old3bob Posted 12 hours ago (edited) "non-violent in thought and action" is a core Hindu/yogic precept which is also taught in many other ways. Yet we live in a very violent world where violence is sometimes needed for self-defense. Turn on the news and its mostly reporting forms of violence, with some being minor and some being horrific going on almost 24/7 throughout the world of humanity! How can one really be 100% non-violent (unless truly and fully enlightened with "tough love") when or if using violence in self-defense? "As above so below" is a nice sounding saying yet its apparent that there is violence throughout all the realms "above" (a.k.a. war in heaven or between angles and demons) except for the very highest or purest. Bypassing and or acting above it all is a cop out and not a solution, thus goes the ages old struggle we are in... btw the Book of Revelations is chalk full of unrestrained and great violence besides whatever metaphors or allegory it has... Edited 7 hours ago by old3bob Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sanity Check Posted 8 hours ago ^ Our non violent future. Enjoy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apoostrophe Posted 7 hours ago 38 minutes ago, Sanity Check said: ^ Our non violent future. Enjoy. That has got to be a knuckle break LOL! 5 hours ago, old3bob said: Turn on the news and its mostly reporting forms of violence, with some being minor and some being horrific going on almost 24/7 throughout the world of humanity! I'm not one to consume or turn on the News. It's hard to decipher as a consumer the biases of media. I would rather learn about the struggles of people locally to me and how I can help them. That is where I have found the most peace in being non-violent. I cannot blame either side and I can support the communities around me. I found myself at one point consuming the trauma-porn of the world rather than spending time helping those close by. Now I can work on changing that. 5 hours ago, old3bob said: How can one really be 100% non-violent (unless truly and fully enlightened with "tough love") when using violence in self-defense? This is a tough question and one that my teachers get asked a lot! Firstly, I do not surround myself with violent people. I associate with people I know will not bring me harm and I do not need to go out of my way to use "self-defense" on those I assume are going to harm me. However, this week a peaceful protest on my street was attacked by a group of angry men who were likely very lost in hate. I walked past just hours earlier, and I wonder what I would have done if I was there... There are ways to protect others and yourself in non-violent ways. Defending is not always violent - you can use self-defense as a means to de-escalate or escape from a situation if you are capable. There is nothing wrong with protecting as a means to stop others from getting seriously hurt. To me, however, hitting an attacker in anger back or with the desire to truly hurt them is where violence stems. These things happen so fast; it's hard to theorize about what I would have done. And - we are human. Mistakes are made and that's okay. As long as afterwards you can address them and grow. Today I can ask myself: how can I help in that situation? What would be the best way to defend myself and others in a way that aligns with my morals? 5 hours ago, old3bob said: passing and or acting above it all is a cop out and not a solution, thus goes the ages old struggle we are in... I couldn't judge anyone on how they choose to approach the current state of the violent world we live in. This statement strikes me, and I think it depends from person to person. But, violence does not need to be the answer to violence. That will only feed the cycle. Thank you for sharing these thoughts! It got me to do some thinking today 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
