非暴力(Ahimsa)是真理(sathya,真,真相)的另一面。一旦你了解这亲密关系,在神中的单一,基本自性的一体性,那就没有人会故意造成他人的痛苦和烦恼了。
非暴力非仅指不伤害一个生命体。应该连用语言,眼神或手势所造成的伤害也要避免。容忍,坚毅,平等 --- 凡此皆可助你更能平稳地把握非暴力。
一般上,我们认为非暴力指的是不伤害某种生命体。其实非暴力不仅这一点。就连邪恶的心象或邪恶的聆听或邪恶的谈话皆属暴力。
如果一个贼砍断你的手,这可谓暴力;如果医生切断它,他救你的命而那是非暴力 。
基士拿要世界和平但他却鼓励这场大战而在此战争中战亡的人几达四百万。这叫暴力或非暴力?甚至基士拿当时给了一个合适的回答。他说:“阿周那!拿肿瘤作个例子吧!肿瘤会不断扩大而使到人的整个身体痛苦不堪,即便肿瘤的扩大只限于某处-------。在这战争或整饬中,四百万引起疾病的细菌会为了世界福祉而被杀戮。就世界而言,到底是祸是福,是好是坏?
希(希斯乐普):斯瓦米,容我再问一个有关家里的昆虫的问题。家庭主妇老是不停地与蚂蚁,蚊子,蟑螂等战斗。若不战,这些昆虫势必占领她的家了。 赛:这无可厚非,必须对付牠们。 希:如果杀死这些小生命,人们又怕犯下罪行。 赛:使家里摆脱这些小动物的纠缠是天经地义的事,没什么不对。但只限于你的住所,不是外面。
维护身体是重要的职责。你可以采取任何必须的手段去作自我捍卫。至于你问题的另一面,即,杀害攻击者,其答案是肯定的,假如那是你保卫自己生命的唯一方法的话。但要记得,还有很多可资选用的行动以避免杀戮。只有在每一种可能性都派不上用场时,你才采用杀戮攻击者的极端手段。
非暴力的定义是不论在身口意上,你都不应该给任何人造成伤害。甘地矢志终身奉行这个原则。但在一个场合中,他不忍心看到一头牛在极度的痛苦中挣扎,于是他要求医生给牛打针以让牠安乐死。因此,为了协助受苦者,有时我们或许必须伤害他。
Ahimsa (Non-violence) is another phase of sathya (truth). When once you are aware of the kinship, the oneness in God, the fundamental Atmic unity, no one will knowingly cause pain or distress to another.
It (Non-violence) does not mean merely not injuring a living being. You should not cause hurt even by a word, a look, or a gesture. Tolerance, fortitude, equanimity – these help you to be steady in ahimsa.
Sathya Sai Speaks 10, p.307
We generally think that ahimsa (Non-violence) means not causing harm to some living being. Ahimsa is not just this. Even bad vision or bad hearing or bad talk is himsa (violence).
If a dacoit (thief) cuts off your hand, it is himsa (violence); if the doctor amputates it, he saves your life and so it is ahimsa (Non-violence).
Krishna wanted the peace of this world, and yet he encouraged this big battle in which forty lakhs of people were killed. Is this called himsa (violence) or ahimsa (Non-violence)? Even then, Krishna gave an appropriate answer to this. He said: “Arjuna! Let us take the case of a cancerous growth on the body, and this cancerous growth gives pain to the whole human body, although the growth itself is confined to a localized area…In this battle, or the operation, forty lakhs of disease-causing germs will be killed for the benefit of the world. Is this bad or is this for the good of the world?”
Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, p.23
H: Swami, one more question please, about household pests. The housewife is in a constant battle with ants, mosquitos, cockroaches, etc. Unless she fights, these insects take over her home. SAI: It is all right, they must be dealt with. H: People are afraid they are committing a sin against Swami if they kill these small creatures. SAI: There is nothing wrong in keeping the home free from the assault of these small creatures. But only where you are, your area. Not outside.
To preserve one’s body is an important duty. One may take whatever means are necessary for self-preservation. About the other part of your question, to kill the person attacking – the answer is yes, if that is the only way to preserve one’s own life. But keep in mind that many alternative actions might be taken to avoid being killed. Only if every possibility is exhausted may one take the extreme measure of killing the attacker.
The meaning of ahimsa is that either in thought, word, or deed, you should not cause harm to anybody. Gandhi took a vow that till the end of his life, he would follow this. But on one occasion, when he saw a cow suffering from pain, he could not bear it and he advised the doctor to give an injection and end the life of the cow. Thus, in order to help the suffering individual, we may sometimes have to harm him.