"Ahimsa does not simply mean non-killing. Himsa means causing pain to or killing any life out of anger or for a selfish purpose or with the intention of injuring it. Refraining from so doing is ahimsa. Ahimsa means not to injure any creature by thought, word or deed. True ahimsa should mean a complete freedom from ill- will and anger and hate and an overflowing love for all." Mahatma Gandhi
The concept of ahimsa or non-violence has ancient roots in India. Recently, Hindus all around the world celebrated Diwali. The Festival of Lights, as the Hindu festival of Diwali is often called, is for me synonymous with love and celebrating life.
My childhood is filled with good memories of Diwali; memories full of sweets, fireworks, and lighting of lamps. The clay diyas (lamps) are filled with coconut oil and cotton wool wicks and lined up along verandahs, on windowsills, along driveways and in gardens. On the terraces, lamps and candles are placed as far back from the ledge as possible so they do not blow out in the breeze and plunge the house into inauspicious darkness. Ordinary electric lights are switched off.
By the glow of candlelight, my grandmother would tell us that it was believed generational hatreds seem to somehow be dissolved in the softness of their radiance. When mother and daughter bent to light lamps together, the tradition passes almost tangibly from older to younger. A father would swing his son into the air, and then press the little boy's face close to his own. Without the harsh light of electricity, we could wrap ourselves in humanity. This was part of Diwali – to see and feel the humanity.
With all the attacks and killing around the world, this year when I lit the diya for Diwali, I prayed the light will help us out of ignorance to realization of a better future for humanity! I hope that the lightness of the Diya will bring peace and love in the minds of those who seek to carry out acts of terror.
I hope that Gandhi’s principles of Ahimsa can be used to combat terrorism.
Article written by Ash Prasad. Ash Prasad works at the Columban Mission Institute in Sydney.
Article Reference: www.lifepositive.com/the-politics-of-ahimsa
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