80 Non-Violence
anyone, not even for one’ s own enemies. A non-violent person will even think about the physical well-being and salvation of his own enemy. What good is any other kind of non-violence? The prakruti( complex of the mind, speech, body and its attributes) is inclined to have bad thoughts, but to turn this around is one’ s own purushaarth( independent highest endeavor).
If a non-violent person shot an arrow at someone, his victim would not bleed. In contrast, a violent man would cause the person to bleed, even if he threw a flower at him. Neither the arrow nor the flower is itself‘ effective’, but it is the intent behind the act that is‘ effective’. This is why my constant intent is that no one should be hurt in the slightest manner by my speech, my thoughts and my conduct. And my words and speech flows from this very intent. It is not the arrow, nor the flower, nor anything else for that matter that yields an effect, it is the intent that yields an effect.
Akram Vignan states that a person should not even use his thoughts as a weapon. So how can anyone use any other weapons? How can I wield any weapon against other life-forms when I have never once resorted to using even my thoughts as a weapon against the smallest of life-forms? Sometimes I tend to speak a little harshly, but such harshness is like the subtle difference between raw and refined silk. Such speech comes out only rarely. I have never used my speech as a weapon nor have I ever used my thoughts in that way.
I have never used my mind as a weapon against even the smallest of life-forms. Even if I was stung by a scorpion, I would not raise any weapon against it. By stinging me, the scorpion would be fulfilling its obligation, without which there would be no liberation for me. I can assure you that I have not used my mind as a weapon against any living being. Although it is the nature of the mind to retaliate, I assure you that I have not used it in this way.
Questioner: You must have realized that the mind is useless as a weapon.