Durgadas explains that ahimsa is more than simply non-violence in the outer world, but also relates to personal violence towards our own minds and bodies.

 Have You Perfected Ahimsa 
(Non-violence)?

By Durgadas, Veda Kovid
R.A.P, ATY, ALC, AMPTK, AMBT,
Clinic (Ayu), Pharm (Ayu) 

(c) Durgadas,  Arogya Ayurvedic Health Ltd.
All Rights reserved. 

In my book “Agni Rahasya", I have gone into lengths about the 'agnis' of the Ashtangas (eight limbs) of both Ayurveda and Yoga.

Many think they know about 'ahimsa', but in my view, most people haven't even started perfecting the FIRST yama and tenet of Yoga, which is 'ahimsa' - which isn't simply not committing violence externally!

The agni or fire of ahimsa of non-violence refers to not injuring others in any way and trying to resolve conflicts as much as possible without force.

HOWEVER, it also goes hand-in-hand with other agni, that of rakshagni or‪ kshatragni, the fire of protection and fighting, which means that at times, when we are attacked and we cannot revolve disputes other ways, we must take up arms and defend ourselves.

This was the prime message of Sri ‪Krishna in the ‪‎Bhagavad Gita during the Mahabharata War and was also taken up by other great Yogis, such as ‪Parashurama, who was a great priestly ‪Brahmin Yogi who renounced his caste and took up arms to defend India’s Vedic culture against the aggressive warrior-castes which at the time needed to be chastised.

Have we forgotten the Devi in her martial forms as ‪Durga, Mahakali, Bhairavi etc. and her role? She wasn't simply passive!

If we do not defend ourselves when forcefully attacked, then we cannot uphold the doctrine of ahimsa, as invading and foreign forces and elements seek to uproot it.

Ahimsa however is threefold. We must exercise it according to:

1. Vachika ahimsa (non-violence of speech) which means not being aggressive or speaking ill of or falsely against another and relates also to cultivating silence (mauna-shakti).It also means not to be bitter and twisted in arguments and think carefully before we criticise others.

This also means we must also adhere to the four ‪pramanas in debate (viz. pratyaksha - direct perception; anumana - inference; upamana - comparison and shabda - sound which implies "aithiya" or tradition and also "shastra" of the quotation of sacred texts and teachings - vidyas).

2. Manasika ahimsa (non-violence in mind), which means restraining our violent tempers and thoughts also and watching what impressions we give out from people.

3. Dehika ahimsa (non-violence of the body), which means not doing physical harm unless necessary for defence, or within reason (as reprimanding a child with gentle force). It also requires us being conscious of all life-forms and not killing animals and taking foods by force we do not require and having a deeper consciousness regarding these.

If we do not care for the body in this manner, we violate dehika-ahimsa, or the above sub-yama in Yoga of non-injury to the body. If we take in impressions, foods etc. harmful to the body's constitution or ignore lifestyle regimes, diseases or the state of our digestive fire and how it is functioning, we are causing injury to our own bodies. We cannot really understand or say we have adhered to 'ahimsa', the first tenant in Yoga then, unless we first adopt an ‪Ayurvedic lifestyle regime along with Yoga for our own bodies, and stop injuring it.

This also means adopting appropriate foods and practices of cooking suitable to our type. While Yoga sees various foods as meats, hing and garlic as dulling to the mind for example, some constitutions such as Vata types can benefit from these, as Vata is racy and fast and often requires some quietening, taming or slowing-down temporarily, as also the fatty foods and minerals contains in certain meats and other substances. Hing is a chief spice for Vata for example and we must classify such foods as "sattvic" (pure and agreeable), rajasic (agitating and aggravating) or tamasic (dulling and disease-causing) as per the dosha-types, not simply in general or mentally.

As an example, raw food diets and dairy is useful for awakening sattvas in the mind in Yoga, but suits more militant Hatha-Yoga warriors who were traditionally more martian and Pitta in mind and body and were able to digest these. For Kapha types for example, such foods can become "tamasic" or disease-forming, especially dairy, due to their heavy nature and Kapha and Vata types, by their own cooler potencies (sita virya), need cooked foods with spices to digest them, not raw foods and salads, especially in cooler seasons and climates.

The same also goes with mantras! As an example, certain fiery and abrasive mantras (KSHRAUM, HUM, HAUM and HOOM) are hence kavacha (protection) mantras are very useful for protecting us when we are weak.

They can protect weaker Vata types and provide warmth, but should, like other such abrasive protection-mantras, be used only for short-periods by Vata types when they feel attacked, being careful not to over-use these, due to their ruksha (drying) and khara (rough) natures.

Using such mantras in excess for Vata types has the same drying and rough natures due to their heating-effects (ushna-virya) as spices such as dry-ginger, black pepper and cayenne have when used in excess by Vata types - it can cause dryness, instability, anxiety, insomnia and even gas. If one is going to use these mantras, then antidotes such as SHREEM and KLEEM should be used to provide a more Kapha nature and increases the more jaleya (watery) energy.

These mantras, having a cooling nature strongly help reduce Pitta and inflammations and also provides ojas or vitality to the body, lacking in Vata types. It increases Kapha.

However, Vata types should use such in warmer seasons as summer and in hotter climates, as also when feeling excesses of dryness and along with calming but heating mantras such as RAAM or HREEM, as otherwise the cooler-nature (shita-virya) of the nature can aggravate their cooler nature that Vata shares.

There are also cautions on prana-increasing mantras, such as AIM, OM and especially KLEEM. While the kriya-shakti (KLEEM-bija) mantra is primarily a prana (breath) mantra and relates to the atmosphere, as the vidyut-shakti or power of lightening energy, it also has a secondary Pitta nature, in addition to being primarily Vata. It should hence be used with caution.

These are a few examples of how we must first look at ourselves in the science of exploring ahimsa and 'dehika-ahimsa' and ask ourselves, "have we REALLY even perfected this preliminary and first step to Yoga to begin jumping to Asana and teachings others?".