Ahimsa and the Ethics of Self Defense

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One principle familiar among practitioners of yogic systems would be that of ahimsa or harmlessness. In pranic healing, ahimsa is synonymous with the virtue of loving kindness and non-injury. In its yang (active / do) aspect, it means practicing kindness and compassion. In its yin (passive / don't) aspect, it means one is to avoid hurting others in thought, word or deed. This principle is one of the primary reasons why most yogis and ascetics are vegetarians because the taking of life, even for nourishment, is considered a violation of ahimsa.

The importance of ahimsa, especially among spiritual practitioners, can be found in the imagery of Lord Ganesha. In his book Inner Teachings of Hinduism Revealed, Master Choa Kok Sui explains that the Muladhara (Root or Basic) chakra located at the base of the spine is sometimes depicted with the elephant at the center of the chakra. The kundalini is often symbolized by a snake or serpent, but the elephant symbolism is also used. Lord Ganesha represents the aspirant who has brought the kundalini from the base of the spine to the crown, thus becoming one who has an "elephant's head."

An aspirant with such an awakened kundalini is super smart and super strong, and would most likely have acquired certain siddhis (powers) as a result of this awakening. However, Lord Ganesha is also depicted with a broken tusk. According to Master Choa, the broken tusk symbolizes ahimsa. Even though he is super smart and super powerful, Lord Ganesha does not hurt others or otherwise misuse his power. It is an ideal that every aspirant is expected to follow.

So now we come to some practical considerations. In keeping with modern times, most yogis and spiritual aspirants are no longer hermits or ascetics. We do not withdraw from the world, we instead withdraw into ourselves. Our head is now our cave, our body the mountain. Into this inner world we journey in our search for Divine Union. But because we interact with the everyday world, we may encounter situations and issues that also affect the rest of society. An example of this would be incidences of violence and violent crime.

Granted, the fact that something bad happened means it is the fruit of past karma and that one hadn't done enough to change the effect. But it still presents the problem of how to deal with a situation that holds the potential for physical violence. Assuming one's life is under threat, and there is no option for escape or diplomacy, should one just calmly accept one's death instead of earning the negative karma that comes with killing (or seriously hurting) another human being?

One may argue that common sense dictates that one's life, and especially the lives of one's loved ones, should take priority. After all, one's death can be injurious to one's family especially if they depend on your livelihood for sustenance.

Still, how much (if any) negative karma is there in killing a human being, even in justified self defense? Will it come back as an accident? A sickness? Or more violence (violence begetting violence)? Does the practice of martial arts and weapons / firearms training attract the very violence that one wishes to avoid?

All these questions sound trivial in the face of obvious and canned answers. But as a spiritual practitioner, I've wrestled with the possible implications of these actions, more so since I also enjoy the martial arts and airsoft. These are not violent practices in and of themselves but the implication is that these activities develop certain skillsets that would be useful in case of a violent confrontation.

While reading Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, I partially got an answer to my questions. One night, Yogananda was being bit by a mosquito so he raised a hand to squash it when he stopped at the last moment because he remembered Patanjali's teachings on practicing ahimsa. Yogananda's guru Swami Yukteswar Giri, who was nearby, asked why he stopped in mid-swing. Yogananda then asked if his guru advocated the taking of life. To this, Yukteswar replied in the negative, but that the death blow had already been struck in Yogananda's mind.

Sri Yukteswar Giri then clarified that what Patanjali meant was the removal of the desire to kill. To quote Sri Yukteswar Giri's words: "This world is inconveniently arranged for a literal practice of ahimsa. Man may be compelled to exterminate harmful creatures. He is not under similar compulsion to feel anger or animosity. All forms of life have equal right to the air of maya. The saint who uncovers the secret of creation will be in harmony with its countless bewildering expressions. All men may approach that understanding who curb the inner passion for destruction."

Yogananda then asked his guru if one should offer oneself as sacrifice rather than kill a wild beast, to which Yukteswar replies, "No; man's body is precious. It has the highest evolutionary value because of unique brain and spinal centers. These enable the advanced devotee to fully grasp and express the loftiest aspects of divinity. No lower form is so equipped. It is true that one incurs the debt of a minor sin if he is forced to kill an animal or any living thing. But the Vedas teach that wanton loss of a human body is a serious transgression against the karmic law." (these quotes are from page 83 of the book).

Based on the above exchange between Yogananda and his guru, we get the sense that the knowledge of how to handle a violent confrontation (e.g. martial arts and weapons/firearms skills) does not attract violence in and of itself. It is the desire to hurt or kill that attracts similar vibrations.

The implication of Sri Yukteswar Giri's words is that if we totally remove the desire for destruction, we need not worry about violent death or violent confrontation. It makes sense under the lens of the Law of Attraction; there is nothing to attract. Yukteswar himself was an example of this when another disciple related to Yogananda how Yukteswar and the other disciple had chanced upon a deadly cobra that was just about ready to strike. Yukteswar calmly clapped his hands (when the normal reaction should have been to stay still and quiet) and the cobra calmed down and simply slid between his feet to disappear in the bushes.

Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts on violence adds a level of complexity to this mix:

I have been repeating over and over again that he who cannot protect himself or his nearest and dearest or their honour by non-violently facing death may and ought to do so by violently dealing with the oppressor. He who can do neither of the two is a burden. He has no business to be the head of a family. He must either hide himself, or must rest content to live for ever in helplessness and be prepared to crawl like a worm at the bidding of a bully.

In this case, Gandhi makes the point that cowardice should not be mistaken for ahimsa. By cowardice, he means the fleeing of danger to one's life at the cost of the freedoms and rights (and perhaps lives) of others. Gandhi further offers his thoughts on this:

Though violence is not lawful, when it is offered in self-defence or for the defence of the defenceless, it is an act of bravery far better than cowardly submission. The latter befits neither man nor woman. Under violence, there are many stages and varieties of bravery. Every man must judge this for himself. No other person can or has the right.

In any case, self defense is always a complex subject as expounded by Gandhi above. The options that are open to Self-realized saints are not always the same options that are available to everyone else. Some potential victims would immediately respond with violence especially if they are not confident of their ability to talk themselves out of a deadly situation or feel their life (or that of their loved ones) will further be put in danger if they do not react immediately.

Still, if you do choose to respond with force, make sure you know what legally constitutes justified self defense and the rules on excessive use of force. These laws differ according to one's locality, so be aware of them in advance. I recommend Marc "Animal" MacYoung's site to get you started on strategizing for self defense because he expounds very well on some misconceptions about self defense. Read his article on the Pyramid of Personal Safety because it's very simple yet practical.

Self defense is always a case to case basis, so I say just let your inner light guide you on what you think would be the proper way to respond. If your response is consistent with your beliefs (even if that involves sacrificing one's life just so one stays true to the principle of ahimsa), then so be it. One's life is one's to live and no one else's.