I just had more of an understanding click inside of myself
about ahimsa (non-violence). I watched
the movie Captain Richards. It’s a movie
depicting Captain Richard’s experience in having his cargo ship taken over by a
group of Somali pirates. The move left
me feeling very sad. Sad at what he
experienced, sad about what even led the Somalis into this situation and sad
about a world where military, weapons and fighting is deemed necessary and
normal. As we drove home from the movie,
my partner was talking about a friend who recently went hunting. I remarked how I just don’t understand the
need to kill an animal. He stated, “Well,
it will save him some money on his grocery bill.” Then it hit me. Even this act of killing another animal shows
ignorance into the meaning of ahimsa.
People often ask me why I’m vegetarian and I give them explanations of health
and the environment. But it goes beyond
that. It is not necessary for most
people in this world to kill an animal in order to get the nourishment we
need. It is not necessary to inflict
violence on another person to work through conflict. It is not necessary to beat ourselves up because
we aren’t perfect. The ignorance of what
we perceive as necessary to survive or to get our way or to be the best person
we can ends up inflicting violence upon others and ourselves. And I’m reminded that it comes back to
me. I can’t stop warlords, I can’t stop
someone from hunting…I can practice ahimsa and stop myself from living in this
ignorance. In this sadness and turmoil,
I feel closer to a sense of peace within myself. I feel my eyes are open a little further and
I feel a letting go of a little more of judgment. Gaining a deeper understanding that everyone
is in their own struggle with ignorance, including myself, lessens anger and
increases compassion within me that may have to potential to travel outside of
me into the world.
