The Philosophy of Ahimsa | Blog Introduction

"Compassion is the highest form of intelligence"

We live in a world where knowingly or unknowingly harming ourselves or others is deeply ingrained in our daily habits. It is hidden in the daily actions that we fail to observe clearly because of our predisposed filters of perception. Filters that formed from our childhood experiences.
A limited perception keeps us going in circles, chasing a fleeting sense of contentment that somehow seems to escape our grip as soon as we think we have grabbed it. Our awareness is so diluted by the past and future, we fail to be present at the moment and act in synchronization with our highest nature, compassion. It is a challenge we face individually and collectively. Our entire planet, all life on it and our own personal wellbeing are affected by this "sleep-walking" state of being.
We know intrinsically that compassion feels good. Caring for ourselves and others with the sole intention of love feels good. But how do we rise above our distractions, habitual patterns and create space for benevolence in our lives?

Ahimsa is an ancient Sanskrit term that is one of the foundational pillars of  Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism. When translated, it means 'nonviolence' in English. The translation is rather unfortunate. Because in Sanskrit, Ahimsa is used as the word that stands for 'love in action'. The concept translates to the simple act of having love as the underlying intention of everything we do, to ourselves and when we are interacting with other sentient beings. This interaction can be direct or indirect. Ahimsa is not only about non-violence in action, but it also involves non-violence in thoughts and words. And it takes an immense amount of presence. Something that takes practice and patience. The daily practice of yoga and meditation and greatly heighten our mental clarity which is needed for presence. In fact, Ahimsa is the first of the five ethical precepts called Yamas in the  Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It tells us to be constantly vigilant so that we can observe our thoughts and intentions behind every action. Ahimsa is often considered the only practice through which's perfection one can omit the necessity of any other practice of yoga.

It is for certain that the challenge of perfecting the practice of Ahimsa is far greater than it was centuries or even decades ago. But the key is still the same, being observant of one's thoughts and intentions. Only once we observe, we can shift our intention and align it with compassion. There is no doubt that when our intention is love, our actions unfold a life that is not just good for ourselves but it uplifts every life we come into contact with. Compassion in our actions come naturally when we are able to see the divine in every soul we come into contact with. First, we must see the divine in ourselves to see it in others. When we recognize that every life is an expression of God, we respect and bow to every eye that meets ours. This deep humble respect is where compassion intrinsically comes from. We don't have to force it or fake it. Its the raw expression of who we are.

What is the purpose of this blog? 

Compassion is the intention behind this blog, thus the name 'Art of Ahimsa'. Through this platform, I will share my journey and everything I learn along the way with full honesty. My personal intention in my life's journey is to perfect the practice of Ahimsa and share my experience to inspire others to do the same. I have also taken a vow to share the parts of me I am more insecure about. The parts of me that are unaligned with compassion and that I am slowly working to realign. Working from the ground up.

- With Loving Awareness