Short Story – Ahimsa Or Non-Violence And Consciousness

Raju was sitting at his desk, going through his geography notes. It was summer vacation, and he was due for examinations, as the school reopens. He was leading a fast life in Bhubaneshwar. Having spent all his school days from nursery to seven in a remote town of Odisha, it was a new experience. At first, Raju had several issues adjusting to the new environment. However, he soon realized, that he need to change with the changing environment.

All of a sudden, he heard loud noises from a nearby shop. The place just outside his paying guest accommodation was always busy, with people moving around, as there was a market nearby. However, what he perceived to be normal voices in conversation, turned out to be a scuffle. The noise grew, and his inquisitiveness led him outside. He was aghast at what he saw. Two men were exchanging blows and abusing one another. Suddenly, one of the men punched the other, and he fell to the ground. The very next moment, he started bleeding from his nose. The man got up, and punched the other, as an act of revenge. So, both started bleeding.

Ahimsa non violence
Ahimsa non violence

A crowd had gathered around them, and were watching the fight. But, no one dared to interfere. It seemed to Raju, that everyone was enjoying it.

A few questions started circulating in Raju’s mind.

  • Why were the two grown-up people fighting?
  • Why was there no sense of fear in them?
  • Why the people around them, were just enjoying?
  • Don’t they have a family back home?

No one had answers to these. Raju was perplexed, as he could not understand, why two grown-up individuals were behaving in such a wild manner. It did not matter, what the reason is.
To understand this behaviour, you need to understand consciousness.

 

Consciousness And Behaviour

  • Consciousness is not a brain process, but it is controlled by the brain. When you are in the body of an ant, your consciousness is different. On the other hand, when you are in your own human form, your consciousness changes. In humans, there are lots of varieties of consciousness. Under the same roof, two individuals may have two different levels of consciousness.
  • Anna Maya – When you are a kid, you have this level of consciousness. Food is the only thing that satiates most kids. It is an important factor above all others, in this stage. Most kids fight for candies, sweets, and other foodstuffs. And it is an important agenda for them.
  • Prana Maya – This is a stage of being conscious of one’s existence. It also signifies the right to live. Moreover, this is one of the reasons for turmoil around you today. Think of the fight for existence, between Dalits and Brahmins. It also points towards the fact, that every entity has the right to live.
  • Jnana Maya – It signifies the difference in matter – time or space. A properly educated person is in this state. He sees everything with humility. He sees the life or pure consciousness behind everything. The same holds true for uneducated people. They cannot see others, as they are.
  • Vijnana Maya – In this stage, you practice the knowledge of eternity. The Bhagavad Gita also mentions the same. It recognizes everything as temporary. When people do not understand the temporary nature of things, they become overly sensitive and guard everything fiercely. That is why such people fight.
  • Ananda Maya – This is a level of consciousness, when you have attained it all. In this stage, a person remains happy with what he has. He does not envy others. Yoga practice can help you to reach this stage of consciousness.

The best yoga school in Rishikesh, will help you to attain the final level, as mentioned. Only if Raju knew about these levels of consciousness, he would have got his answer. If you want your children to reach the highest level of consciousness, then you should consider enrolling them in a yoga course.

Ahimsa

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Pramod Sahoo
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