Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931), American inventor
The practice of Ahiṁsā includes not harming anyone in our thoughts, by words, and by our actions. We can see all over the world that once the cycle of violence is started it is very difficult to control.
Ahiṁsā and universal love go together.
However, the greatest
practitioner of nonviolence, Mahātmā Gāndhi, said that:
“My creed of non-violence is an extremely active force.
It has no room for cowardice or even weakness.
There is hope for a violent man to someday be non-violent,
but there is none for a coward.
I have, therefore, said more than once.....that if we do not
know how to defend ourselves, our women and our places of
worship by the force of sufferings, i.e., non-violence,
we must, if we are men, be at least able to defend all these by
fighting.”
M. K. Gāndhi, Young India, 16 June 1927
There are circumstances when we may have to resort to violence. For example if we or other innocent people are being attacked and there is no other way to protect them then violent means may have to be adopted.
अ हसा परमो धम धम हसा च ।
‘Ahiṁsā paramo Dharma, Dharma himsā cha.’
Nonviolence is the supreme Dharma,
And violence according to (the rules of) Dharma (is a duty)