Ahimsa (Nonviolence) and the Bhagavad Gita
Nonviolence (Ahimsa) is one of the pillars of the Bhagavad Gita, Gandhi (Philosophy of Yoga)
Ahimsa is not the main teaching of the Bhagavad Gita, since it is amply expounded in other previous Hindu sacred texts, but it is one of the pillars on which it is built.
For example, in verse 11 of Chapter 7 (The Yoga of the Knower of the Field) we see how Ahimsa relates to Yoga and Jnana (Knowledge).
In the philosophy of Yoga, the first Yama in Patanjali's eight limbs is precisely Ahimsa. Many of the other Yamas, and also the Niyamas, are derived from Ahimsa, and all of them must form part of yoga.
The Bhagavad Gita was the source of inspiration for Gandhi in his vision of Non-violence (Ahimsa) to achieve independence for India.
For Gandhi, Sri Ramakrishna was an embodiment of divinity and an example of Ahimsa.
For Gandhi, nonviolence (Ahimsa) long predates the Bhagavad Gita, but it is one of the pillars of the Bhagavad Gita, not one of its conclusions.
Gandhi also explained to us the relationship between Ahimsa and truth:
The Dalai Lama explained it this way:
Those who have most developed the Ahimsa concept are Jains, and it is a fundamental pillar of all Asian religions. Perhaps the greatest expression of Ahimsa is found by applying Zoroastrian maxim: “Ahimsa in thoughts, words and actions.”
The rest of this summary on “Ahimsa” is available exclusively to students of the Bhagavad Gita Institute
Bhagavad Gita: The Path of Wisdom
Advanced courses:
(c) Gita Institute & Pedro Nonell
