Photo : Lord Mahavira – The torch bearer of Ahimsa
Ahimsa is part of the Yamas, first limb of Yoga.
Ahimsa is non violence.
The word is derived from the Sanskrit root, hims – to strike, himsa, injury or harm – a-himsa is the opposit of it. No injury, do not harm.
Nowadays Ahimsa is everywhere and more particularly it is becoming a full part of the vegetarianism and the vegan way of life.
We are defined only as « good yogi » if we are purely vegan (the best) or at least vegetarian (almost the best but not fully).
Please note I do not have anything against vegan and/or vegetarian people.
When I was living in India I was not eating meat at all, only butter as it is cooked in every single meals.
However since I moved from India I am now consuming sea food and fishes.
Therefore, some people are quite « suprised » when I told them that I am not vegan…. most of the time they are underlying that I am not following the concept of Ahimsa, to conclude that I am not a full yogi(ni).
When it happens, I am dying to ask them « what about Brahmacharya, are you following it? ».
Brahmacharya – Saving the energy
Brahmacharya is part of the Yamas. It is all about the economy of the prana (vital energy), as the prana should be use only to a higher level.
Most of the time the interpretation we are given is the full sexual abstinence.
If we were to follow the Brahmacharya concept the way it is taught, the only reason why we should have intercourse will be for procreation.
Without desire of having a baby then intercourse will be useless…
Basically, having sex or self-pleasure such as masturbation, will not be allowed by the « Yoga Police ».
Which is a shame knowing that there is a probability of reaching Samadi through self-pleasure…. please note that homosexuality will be also banned…
Contraception will then be outcast as well.
However, there is another way of following Brahmacharya, which constist having intercourse but without the production of semen, the man should then be capable of restraining himself in order to keep his « prana » inside instead of wasting it, without desire of creating another human being.
That is not impossible, some men are following it, and they are happy with it.
However, if the concept of Brahmacharya was as much emphasis than Ahimsa I can tell you that many yoga teachers will have a lot of children.
Instagram will be very different as well.
Many yoginis will be showing asanas with their beautiful belly, and all wisdom will be about the conception, family, mariage, kids and so on. The planet of Yoga will then be socially different.
Few teachers are practicing tantra (not only on the sexual level) but we have to admit that it is not something well-known. In our daily life, we do not meet those teachers at each corner of the street.
We should not judge vegan and vegetarian people, the same way vegan and vegetarian should not judge others not following that path.
We all know what is going on with the meat and dairy industries, the society is fully perverted by mass production, more is better and the sacrifice of million animals does not affect CEO, which is a shame.
However things are changing, population is now well awarded on how the milk is coming in the bottle, and as a consequences the manner of consuming is slowly changing.
But claiming « Because I am practicing Yoga and following Ahimsa, therefore I am not eating animals« , is from my point of view hypocrite. It is a personal choice.
Not a rule. Not a regulation.
If it was becoming mandatory then Yoga will be a religion.
As a yoga teacher or yoga practitioner, we should not impose our point of view. It is a free will.
Also practitioner who are not following vegan or vegetarian should not feel any shame about it.
If a Yoga teacher is forcing his/her way of living by proving he/she is better than anyone, under the cover of Ahimsa, then there is no Ahisma there. It is only judgment and criticisme.
If we pushed Ahimsa even further, then we would do like some Buddhist monks who at one time of the year can not leave their monastery for fear of crushing the insects likely to reproduce.
If you pushed Brahmacharya even further, then there would be no case of sexual abuse in some yoga centers where the so-called « Master » keeps a hold on her followers, most of the time women, but also men who do not speak about it, under the pretext that the path of wisdom would go through the perverse excesses of the so-called master to think …..
Ahimsa is not just about not eating animals just as Brahmacharya is not just about sexual abstinence.
These are only superficial layers of what we learn, but certainly not the bottom.
For example during an asana practice, we need to save our energy (i.e Brahmacharya), so we should never practice 100% of our physical and mind abilities.
We should be able to give only 60%, sometime less. There is no need to strain our body and mind, by simply understanding it we are following Brahmacharya.
As for Ahimsa, no negative thought at all, we will never judge someone, even he/she is producing a thundering fart during a yoga session….
Technically practicing the Yamas in our daily life is not that complicated at all.
We should not be interpreting things that has not been written.
Do not feel guilty.
Tolerance is required.
Namaste!
