Whilst one big war is still raging in Europe, another has started in the Middle East. We know from history and experience that there are no lasting winners in war.
War is anger magnified, and with mass killing weapons and ammunition we have as a species the ability to destroy ourselves many times over. What we have done to countless animals and species – we eat 400 billion animals a year – we are doing to fellow human beings. It’s as much a psychological and cultural crisis as a physical one.
India has the science of Ahimsa, which means non-violence and reverence for all life. This is not just a theory but a living culture and practice which is visible today wherever Indians live. Ahimsa needs to be nourished and practiced every single day to help humans control their anger, greed, egoism and delusions.
It is manifest in a vegetarian diet, strong family values, a living community of fellow human beings busy helping one another, and the selfless spirit of sewa and charity where the poor and the weak are supported and NOT exploited or marginalised.
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Ahimsa lives in our prayers and meditation, where we go deep inside to stop and reflect on our thoughts and actions and experience inner calm and peace regularly. Silence is a language which is universal and its rhythm is of introspection and compassion, helping us heal ourselves in spite of what is happening around us. It is a daily statement of peace and an active opposition to violence.
Dharma is a vast ocean of the science and culture of inner peace. Such wisdom is rarely in our classrooms or university syllabi even when we need it so urgently to resolve our anxieties, depression and hopelessness.
In these difficult times, let us light a candle of hope to inspire the world about the hope and science of Ahimsa.
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Professor Atul K. Shah [@atulkshah] teaches and writes about Indian wisdom on business, culture and community at various UK universities and is a renowned international author, speaker and broadcaster.