AHIMSA – violence in today’s context and how do we recreate that energy within ourselves

What ‘violence’ mean to me in the modern day:
In this modern day and age, violence or harm unto others can be done in way that do not involve physical harm. Words are very powerful ‘weapons’ in the modern days. What we say sometimes, although the truth, can come back to bite us later on because we won’t know if the recipient is on the same level of trust and understanding. And people these days are more sophisticated that there need not be exchange of physical blows; words can be packaged in a nice way but loaded with sarcasm or insults. People who are nice to you need not necessarily be your friend.

How people may react to ‘violence’:
Causing bodily harm unto others may have huge consequences because we live in a world governed by law. It won’t be surprising for people to react to violence ‘inwardly’ rather than outwardly.

Prolonged self-restraints may lead to passive aggressiveness where the pent up frustrations/disappointments may show up in other ways such as causing bodily ailments or adopting a certain negative outlook of the world and life. Sometimes one may choose to ‘vent’ out the anger on another subject/person and start a cycle of action-reaction. This chain reaction will keep going until there’s a deliberate stop to this.

Constant guarding against others on the belief that people are out to hurt you has negative effects on oneself too, because it breeds mistrust and form a certain (negative) outlook on life.

Over time, it becomes a ‘structure’ formed in our life, and we will be living within that structure, to act and react according to it. It will then be difficult to get out of it and create a new way of living or a new outlook on life.

How do I recreate the energy into something positive for myself?

Personally, I view violence as unnecessary because unless I am sure that there won’t be consequences/karma that will come back and bite me later on in life 🙂 But that’s not possible at all.

I practise journaling to help me sort out my thoughts and be able to see the events that happened in a logical manner. Sometimes, I revisit the topic so that I can be clearer in my head, if I feel that it is ‘unresolved’. I can choose to accept it as it is or learn something from there. Alternatively, I will workout and clear the tension built up in the body and the mind.

We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. And if something happens, it must happen for a reason. We may not know the why now, but it always happens for a reason. Everything is connected in this world.