PHOTOGRAPH: STOCKSY
Ahimsa is a beautiful and specific Sanskrit word which means non-violence. It echoes through us on every level, from the food we eat – is it silken and nourishing; or depriving, like sawdust? – to the way we use our voices (abrupt and barking, or soft and receptive?)
Ahimsa embodies respect and compassion for all things: I am no better than you; my needs no greater, my worries no deeper; my voice has no right to be raised above yours. It filters into the tiniest things – there is a scene in documentary film-maker Bruce Parry’s Tawai, when he is tasked with sweeping the yard of a temple, wielding the broom like a weapon, his face contorted with exertion. Then, his meditation teacher takes the broom, and begins to sweep as though he is doing nothing more strenuous than dancing with the dust. How we approach tasks can be transformative. Rushing is all the rage. As we juggle, dropping balls left, right and centre, tempers can rise.