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Non-Violence
be instrumental in causing the death of any life-form. There are
those who take a firm stand to stop the effect-violence. They may
be able to stop killing insects overtly. However if they use their
intellect to take advantage of others in their business dealings,
they through their greed are continuing intent-violence. This is all
violence!
You should conduct yourself in such a way that no living
entity should run away from you in fear for its life. There should
not be any act of aggression towards any living entity nor should it
be made to suffer even in the slightest degree. And as far as human
beings are concerned, you should not have a single negative opinion
about anyone, because it is violence. Even a negative opinion
against an enemy is great violence. This violence is much worse
than the violence in slaughtering a lamb. When you get angry with
the people at home, it is worse than killing a lamb: It is detrimental
for the Self.
To speak maliciously or gossip about someone is also
violence. To utter anything negative about a person in his absence
is considered violence.
There is also violence in partiality or discrimination. People
go around proudly proclaiming that they belong to a non-violent
group of people. This partiality in itself is the first violence. If people
understood even this much, it would be more than enough. One
has to understand what the Lord has said.
Destruction of the Self in Every Moment
Aarta-dhyana (internal worries) and raudra-dhyana
(thoughts or desire to hurt other people) is constantly occurring
within human beings. These do not require any effort, they occur
on their own and because they cause Self-violence, they are
considered the greatest forms of violence in the world. Violence
against insects and life-forms is called effect-violence. Which is
better?