Non-violence is one of the most important and mandatory divine quality. We need to bring it inside us, inside our Hirda (heart chakra) by practicing it in our daily life.
Non-violence makes our Hirda very compassionate and kind. These are the divine attributes that come inside our Hirda and are carved on it in golden words by virtue of practicing non-violence. Non-violence is one of the mandatory divine internal compliances – Anderlee Rehit, which makes our mind, soul and body compatible for collection of the Naam Dhan. Non-violence is one of the divine diamonds that is necessary to be carved inside your Hirda to become a Sada Suhagan. So only a Sant Hirda is in full compliance of this divine quality of non-violence.
The soul and person who has become Nirvair (Hate-free) is in total compliance of this divine quality. That person will be single vision – “Ek Drisht” and sees the presence of Almighty in every part of Creation. He has no animosity with anybody and has no sense of revenge. He always thinks and does good to others irrespective of the fact if they are slandering him or are harmful to him in the broad worldly senses. Such a person will have all the spiritual powers and be able to do anything if he wants but stays with patience in Hukam and never does any harm to others, physical or mental. He will always be absorbed in the betterment of others.
To be able to collect Naam Dhan (wealth) and get a continuous stream of Amrit flowing at all the times we need to understand the following. That it will be easier for us to exercise non-violence in our day today life if we are able to understand what non-violence means and how does violence affects our spiritual progress. We will need to understand the mechanism behind how non-violence and violence work.
Under most circumstances, violence is a very dangerous virus that infects your Hirda. The compliance with non-violence means avoidance or elimination of violence from our daily life. Mostly people understand violence to do with killing or hurting somebody physically, but that it is more than that. There are four kinds of Non-Violence :-
1. Non-Violence of Mind
Bad thoughts are counted as violence of mind. Whenever we think badly about others we are exercising violence of mind. A constant behaviour of mind with bad thoughts is exercising violence of mind against somebody, which develops a strong feeling of hatred and generates anger, or the anger is translated in to the bad thoughts. In the Bandgi process conquering the mind is the most important thing. Controlling over the mind or winning over the mind is the main thing. So if the mind is violent then how can you win over it?
For achieving the complete silence of mind the first thing is to stop bad thoughts and have all good thoughts only and then eventually become thoughtless. All the bad thoughts or the violent acts of mind are recorded on the Chiter Gupt and form your future destiny. The bad thoughts will make your future dark and the good thoughts will make your future bright. Bad thoughts will bring more sorrows and negativity into your life and good thoughts will bring in happiness and betterment in your life.
Now how do you determine if a particular thought is good or bad? The answer is very simple, if the thought is generated under the influence of Kaam Krodh Lobh Moh and Ahankaar, Nindya, Chugli Bakhili Asa Trishna Mansha, then it is a bad thought. The thoughts generated under the Sato Birti – Daya – kindness, Daan-donation, Dharam-religious actions, Sanjam – patience, forgiveness, helping others and so on are good thoughts. Thinking positive and for the progress of all connected, friends and family, the community and the nation as a whole are good thoughts.
We should always engage ourselves in Sarbat Da Bhala, then only we can stay in Chad Di Kala, that is why Guru Nanak Patshah Ji has said:
Nanak Naam Chad Di Kala Terey Bhaney Sarbat Daa Bhalaa.
Nanak : Naam gives spiritual bliss, by your Will may everyone benefit from it.
Many a times you will find yourself in a situation where you are very powerful physically and that you can take a revenge. But the one who has conquored his mind will never take revenge. Rather, he will be very kind to the person who is prompting you to take revenge. The kindness and forgiveness will enhance your “Chad Di Kala” and not the feeling of revenge. So even bringing in the feeling of revenge in you is a crime on this path of eternity.
The sense of revenge will never bring your Karams to an end. It will keep on multiplying the effect of such deeds and you will never be able to come out of the cycle of life and death because you will have to keep on continuing this battle of Karams. To put an end to this never ending stream of your bad deeds you will have to take out the sense of revenge from your inside and replace it with forgiveness and kindness. Eventually, this will put an end to your Karams. It will also convert all your sorrows to rewarding eternal happiness and Chad Di Kala.
2. Non-violence of Speech
Spoken violence is the violence created by your spoken words that hurt others physically and emotionally. Any words that upset you can upset others too and such words form this kind of a violence. This is another kind of violence that you will find happening in your day to day life. The words can be yours or the person or the people, your friends, your family members, your colleagues with whom you are interacting in your day today life. Abusing language, use of sarcastic words, words full of hatred and jealousy, words that will hurt other person’s feelings and heart are counted as violent and dangerous. There is a famous example in the history of India – the basis or the basic reason behind the famous war of Maha Bharta was a few bitter words spoken by the queen Dropati of five Pandvas. She just said to Duryodhan, “Blind son of a blind father!”. Duryodhan was Kaurav Son and cousin of Pandvas, and when once he was visiting the Pandavas he wanted to go around the very specially created mansion of the Pandvas. While going through this mansion Duryodhan could not see the wall in front and slammed in to it. Then he could not differentiate between a pool of water and floor and fell into the pool. Queen Dropti was watching him, she laughed at him and said "blind son of a blind father." Incidentally Duryodhan’s father King Dhritrashter was blind from birth so he really took it to heart and took an oath to take a revenge of this with Dropti. These words eventually led to the notorious gambling game between Kaurvas and Pandvas, where Pandvas lost everything to Kaurvas including Queen Dropti. She was brutally disrespected in the royal Durbaar by trying to undress her, however she was protected by Lord Krishna. This incident further led to the famous war of Maha Bharata where millions of people were killed including all the Kauravas). The lessen to learn here is that just a word was enough to create so much of hatred and anger which led to a very destructive war involving so many kingdoms and kings.
This is called the power of the word, a bad word can cause unlimited violence but at the same time a SAT Shabad can unite you with Almighty. A good word can bring peace and harmony, a word full of love can bring in respect and love among us. A word of devotion, faith and trust can make us one with God and make us spiritually so powerful and bless us with Chad Di Kala forever. Please watch your words very carefully in your day today’s life and always keep in mind to speak only the truth and sweet words:
Mith Bolra Ji Har Sajjan Swami Mora.
My Friend and Master speak sweetly.
Another way to explain it is that each one of you must have experienced in your own lives on a daily basis what is the outcome of using abusive or swear words. The results sometimes even lead to killing people. Just think that if a swear word can be so powerful that it can create so much anger, hatred and violence that a person can go to the extent of killing someone, than what will be the power of SATNAAM, which is the Naam of God, the origin, the eternal truth, its power is just unlimited like God Himself? If a swear word can bring destruction, then SATNAAM can bring peace, the eternal and internal peace, love, kindness, compassion, devotion, love, forgiveness, contentment, patience and all these divine qualities in you.
3. Non-Violence of Written Words
In yesterday’s U.S news (Jan 17 2005) we heard that a family in New Jersey was murdered by a religious fanatic. The deceased, a(father of two girls and a husband, is believed to have had very strong views about some religious fundamentals of his community and used to communicate with people on the Internet. The killer got so disturbed and angry with him that he tracked him down and killed not only him but all his family as well. This is the height of violence actuated by the writings of the diseased person.
Even in Sikhism on various Sikh sites and discussion groups you can read the views of some people which are full of hatred and anger. Nno religion teaches hatred, bigotry and discrimination. No Guru teaches hatred and discrimination. No Guru teaches to be violent in thoughts, spoken words, written words or physical violence. The people who do so are not following the religion or their Guru. So the violence provoked by the writings can be so dangerous and can cause such acts. Please watch your communications while you are writing and always practice non-violence in your writings.
4. Non-violence of Body
This is the extreme of the violence when we take our hatred and anger out physically on others. This is when the hatred and anger is transformed into physical actions of violence such as beating someone, beating to death, or killing someone, looting someones belongings and property, bribery and extortion, adulteration of goods of common use, stealing someone’s belongings and so on. Killing of innocent animals is also considered under this kind of violence and should be avoided.
Mahatma Gandhi excercised non-violence of all kinds and emerged successfully in meeting his objective of mobilizing the masses of India and fought for freedom of India successfully with so powerful British Empiire and brought freedom to the Indian people.
Violence of any kind will bring sorrows and destructions and non-violence will bring in peace and harmony in the society. In your hearts and where there is peace there is God. God lives in that body which is fully and completely peaceful inside out. Complete silence is the highest state of Smadhee. Non-violence is one of the highest and most important internal compliance – Andarlee Rehit, which is mandatory for your spiritual progress, Naam ki Kamai and Chad Di Kala.
Dassan Das
RESPONSE:
IK OANKAAR SATNAAM SATGUR PARSAAD
Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar
Dhan Dhan Gur-Guru-Gurbani-Satgur
Dhan Dhan Gur Sat Sangat
Guru Pyare Inderjit Jee:
Responses to your message:
Gandhi did not free India, he was one person involved in a struggle which took the lives of thousands and destroyed the lives of thousands. I cannot recall him ever having to take a blow with a lathi to his head! No the leaders take the credit while the common man suffers for his ideals!
RESPONSE: This is a highly controversial subject and can drag us in to very unfruitful discussion without achieving anything. The key point is the non-violence and we should try to learn from the incidents happened in the History, the same way as we enhance our learnings by looking at the lives of the Guru Sahibans, Braham Gyanis, Sants and Bhagats those have brought peace and harmony to the society burning in the fire of Kalyug.
And gandhi is a terrible example to use especially on a sikh based article, the guy insulted the gurus and you use him as your champion?
RESPONSE: This kind of thinking promotes hatred, negative criticism and inner violence, please keep in mind that over here we are talking of Puran Bandgi and Seva and nowhere in the Gurmatt – Shabad Guru Gurbani such an act is permitted, the Guru Sahibans have established divine traditions of giving and sacrifice and the extent of giving & sacrifice has well been established by the Guru Sahibans, giving their own lives, the lives of their entire family for the betterment of the others, no matter who those others were and to what sect of the society they were born and raised or to whatever so called man made religions they belonged to. According to the Gurbani the entire human race is same. There is no place for hatred, discrimination, prejudice, abuse, and violence on the Puran Bandgi Marg. Remember your Guru Sahibans have given everything for protecting others, that is the tradition established by these super spiritual Nirankaar Roop souls and we all have no right to undermine their love and devotion for eternal truth, Atal Hukam and service of the eternal truth – Nirgun Saroop Paar Braham Parmesar. Utmost Humbleness, Ek Drisht – Single Vision – Nirvair – no animosity and doing good to those who are doing bad to you (Farida Burey Daa Bhalaa Kar) are the divine qualities and going away from these qualities can’t make you a Sikh, only bringing in all the divine qualities inside your Hirda and make it as big as you can will move you upward in Sikhi. This subject of non-violence has nothing to do with any man made religions or sects of the society, again the key point is the non-violence and we should learn this aspect of the divine game from wherever we can learn and make our lives sublime.
I look forward to your article on why guru ji gave us the kirpan? why the gurus kept armies, fought battles, sent banda singh to deal with sirhind, why 6th guru punished chandhoo, why guru ji burnt the masands etc etc etc. Was guru jis firing of his arrows after being struck in the kamarkasa revenge or was it a reply to aggression?
RESPONSE: Fighting for the eternal truth and mind it we are talking of the eternal truth is not non-violence, the sacrifices and fights by the Guru Sahibans, Baba Banda Bahadur Ji was for the service of the eternal truth, for delivering the truth and end the social crimes and atrocities on the innocent people and Baba Banda Bahadur Ji was Dhan Dhan blessed by the Dassam Patshah Ji in person, which means that He was a Puran Khalsa, a Puran Braham Gyani. But any fight based on communal differences, any fight based on hate, discrimination and prejudices can never be justified as a fight for the eternal truth. Now here you are talking of Guru Sahibans – they were Nirankaar Roop Puran Braham Gyanis Sant Satgurus, and the life of a common person can’t be compared with them, there is a difference in a Puran Braham Gyani Sant Satguru having Astars and Shastars and a common person wearing a Kirpan – and this aspect is grossly misunderstood by the masses, you don’t become a Khalsa until you have a Puran Jyot Parksh in your Hirda, a Puran Khalsa is a Puran Braham Gyani, a Puran Khalsa is a Satgur Pura, (please read the article on What is a Khalsa), a Puran Khalsa is Trihu Gun Tey Parey, a Puran Khalsa is the one who has merged in the Nirgun Saroop of Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar, a Puran Khalsa is the one who enjoys the Atum Rus Amrit – Puran Parkash on a continuous basis, a Puran Khalsa is the one who has completely won over the Maya and desires and has achieved the Param Padvi, a Puran Khalsa is the one who has earned the internal compliance of winning over the Maya and Puran Jyot parkash inside the Hirda. There is a difference in such a soul wearing Astars and Shastars and a common person wearing a Kirpan, who is in the Dharam Khand or below and is buried under 40 feet deep scum of Maya, who is governed and controlled by Maya. All the Sikhs who fought with the Guru were are blessed eternally by the Guru Patshah Ji and were spiritually elevated souls, they were not like us, and they gave their lives to the Guru and achieved salvation by dying for the Guru. So if you can become a Puran Khalsa and given the Hukam by the Akal Purakh as was given to Dhan Dhan Dassam Patshah Ji or Dhan Dhan Sixth Guru Patshah Ji then you can pick up your Astars and Shastars for the service of the Eternal Truth, for the purpose of delivering the eternal truth, then we will come and take your Charna Amrit and sacrifice our life your you. If you become what Guru wants you to become then we will be your slave forever.
Many of your articles are good, however regarding this topic, i feel you have missed the mark in some aspects. I would suggest that sikhi is not a dharma that pratcices strictly non violence. there is a time and a place for it.
RESPONSE: Do you still think we missed the mark? Let us take ourselves to that mark of spiritual excellence, internal excellence, internal compliance and be what the Guru wants us to be – become Puran Khalsa and reach the Param Padvi then we will be able to distinguish between what is truth and what is not truth and unless we become capable of serving the truth and delivering the truth we can’t claim ourselves as the Sikhs of the Guru, unless we have surrendered ourselves completely to the Guru and earned the Gur Parsaad of Naam Puran Bandgi and Seva – Parupkaar and Maha Parupkaar and become a Puran Khalsa with Puran Jyot Parkash inside our Hirda then only we have the right to wear and use the Astars and Shastars for serving the eternal truth.
Kind regards
Thanks to the Gur and the Guru for giving us an opportunity to communicate with you. Please feel free to communicate.
Dassan Das