Ahimsa ~ 5 Ways to Embody the Highest Dharma

ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜᴇsᴛ ᴅʜᴀʀᴍᴀ ᴏғ ʏᴏɢᴀ ɪs ᴀʜɪᴍsᴀ, ɴᴏɴ-ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜɪs ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ ~ ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ɢᴏᴅ’s ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴜɴᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ? ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢɪɴɢ ʏᴇᴀʀ ɪs ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ. sᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴘɪʟʟᴀʀs ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴ, ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴜɴғᴀɪʀʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ sᴛᴀʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇɢʟᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ… ʏᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡᴇ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴀʜɪᴍsᴀ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ, ᴡᴇ ᴇᴍʙᴏᴅʏ ᴇᴍᴘᴀᴛʜʏ ғᴏʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ʟɪғᴇ ~ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ, ᴀɴɪᴍᴀʟ, ᴘʟᴀɴᴛ, ᴍɪɴᴇʀᴀʟ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇs sᴀᴄʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴇʀɪsʜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ʙɪᴛ ᴏғ ɪᴛ. ᴡᴇ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ʟɪғᴇ ᴄʟᴏsᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴜʀᴛᴜʀᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀs ɪғ ɪᴛ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ. ᴛʜɪs ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴇxɪsᴛs ɪɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴜs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴡʜʏ ɪɴ ʏᴏɢᴀ ᴡᴇ sɪɴɢ ᴏᴍ ॐ ᴀs ᴀ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ all humans ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sᴏᴜʀᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ, ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ, ᴀᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ, ᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ. 🙏 ᴡᴇ ʜᴇᴀʟ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ, ᴍᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍʙᴏᴅʏ ᴀʜɪᴍsᴀ ᴏɴ ᴀʟʟ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟs ~ ʙᴏᴅʏ, ᴍɪɴᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ sᴘɪʀɪᴛ. ᴍᴀʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴇ ᴏғ ᴋɪɴᴅɴᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴀ ᴘʀᴀʏᴇʀ.

Here are 5 suggestions for practicing compassion:

1. Compassion for yourself ~ We are all doing the best we can, be gentle with yourself along your path of healing. With self care practices, yoga, and nourishment you can offer yourself unconditional love. Self forgiveness and inner healing are essential for longevity.

2. Compassion for others ~ we all know the golden rule , treat others the way you want to be treated. Every human on this earth is our bother and sister, we are each a child of God. Observe how you treat other people and practice applying compassion in your relationships. Especially for the people who challenge us, they are our greatest teachers.

3. Compassion for animals ~ Eat a vegan diet. When we consume animals we are embodying death and suffering, which is not compassion. We can end animals suffering with veganism. Check your beauty products and toiletries, make sure they are not tested on animals. Don’t buy leather, wool, and silks because they are made from animals. It is a difficult journey, but totally possible and rewarding.

4. Compassion with our words ~ How do you speak to yourself? How do you speak to others? How do you talk about your life? Ask yourself before speaking, “Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it kind?”

5. Compassion for the world ~ Hold space everyday in meditation and pray for our world. We are all connected to the golden thread of life. And this world responds to our creative energy. What we create in our minds, our words, and actions we are creating for the world. Let’s pray for all as we heal and create a better world.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for taking an interest in compassion. As it’s been said before, all we need is love.

OM ॐ