AHIMSA: FIRST DO NO HARM
Dharma: Personal Mission or Purpose
First Do No Harm is a phrase that is commonly associated with the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors, medical students, and other healthcare professionals. Interestingly, this phrase is not found directly in the oath but believed to be derived from the Latin “primum non nocere,” and is a guiding principle in the ethics of medicine. So, what does this have to do with Ahimsa?
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali discuss the Eight Limbs of Yoga with one being the Yamas. Deborah Adele, in her book The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice (On-Word Bound Books, 2009), is a discussion of two of the Eight Limbs. The Yamas govern our relationship with others – with the first being Ahimsa, the subject of this post.
Ahimsa (translated as nonviolence or non-harm) is the foundational guideline for the others that follow. Himsa is causing harm to another – be it through physical, spoken, or written means. Has there ever been a time in your life where you said or did something to another person and then wished you could take it back? We really do not have to look extremely far to see Himsa in action. All one has to do is see how quickly the chatter lights up on the social media outlets when various controversial topics arise. Fellow humans wreak havoc on individual psyche through name calling, threatening gestures, pictures, and the suggestion of physical harm. It is so frustrating that we can become quickly polarized on the drop of a dime – but how can we make a conscious, collective shift?
To me, ahimsa translates into honoring the journey of another as the path to non-harm, with empathy (walking a mile in another’s shoes) at the core of this tenet. While it is easier to respond quickly with a sharp tongue or poison pen, it is far better to pause and consider what would be a more proper right action. When a person takes a certain stance on (insert any issue you can name), we have no idea what lifetime of experience/perspective lead them to said position. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could take a deep breath, exhale toxicity, and then reach out to gain better understanding of another versus the relentless assaults? I leave this choice to you, the reader, but my personal goal is to work towards this end.
“Storms rage about me.
I calm my heart and send out
ribbons of peace - peace.”
- Catharine Larsen
At the start of each day, always remember to be humble and kind – the Ahimsa way.
Namaste,
Tim
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