Ahimsa: Don’t Be a Dick

The first of the Yamas is Ahimsa, usually translated as non-harming or non-violence.

And because it comes first, we can safely assume it matters.

Before yoga asks us to stand on our heads, control the breath, or contemplate the nature of consciousness, it starts with a much simpler question:

How are you treating other people?

That’s the original context.

Ahimsa is not primarily a self-care slogan.

It is practical guidance for living in relationship with others.

Years ago, a wonderfully direct Australian ambassador I worked for had two rules for everyone working at the Embassy that she would instruct them on during her first

meeting. The rules she gave us were:

1. Don’t be a dick.

2. Don’t talk to me before breakfast.

   
   

The second rule may be negotiable.

The first is a pretty decent summary of Ahimsa.

More Than “Be Kind to Yourself”

In modern Western yoga, Ahimsa is often taught as “be kind to yourself.”

And yes, there is value in that.

Many of us are far harder on ourselves than we would ever be with a friend, and learning to soften that inner dialogue can be a very good place to begin.

But historically, Ahimsa was first and foremost about how we treat others.

Don’t be cruel.

Don’t be unnecessarily harsh.

Don’t cause harm when there is another option.

Maharaji’s Teaching

Neem Karoli Baba—Maharaji—offered a beautifully simple instruction:

Love everyone. Serve everyone. Feed everyone.

That’s Ahimsa in a nutshell.

Not because everyone is easy to love.

Some people are deeply irritating.

Some seem determined to make spectacularly poor decisions.

And some appear to be doing their very best to test our spiritual progress.

But at the deepest level, we are not separate.

To harm another is, in some sense, to harm ourselves.

Ahimsa in Real Life

We can cause harm in three ways.

Through our actions.

Through our words.

And through our thoughts.

Sometimes it is obvious.

Sometimes it’s the cutting remark, the bit of gossip, the eye roll, or the silent judgment

we carry around in our own heads.

When I notice myself getting self-righteous about someone else’s behaviour, I try to remember that they too are caught up in māyā—the illusion of separation.

They have forgotten who they really are.

Just like I do, for most of the day!

And when we feel separate, life can feel lonely and frightening.

People who are frightened often behave badly.

Remembering that doesn’t mean we excuse harmful behaviour or abandon healthy boundaries.

It simply helps us respond with a little more understanding and a little less hatred.

A Simple Practice

Over the next 24 hours, notice:

• how you act,

• how you speak,

• and what is happening in your own mind.

And see if you can be just a little more kind in each of those three ways.

You do not need to become a saint overnight.

Just don't be a dick 😉

That is a very good place to begin.

राम राम 🙏