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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？

《蓝山的夏季玫瑰》23面

就较小的层面而言，有时我们也逼不得已对昆虫做出伤害。为了维系家庭的干净整洁和井然有序，消灭一些蚂蚁，蟑螂或其他细小的侵犯者，在所难免。斯瓦米解释说在自己家的范围之内是情有可原的。

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。

《会谈》148面

有时我们可以借规劝让小动物离开以避免伤害牠们。为了避免袭击另一只小动物，稍为发出“嘶嘶”的声音以警戒之还是必需的。罗摩基士拿所描述的一则印度寓言正说明了这一点。

有一次一个小村子被一只巨大的眼镜蛇所胁迫。该蛇潜藏于路边的黑暗地方而对任何太靠近牠的人进行攻击。最后，这种情况达到忍无可忍的地步，于是，村民们请求一个路过的高人去跟蛇沟通。高人发现眼镜蛇处于极骇人的情绪，而他很快地利用咒语和好言平息了牠，然后教导眼镜蛇非暴力之于牠的灵性生活的重要性。

高人的说教完全改变了曾令人生畏的蛇。牠变得温驯了并且只以水果与牛奶进食。不久村里的孩子们发现蛇不会攻击他们，于是他们大胆地握住那只可怜动物的尾巴在空中旋转摇摆。蛇变得胆怯和可怜的样子，白天藏匿，只有在夜晚的一段短时间才敢出来。牠消瘦了并且受了伤，处处青肿。

当高人再度到村里以视察蛇弟子的进展时，有人告诉他，说该眼镜蛇极少出现，健康欠佳，情况堪怜。高人发现眼镜蛇畏畏缩缩的躲于牠的旧窟的一个黑洞里。询问之下，他得知这只曾令人生畏的动物的可悲的故事。看了他的蛇朋友受到的凌辱，高人责备牠欠缺智能：“我说不要袭击任何人。我没说你不能发出‘嘶嘶’的警告声音！”

然而，很多时候仅仅发出“嘶嘶”声仍嫌不足。或许我们非伤害另一人不可，假如他攻击我们或我们所保护的人。就每一个人而言，人身都是难得的。我们必须在非常情况下采取行动保卫自己。若攻击者试图杀害我们，而我们又逃避不了的话，那我们就不得不伤害或甚至杀害攻击者了。当然只有在不得已的情况下才出此下策。

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。

《我的峇峇和我》187面

4．意图与心态

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。

《夏季浸濡1977》235面

我们得到的忠告是尽可能对任何生命避免采取暴力行为，并以一切众生皆为主的创造物来尊重他们。内在声音是我们最好的向导；它让我们知道我们的义务与职责。所以我们必须避免伤害他人并且依据自己的职责而以慈悲之心去行动。

学习圈的问题：

何谓非暴力？
《梵歌》是史实或寓言？
杀害可有合适的时候？
如何于日常生活中实行非暴力？
如何应付他人的暴力？
非暴力是一种心态抑或行动抑或两者兼而有之？
为何应该实行非暴力？
要完全的非暴力有可能吗？
如何以非暴力来对待自己？

摘自《归向神之道》第22章

Non-violence: Recognition of Kinship

1. What Is Non-violence?

Non-violence is an attitude and practice of living in harmony with others and with oneself. It is living truthfully and doing one’s duty with love and consideration. It is not a meek attitude of submission to the will of others; it can require the greatest bravery. Non-violence requires adherence to high standards of truth and self-control.

Complete Non-violence is difficult to practice because all life has some elements of violence: we must eat even if we only eat plant matter; we must walk even though we may crush small insects. However, Non-violence is really an attitude in which we avoid inflicting pain on others. Even if we are unable to help others, we must at least refrain from intentionally harming them. Imagine the results if this simple rule were universally practiced.

2. Violence Is Ignorance of Unity

When we see a thorny plant in our path, we move to avoid it. Our eyes do not ignore the threat to the feet, for if the foot is pricked by thorns, the eyes will cry on their behalf. Just as the various organs of the body cooperate, all people and nations must cooperate. All creatures and all things together form the body of God. All share a common divine origin and destiny.

Spiritual understanding enables us to recognize the unity of all people as children of the Lord. All share the spark of God within. As the world becomes smaller through travel and communication, we can all realize how interconnected and interdependent people are. A disaster in one country may affect people in many lands. When we realize the truth of oneness, we feel the pain of others as our own.

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.

Sathya Sai Speaks 6, p.128

Doing violence to others is ultimately doing violence to oneself. We reap the consequences of our actions, whether in the present or future. The result is not always clearly seen, but the action evokes an inevitable reaction. When we injure another person, we often seek to justify our actions. Tacitus, a Roman historian, said, “It is a principle of human nature to hate those whom you have injured.”

The best policy is to avoid harming others if at all possible. The safest rule is: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Even small gestures can hurt another, hence we must be vigilant to avoid injuring others.

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

Non-violence must also extend to ourselves. Many people do greater violence to themselves than others could possibly do to them. They harm themselves through bad habits and improper living. They overemphasize negative events and get caught in the apparent evils of the world. They focus on darkness in the world, not allowing the light to enter.

Non-violence must be a part of our perceptions and outlook. If we are unable to live peacefully with ourselves, it is impossible for us to live peacefully with others. The first step must be inner harmony and self-understanding. This develops as we strive to see divinity in all.

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).

Summer Showers 1978, p.210

3. The Role of Duty

While adhering to our duty, we may possibly have to harm another. In the performance of his duty, a policeman may be required to harm a criminal who is violating the rights of others. A soldier may be required to harm others while defending his country. They do not seek to harm others, but their responsibility may require it. Their intention and duty must be considered.

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).

Sathya Sai Speaks 3, p.117

The teachings of the Bhagavad Gita unfold in a drama that takes place on a battleground. In this battle, it is the duty of Arjuna to vanquish an unjust and violent foe. The Lord, Krishna, explains to Arjuna that it is his righteous duty to slay the enemy. Although the story has elements of an allegory, it is also an historical account of actual events. Krishna, who always encouraged peaceful solutions, advised the warrior Arjuna to vanquish the evil Kauravas. The greater good of society required the elimination of the wicked foe.

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

On a smaller scale, we are sometimes compelled to harm small insects. In maintaining the order of the home, it may be necessary to eliminate ants, roaches, or various other small intruders. Swami explains that within the confines of the home, this is permissible.

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.

Conversations, p.148

Sometimes we can avoid harming another creature by encouraging it to depart. Although we try to avoid striking another, we may have to “hiss” a little. An old Indian parable told by Ramakrishna illustrates this point.

There was once a small village that was terrorized by a large cobra. The serpent lurked in a dark area by the road and would strike out at any person who ventured too close. Finally, the situation became unbearable, so the villagers entreated a passing holy man to speak to the snake. The holy sadhu found the cobra in a terrible mood, but soon subdued him with mantras and kind words. He then spoke to the cobra and taught him the importance of Non-violence to his spiritual life.

This discourse completely changed the once-terrible serpent. He became quite docile and ate only fruit and milk. Soon the village children found that the snake would not attack them. The children became so bold as to swing the poor creature around by its tail. The serpent was soon reduced to a pitiable state, hiding by day and only venturing out at night for short periods. He lost weight and became bruised and battered.

When the holy man next ventured through that village to discover the progress of his snake disciple, he was told that the cobra was seldom seen – and if so, then in a sad state of health. The holy man found the cobra cowering in a dark hole near his old haunt. Upon inquiring, he heard the sad story of the once-fearsome creature. He saw the abuse received by his serpent friend and chided him for his limited intelligence: “I said not to strike anyone. I did not say that you could not hiss!”

However, there may be times when even “hissing” is not enough. It may be necessary for us to harm another person if that person attacks us or those under our protection. Human life is very precious to each of us. We must take action to defend ourselves under extraordinary circumstances. If an attacker tries to kill us, we may have to injure or kill the assailant if all else fails. Of course, this would only be a last and highly regrettable action.

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.

My Baba and I, p.187

4. Intention and Attitude

Non-violence is a matter of intention and attitude, directed from the heart. The heart must judge the individual situation and act with love and regard to duty. There must be compassion as well as a discriminating appraisal of the situation. If a creature is suffering without hope of succor, it may be proper to end its pain if no other solution can be found.

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.

Summer Showers 1977, p.235

We are admonished to avoid doing violence to any creature whenever possible, and to respect all creatures as creations of the Lord. The inner voice is our best guide; it shows us our duty and obligations. So we must avoid harming others and act with compassion, in accordance with our responsibilities.

Questions for Study Circle:

What is Non-violence?
Is the Bhagavad Gita fact or allegory?
Is there ever a time when killing is justified?
How do we practice Non-violence in daily living?
How can we deal with the violence of others?
Is Non-violence an attitude or action or both?
Why should we practice Non-violence?
Is it possible to be completely Non-violent?
How can we be Non-violent with ourselves?

References for Further Study:

Conversations, p.20 (Eating meat).
Gita Vahini, p.25 (Arjuna’s duty to vanquish the Kauravas).
Gita Vahini, pp.218-219 (Ahimsa, one of the twenty virtues for jnana).
Summer Showers 1978, p.210.
Summer Roses on the Blue Mountains, pp.23-24.