Ahimsa; Nonviolence | The Hare Krishna Movement

So today in America Martin Luther King Day is being observed. Although his main intent was to fight for the equality of African-Americans during the 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quotes about nonviolence are still relevant today.

I thought it might be fitting to do a post on Ahimsa, nonviolence. Ahimsa, nonviolence, means that one should not do anything which will put others into misery or confusion. That which furthers the future spiritual happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence.

Violence is an ongoing cycle that is hard to break, and in todays world, violence is an epidemic.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Top Quotes about Nonviolence

“In spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.”

“We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself. We will try to persuade with our words, but if our words fail, we will try to persuade with our acts.”

“Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence, when it helps us to see the enemy’s point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.”

“World peace through nonviolent means is neither absurd nor unattainable. All other methods have failed. Thus we must begin anew. Nonviolence is a good starting point.”

In the Forth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam text 24, Srila Prabhupada has this to say about nonviolence:

SB 4.22.24

A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must follow the regulative principles without material desire and, while following the regulative principles, should not blaspheme others. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.

PURPORT

The devotees are actually saintly persons, or sādhus. The first qualification of a sadhu, or devotee, is ahimsa, or nonviolence. Persons interested in the path of devotional service, or in going back home, back to Godhead, must first practice ahimsa, or nonviolence…A devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury, he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury, the devotee need not tolerate it. The whole world is full of violence, and a devotee’s first business is to stop this violence, including the unnecessary slaughter of animals. A devotee is the friend not only of human society but of all living entities, for he sees all living entities as sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not claim himself to be the only son of God and allow all others to be killed, thinking that they have no soul. This kind of philosophy is never advocated by a pure devotee of the Lord… a true devotee is the friend of all living entities. Krishna claims in Bhagavad-gita to be the father of all species of living entities; consequently the devotee of Krishna is always a friend of all. This is called ahimsa. Such nonviolence can be practiced only when we follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas. Therefore, according to our Vaisnava philosophy, we have to follow the great ācāryas of the four sampradāyas, or disciplic successions.