Image by Elle Ritter
In this Article:
- What is Non-Harming? The deeper meaning of non-violence.
- Daily Practice: How to incorporate non-harming into your life.
- Impact on Communication: Learn to communicate with kindness and truth.
What is Non-Harming, and How Can You Do It?
by Nicole Goott.
A core value in Indian philosophy is ahimsā, often translated as non-violence or non-harming. However, it is not exclusive to this system of beliefs. Rather, as a universal value, it can also be found within many of the world’s spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
At its root, non-harmfulness or non-violence extends beyond simply do not kill or do not take the life of another being. It also means “not willfully inflicting any injury, suffering or pain on any living creature, by word, thought, or action” and simultaneously recognizing the “underlying unity of life” (Taimni, I.K. p. 209–210).
Adding to Taimni’s definition, it could also be said that suffering or pain inflicted can vary in intensity, depending upon the force with which it is motivated. It is also true to say that a thought, word, or action can unintentionally cause some form of harm, even though there was no motivation to do so. The last point contains an important key in cultivating a value and attitude of non-harming, namely, motivation.
Adopting The Value of Non-Harming
What if we adopted the value of non-harming? How would this shift our thoughts and attitudes on a daily basis? What consequences would this have for ourselves and others?
A simple but profound teaching ascribed to Mahatma Gandhi says that one needs to begin with oneself to see a change in the world. I would argue that the change which begins with each individual is whether we are motivated toward an ideal of harmony and unity or not.
If we are indeed motivated toward harmony and unity, two things are important to consider if non-harming is to be embodied daily. The first involves mindful awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, and words, from which action naturally follows. The second recognizes the unity of all life when we stop to consider the consequences of our actions and their impact on oneself, others, and Nature. How do we translate this into actions whereby our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and needs are communicated, which adds to a greater harmony and unity for all?
Language, both written and spoken word, continues to be one of the most important tools used by humans to convey thoughts and ideas. And it is also one of the tools most easily misused. Due to the unique make-up of each individual’s experiences and communication skills, it’s no wonder that communication can be a veritable minefield. Despite the challenges, it is possible to navigate the terrain of communication in ways that increase harmony, peace, and unity.
Practical and Common-Sense Guidance
We find practical and common-sense guidance from Annie Besant when she writes, “Let him speak the truth, let him speak the pleasing, let him not speak an unpleasing truth, nor speak a pleasing falsehood; this is the ancient law”. What would it look like if we turned Annie Besant’s statements above into questions?
I have found this to be a useful practice over the years, of turning a phrase or statement into a question, which leads me to discovering more insight and fresh perspectives. In this practice, introduced to me some years ago by Kurt Leland, in any given moment, we ask ourselves three questions:
- Is it useful?
- Is it kind?
- Is it true?
It’s no coincidence that we have the axiom as part of common language; think before you speak! Whether inwardly as in one’s inner voice or outwardly, what we say has power. Inner dialogue is how we speak to ourselves. Outer dialogue is how we speak to others either about ourselves, about them, or about others. In whichever direction words are targeted, the energy behind them has real impact and consequence.
In 1999, Dr. Masaru Emoto’s book, The Messages of Water, presented a series of photographs he had taken of frozen water crystals, each one expressing the unique ways in which water expresses itself. His experiments developed further, examining the effect that various kinds of music, as well as certain words, had on the formation of water crystals.
His experiments were remarkable. Under a microscope, beautifully shaped crystals could be seen in water that had been exposed to positive phrases such as thank you. By contrast, however, water exposed to negative phrases such as you fool showed deformed and misshapen crystals.
With these experiments, the unseen was made visible – words, whether in the form of an unspoken thought or orally expressed, have the power to affect not only ourselves but also the field of energy around us. Therefore, in practice, breaking down each of the above three questions, it’s possible to examine their application in all dimensions of daily living.
Is It Useful?
As I understand it, usefulness can be examined by looking at dharma and motivation. In the first instance, we ask ourselves: do my thoughts, words, or actions help guide the other person closer to, or further away from, their dharma, which is their path? In the second instance, we examine our motivation behind our thoughts, words, and actions, asking ourselves: are they altruistic and for the greater good, or are they self-serving?
Let’s review these questions from the perspective of Dr. Emoto’s experiments. The experiments are useful in that they demonstrate how thoughts and words physically affect the targeted subject. Consider how telling someone that they are smart and capable supports them in discovering their dharma, whereas in contrast telling someone that they are unintelligent, and incapable does the opposite. Usefully, we can apply these same questions to ourselves as they relate to inner dialogue.
Is It Kind?
We find three key attributes within kindness: considerate, friendly, and supportive. This brings to mind the film Pay it Forward (2000), a story of a boy who started a movement of goodwill. The film depicted how goodwill and kindness, motivated by altruism, could greatly benefit both the giver and the receiver. It also demonstrated the impact these actions had on the wider community.
One of the most poignant elements the movie highlighted is that kindness is an infinite resource, available to everyone, and can be drawn upon anytime. It also demonstrated that kindness does not require that a person reaches into their wallet. Smiling at someone, even if you are strangers to one another, can be just the salve they need at that moment to realize that someone else sees them.
In practice, we are always circulating between kindness to oneself, kindness to others, and kindness to the environment. I remember when I was quite young, maybe a little older than five or six years old when I was outside in my grandparents’ garden. I had picked a few leaves off a large shrub, which instantly oozed a milky white substance. In his firm but gentle voice, my grandfather came over to me and told me that the milky substance was the plant crying; that by pulling its leaves, I was causing it pain. Plants, when wounded or injured, will move to protect themselves and heal the affected area to prevent disease or further damage.
It was an important lesson that taught me at a young age the value of care and consideration for the environment and how my actions have consequences. My grandfather’s lesson highlights the fourth attribute of kindness: patience. My grandfather had recognized that I had yet to understand the consequences of my actions fully. He provided me with a different perspective with simple, clear, and calm language. It was then up to me to step into a greater understanding and relationship with the plants.
Kindness to Self
Equally important is the practice of inner kindness, how we relate to ourselves. One way to monitor this is a mindfulness practice of observing our internal dialogue. When writing this book, an inspired Pixar film called Soul (2020) was released. One of the main characters is a soul named 22, and as we watch the story around their character unfold, we come to observe their inner dialogue.
We eventually learn that long-held thoughts and beliefs, reiterated in their internal dialogue, have held them back from taking an important next step in their journey. Once the character realized that none of those thoughts and beliefs were true, it became possible to replace them with words and thoughts rooted in kindness. As life force increased, it became possible for them to take their next step. And that step opened into a joy of new possibilities.
Is It True?
The third pillar of communication is truth. Truth is not absolute. Not being absolute is an important distinction, especially when motivated to communicate or relate from a value of non-harmfulness. In other words, my truth is not your truth. Truth is another way of saying dharma – my dharma is not your dharma, and your dharma is not mine.
One of the ways I have come to think about truth is simply as a wise guide. The wise guide directs a path toward an authentic alignment with my soul and the universe. The universe includes whoever or whatever I am in contact with at any given moment. The path is the particular set of lessons that each individual learns as part of the return journey back to the Source.
More often than not, conflict arises when one individual attempts, knowingly or unknowingly, to assert their truth over that of the other person. A common situation between a parent and a child involves the parent’s insistence that the child follows a particular profession. This insistence often disregards the child’s own inner promptings or desires until years later, when the child realizes that they are not fulfilled and makes a change. On a smaller scale, it can be all too easy to fall into the trap of giving advice, especially unsolicited, from the perspective of what would be true and right for the advice-giver, but not for the person to whom the advice is being given.
Inner and Outer Harmony
Outer harmony begins with inner harmony. The challenge we all face is aligning ourselves with our core values and living from them. Thoughts, words, and actions gradually need to be brought into alignment, which is a life lesson for each person. All we can ever do is take one step, one moment at a time. Each step is an invitation to step in a larger and truer sense of oneself.
Moment to moment, we have access to the soul’s wisdom illuminating the path. Opening up to the moment in kindness, and drawing in the soul’s wisdom, leads to harmony. And harmony leads to joy. If we are to cultivate non-harming, we can use the three questions posed above – true, kind, useful, in daily practice with ourselves and others.
Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Article Source:
BOOK: Yoga and the Five Elements
Yoga and the Five Elements: Spiritual Wisdom for Everyday Living
by Nicole Goott.
Who am I? What is my purpose in life? These are timeless questions. Indian philosophy and the yoga tradition offer a comprehensive understanding of the human being, from its conception of the mind to the nature of the soul, a path of self-discovery and doorway to inner liberation. With a fresh and modern interpretation of the five elements -- earth, water, air, fire, and space -- readers are presented with a practical and accessible approach to knowing themselves more deeply, illuminating how we might see other people with more compassion, tolerance, and acceptance.
With a framework that integrates the physical body with the inner terrain of the subtle bodies, Yoga and the Five Elements is an ideal guide for yoga practitioners and teachers to explore a modern interpretation of ancient wisdom. For contemporary spiritual seekers and individuals with no background or experience with yoga, Yoga and the Five Elements offers an imminently practical approach to self-development.
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About the Author
Nicole (Nicci) Goott is a passionate and dedicated teacher, motivated to guide others in their journey of self-discovery and how to live a joy-filled life. Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nicole moved to the United States when she was twenty-four years old, following an inner call to discover her dharma. Her teaching, mentoring, and healing approach reflects a fusion and synthesis of more than two decades of study in Yoga, Ayurveda, and related healing arts practices, as well as mindfulness-based approaches to self-healing.
For more information, visit NicoleGoott.com/
Article Recap:
Non-harming, rooted in various spiritual traditions, is more than just refraining from physical violence; it encompasses not willfully inflicting harm by thought, word, or action. Practicing non-violence daily involves mindful awareness of one's motivations, fostering inner and outer harmony, and aligning actions with compassionate and truthful communication. This philosophy leads to profound transformations in personal relationships and a deeper connection with the unity of life.
