Britannica], see Ahimsa</ref>


Ahimsa is one of the cardinal virtues<ref name=evpc/> and an important tenet of major [[Indian religions]] ([[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Jainism]]). Ahimsa is a multidimensional concept,<ref name=arapura/> inspired by the premise that all living beings have the spark of the divine spiritual energy, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself. Ahimsa has also been related to the notion that any violence has [[Karma|karmic]] consequences. While ancient scholars of Hinduism pioneered and over time perfected the principles of Ahimsa, the concept reached an extraordinary status in the ethical philosophy of Jainism.<ref name=evpc>Stephen H. Phillips & other authors (2008), in Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict (Second Edition), ISBN 978-0123739858, Elsevier Science, Pages 1347–1356, 701-849, 1867</ref><ref name=chapple1990>Chapple, C. (1990). Nonviolence to animals, earth and self in Asian Traditions (see Chapter 1). State University of New York Press (1993)</ref> Indian leader [[Mahatma Gandhi]] strongly believed in the principle of ''ahimsa''.<ref>Gandhi, M. (2002). The essential Gandhi: an anthology of his writings on his life, work, and ideas. Random House Digital, Inc.</ref>
Ahimsa is one of the cardinal virtues<ref name=evpc/>, the first of ten principles in the ancient tantric/yogic system of morality, ''Yama-Niyama''. As such, it is also an important tenet of major [[:wikipedia:Indian religions|Indian religions]] ([[:wikipedia:Buddhism|Buddhism]], [[:wikipedia:Hinduism|Hinduism]], and [[:wikipedia:Jainism|Jainism]]). Over the years, Ahimsa has been interpreted in many different ways. In his book, [[A Guide to Human Conduct]], Sarkar analyzes the concept of Ahimsa and some popular interpretations of the term.<ref name=GTHC>{{cite book|ref=harv|last=Anandamurti|first=Shrii Shrii|title=A Guide to Human Conduct|year=2004|ISBN= 9788172521035}}</ref>  
 
Ahimsa's precept of 'cause no injury' includes one's deeds, words, and thoughts.<ref>Kirkwood, W. G. (1989). Truthfulness as a standard for speech in ancient India. Southern Communication Journal, 54(3), 213-234.</ref><ref name=kaneda2008/> Classical literature of Hinduism such as Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as modern scholars<ref>Struckmeyer, F. R. (1971). The" Just War" and the Right of Self-defense. Ethics, 82(1), 48-55.</ref> debate principles of Ahimsa when one is faced with war and situations requiring self-defense. The historic literature from India and modern discussions have contributed to [[Just war theory|theories of Just War]], and theories of appropriate [[self-defense]].<ref name=balkaran2012>Balkaran, R., & Dorn, A. W. (2012). [http://www.sareligionuoft.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/JAAR-Article-Violence-in-the-Valmiki-Ramayana-Just-War-Criteria-in-an-Ancient-Indian-Epic-.pdf Violence in the Vālmı̄ki Rāmāyaṇa: Just War Criteria in an Ancient Indian Epic], Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 80(3), 659-690.</ref>


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
The word ''Ahimsa'' - sometimes spelled as ''Ahinsa''<ref name="Sanskrit dictionary">[http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw0125-ahalyA.jpg Sanskrit dictionary reference]</ref><ref>Standing, E. M. (1924). THE SUPER‐VEGETARIANS. New Blackfriars, 5(50), pages 103-108</ref> - is derived from the Sanskrit root ''hiṃs'' – to strike; ''hiṃsā'' is injury or harm, ''a-hiṃsā'' is the opposite of this, i.e. ''non harming'' or ''[[nonviolence]]''.<ref name="Sanskrit dictionary"/><ref name="Shukavak N. Dasa">[http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/nonharming_ahimsa.html A Hindu Primer], by [http://www.sanskrit.org/www/shukavak.htm Shukavak N. Dasa]</ref>
The word ''Ahimsa'' - sometimes spelled as ''Ahinsa''<ref name="Sanskrit dictionary">[http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw0125-ahalyA.jpg Sanskrit dictionary reference]</ref><ref>Standing, E. M. (1924). THE SUPER‐VEGETARIANS. New Blackfriars, 5(50), pages 103-108</ref> - is derived from the Sanskrit root ''hiṃs'' – to strike; ''hiṃsā'' (or ''hiḿsá'' in Sarkar's [[Roman Sanskrit transliteration|Roman Sanskrit]]) is injury or harm, ''a-hiṃsā'' is the opposite of this, that is benignity or non-jury.<ref name="Sanskrit dictionary"/><ref name="Shukavak N. Dasa">[http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu%20Primer/nonharming_ahimsa.html A Hindu Primer], by [http://www.sanskrit.org/www/shukavak.htm Shukavak N. Dasa]</ref> According to Sarkar, "Ahiḿsá means not inflicting pain or hurt on anybody by thought, word or action."<ref name=GTHC/>
 
There is a debate on the origins of the word ''Ahimsa'', and how its meaning evolved. Mayrhofer as well as Dumot suggest the root word may be ''han'' which means kill, which leads to the interpretation that ''ahimsa'' means ''do not kill''. Schmidt as well as Bodewitz explain the proper root word is ''hiṃs'' and the Sanskrit verb ''hinasti'', which leads to the interpretation ''ahimsa'' means ''do not injure'', or ''do not hurt''. Wackernagel-Debrunner concur with the latter explanation.<ref name=houben>Henk Bodewitz (in Jan E. M. Houben, Karel Rijk van Kooij, Eds.), Violence Denied: Violence, Non-Violence and the Rationalization of Violence in South Asian Cultural History, ISBN 978-9004113442, Brill Academic Pub (June 1999), see Chapter 2</ref><ref name="XXII-XLVII 1986, p. 11-12">Walli pp. XXII-XLVII; Borman, William: ''Gandhi and Non-Violence'', Albany 1986, p. 11-12.</ref>


Ancient texts use ahimsa to mean non-injury, a broader concept than non-violence. Non-injury implies not killing others, as well as not hurting others mentally or verbally; it includes avoiding all violent means - including physical violence - anything that injures others. In classical Sanskrit literature of Hinduism, another word ''Adrohi'' is sometimes used instead of ''Ahimsa'', as one of the cardinal virtues necessary for moral life. One example is in [[Baudhayana]] Dharmasutra 2.6.23: वाङ्-मनः-कर्म-दण्डैर् भूतानाम् अद्रोही (One who does not injure others with words, thoughts or acts is named ''Adrohi'').<ref name=houben/><ref>[http://sanskritlibrary.org/tomcat/sl/TextViewer?format=0&name=baudhdhs&title=The+Baudhayana-Dharmasūtra&texttype=%2F Baudhayana Dharmasutra 2.6]</ref>
There is a debate on the origins of the word ''Ahimsa'', and how its meaning evolved. Mayrhofer as well as Dumot suggest the root word may be ''han'' which means kill, which leads to the interpretation that ''ahimsa'' means ''do not kill''. Schmidt as well as Bodewitz explain the proper root word is ''hiṃs'' and the Sanskrit verb ''hinasti'', which leads to the interpretation ''ahimsa'' means ''do not injure'', or ''do not hurt''. Wackernagel-Debrunner (and Sarkar) concur with the latter explanation.<ref name=houben>Henk Bodewitz (in Jan E. M. Houben, Karel Rijk van Kooij, Eds.), Violence Denied: Violence, Non-Violence and the Rationalization of Violence in South Asian Cultural History, ISBN 978-9004113442, Brill Academic Pub (June 1999), see Chapter 2</ref><ref name="XXII-XLVII 1986, p. 11-12">Walli pp. XXII-XLVII; Borman, William: ''Gandhi and Non-Violence'', Albany 1986, p. 11-12.</ref>


==Hinduism==
==Hinduism==
Retrieved from "https://sarkarverse.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/13430"