15. AHIṀSĀ
D: Ahiṁsā has been ordained in the śāstra-s. Should it be followed at all times?
A: The śāstra-s speak of two categories of resolves, viz., vrata and mahāvrata. Mahāvrata is a vow that should be followed always, under all circumstances. Considerations of time and circumstantial limitations can apply to a vrata. A saṁnyāsin should follow ahiṁsā as a mahāvrata. For others, it is a vrata. One who lacks mercy is not a human being at all. Everyone should have mercy on the distressed.
D: We kill some insects unknowingly. Hence how can ahiṁsā be followed to the fullest extent?
A: The ahiṁsā that I mentioned is only with regard to pain caused to others deliberately. Even the thought of harming others is a violation of ahiṁsā.
D: Suppose a scorpion or a poisonous snake approaches a man with the intention of harming him. Should he just be a spectator because he upholds ahiṁsā?
A: No. He can remove the snake or scorpion.
D: Will this not violate ahiṁsā?
A: No; because he only saved himself and did not deliberately cause injury.
D: If one is very docile, will not others take advantage of this and cheat one? Will they not create troubles through various means?
A: Who said that one should be too docile? It is indeed true that a saṁnyāsin should tolerate pains but if a person involved in worldly life practises forbearance to that extent, he may land himself in trouble.
D: If one troubles or irritates me without reason, what should I do?
A: You should be calm mentally but may object or feign anger. You should not give room to anger that makes you lose control over yourself. What I said does not imply that you should always pretend to be angry. Be patient to the extent possible. Present an appearance of anger only after a certain limit is exceeded.
(The questions that follow are from a soldier who had served in the Army.)
D: Will sin accrue to me since I have been responsible for the death of many people?
A: No.
D: Is not killing prohibited?
A: Did you kill them due to hatred?
D: No.
A: You only did your duty and followed the orders given to you. You did that action for the sake of the nation and not for your own sake. Is it not so?
D: Yes.
A: That is why I said that you would not incur sin. If you had killed anyone out of animosity or for your selfish end, you would certainly have been a sinner. However, you stuck to your duty for the sake of the nation. Lord Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna, “For a kṣatriya, waging a righteous war is an act of virtue and not a sin.” You soldiers are indeed in the place of the kṣatriya-s referred to by the Lord.
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❑ Incidents from Acharyal's Life
Acharyal had imbibed the trait of ahiṁsā, non injury, even at His young age. Here is just a sample of its manifestation:
Sri Srinivasa Sastry (as Acharyal was known in His pūrvāśrama), while personally forbearing, had the inclination and the courage to intervene to terminate the suffering being inflicted on another. He once beheld a boy catching flying insects, tearing out their wings and throwing the hapless creatures to a dog. Walking up to the boy, He quickly grasped his hands and twisted them. The boy screamed. Relaxing His vice-like grip, Sri Srinivasa Sastry said, “The insects also must feel like this. Just as you have hands, the insects have wings. Abstain from torturing them hereafter.”
He once had the following conversation with a friend:
Sri Srinivasa Sastry: Hunting of animals is improper.
Friend: Carnivorous animals prey on weaker creatures. Such being the case, they deserve to be killed.
Sri Srinivasa Sastry: God has created some animals as food for the carnivores. This does not entitle man to poke his nose into the ways of nature and indulge in slaughter.
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Acharyal not only practised true ahiṁsā but was also highly compassionate towards all. His compassion extended even to animals.
Some years ago an Āyurvedic physician brought Acharyal a rare preparation whose composition he kept secret. The doctor said that the lotion he had prepared would heal any wound. The quantity supplied was very small and so was precious. One day, Acharyal saw a badly wounded dog. He noticed that someone had hurt it with a knife and that the wound was very deep. The poor creature whimpered in agony. Acharyal was rather moved. Immediately, He ordered that the lotion be applied on the dog. Who indeed would have thought that such a rare medicine, meant for the future use of Acharyal, would be given away for the treatment of a dog? The application of the ointment was continued for a couple of days. It was surprising to note that the wound healed well beyond expectations and that too in a remarkably short period of time. The dog became completely normal. Acharyal’s compassion was universal.
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During His first all India tour, Acharyal camped at Delhi in 1967. At that time, the problem of enacting compulsory legislation to prevent cow-slaughter was strongly agitating the country. To Him, violence and compulsion are always abhorrent. He has always maintained that the dharmic ideal applies to means as well as to ends. However, in response to the demands of various devotees, He gave a message on the subject although personally He was reluctant to involve Himself in any controversy in which the passions of the moment submerged the faculties of reasoning and the ultimate interests of the country were forgotten. The message issued on His behalf was as follows:
“Adhering correctly to the edicts of the Veda-s and śāstra-s would be conducive to welfare and prosperity. No injury should be caused to any living being. Leading a life wedded to ahiṁsā brings happiness. Among animals, the cow is most helpful and useful to mankind and is also an object of supreme reverence. Protection of the cow is, therefore, an act of great merit and killing it is a heinous sin. Protection of the cow is thus an absolute necessity. At present, various efforts at a number of places are being made to get cow-slaughter banned. It is the considered opinion of the Jagadguru that the efforts being made to achieve the objective should be absolutely peaceful and should not cause even the slightest injury or harm to anyone. Injury or harm to others results ultimately in difficulty and loss to the country as a whole. In regard to the enactment of suitable legislation for this purpose, knowledgeable persons should jointly consider, examine and decide in what manner such a legislative measure could be brought about.”
Thus, in His message, He not only expressed His concern with the problem but also advocated the eschewing of any violent methods to achieve enactment of legislation to ban cow-slaughter.
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❑ Experiences of Devotees
The practice of ahiṁsā has to be carried out in thought, word
and deed. Acharyal refrained from wounding even the feelings of a person.
Once, a group of devotees approached His Holiness to complain about the behaviour of another devotee. They thought that they could influence Acharyal to take some punitive action against him. They entered Acharyal’s room and Acharyal asked them to sit. They obeyed and started, “We have come to request Acharyal for something important.....” Acharyal closed His eyes and, with folded hands, said, “Before you people start, I would like to make one thing clear. I cannot do anything that would hurt anyone’s feelings. So, please do not put Me in that situation!” Acharyal then opened His eyes and told them, “Yes, now you can tell Me what you wanted to.” The members of the group had no choice but to drop the idea of influencing Acharyal against the person concerned. Having entered into Acharyal’s room, each one of them talked about different topics to Acharyal and went back!
Later, out of compassion and concern, Acharyal, on His own, solved their problem in a diplomatic way ensuring that both the sides were satisfied. [Sri.K. Suresh Chandar]
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On another occasion, a man who had formerly been in the army came to have Acharyal’s darśana. He suffered from severe mental depression, as he considered himself the cause of the gruesome death of hundreds of people. Belonging to a traditional Hindu family, he had learnt, by rote, the Lakṣmī-nṛsiṁha-karāvalamba-stotra and while entering Acharyal’s room, he was loudly chanting the stotra! Acharyal spoke to him compassionately. In response he lamented, “Swamiji, I have killed many people in cold blood. I have thus committed an unpardonable sin. I feel that I deserve to die now. Will there be any expiation for my acts?” After he finished his narrative, Acharyal did something unexpected. He placed both His hands on the head of this man and declared, “You will be alright. Do not worry” and comforted him with His kind words. With his spirits lifted, the man was overjoyed at this unexpected blessing. [Sri S.Krishnaswamy]
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Once a man who was walking towards Acharyal’s abode in Narasimhavanam, Sringeri, for Acharyal’s darśana, plucked a leaf from one of the plants on the way.
Acharyal observed this and was visibly displeased. He called a Math official and said to him, “Why does the man do such a thing? Has the plant hindered his walk in any way? Why does he harm it this way? Please admonish the person.” Such was His concern for all living things. [Sri Chella Annapoorna Prasad]
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Maharṣi Patañjali has said, “In the presence of one who is established in ahiṁsā even inimical creatures abandon their hostility.” In the presence of Acharyal, who was an embodiment of ahiṁsā, instances of violent men turning gentle were innumerable.
A man who was notorious for his arrogance and atheistic outlook once came to the place where Acharyal was camping. The sight of him created panic among the people assembled there and the entire staff of the Math became alert as he was carrying a pistol. Someone went inside and reported the matter to Acharyal. His Holiness, however, smiled and said, “Let him in.” Meanwhile, the atheist started creating scenes shouting “What are these Swamijis for? What is their role in this world? I want to see this Swamiji and ask him these questions....” The staff tried to snatch the pistol away from him but in vain. This heightened the pandemonium and a group of staff went into Acharyal’s room and stayed put there ready to pounce upon him, should he take out his pistol to hurt His Holiness. Acharyal was keeping cool and received him with His characteristic, winning smile. The moment he looked at His Holiness, he folded his hands and fell flat on the floor prostrating. A sudden transformation should have taken place in him. When he got up, Acharyal posed kind enquiries to him and blessed him. He walked out of the place a reformed man. [Sri. K.C.Mahadeva Iyer]
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