During our class discussion of ahimsa or non-violence, one class member remarked that sometimes you want to feel violent.
This is true. Sometimes you want to feel the energy and force that violence gives you. Anger has some fierce energy to it that gets things done! Do we fear that we will just be passive blobs if we remove all violence? This is a legitimate question. From where will energy and power come if not from these strong emotions like violence?
One of Aesop’s fable’s provides an interesting perspective on that question:
THE NORTH WIND and the Sun disputed as to which was the most powerful, and agreed that he should be declared the victor who could first strip a wayfaring man of his clothes. The North Wind first tried his power and blew with all his might. The keener his blasts, the closer the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him, until at last, resigning all hope of victory, the Wind called upon the Sun to see what he could do. The Sun suddenly shone out with all his warmth. The Traveler no sooner felt his genial rays than he took off one garment after another, and at last, fairly overcome with heat, undressed and bathed in a stream that lay in his path.
Persuasion is better than Force.
Persuasion then, which fulfills the practice of ahimsa contains more power and energy to accomplish a task than force. So it is just illusionary that we need those strong or violent feelings to give us energy to get things moving along. What do you think?
