Gurmat Vs Ahimsa Parmo Dharma

Ahimsa Parmo Dharma - Ahimsa means non-violence, Parmo means greatest and Dharma means duty or religion. Some Indian schools of thought e.g. Buddhism, Jainism and some sects of Hinduism preach Ahimsa as Parma Dharma i.e. the greatest Karma a person can do. In the modern days, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi popularized this concept of Ahimsa Parmo Dharma a lot. Gandhi was so obsessed with this concept of Ahimsa Parmo Dharma that he went as far as calling Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee 'a misguided patriot" because Guru Sahib lifted sword to stop aggression.

A Gursikh then questioned Gandhi if he firmly believed in Ahimsa Parmo Dharma concept and if he also believed in Siri Krishna at the same time. When Gandhi replied in the affirmative, he asked him how he can believe in Siri Krishna who took part in the bloodiest battle of Mahabharata and instigated Arjuna to fight. Arjuna did not want to fight his cousins for the sake of kingdom and dropped his Gaandeev (his special bow) but Siri Krishna convinced him to fight. Their dialogue at that time is preserved as Gita. Otherwise too Krishna had numerous battles all his life. Similarly, Rama and Lakshmana hardly led a non-violent life. Same can be said of other Avatars of Hindus. Gandhi had no reply to this question and went as far as saying that Mahabharata was actually the evil war going on within. Someone should have asked him, if Mahabharata was just an internal war, then Gita that he revered so much too must have been an imagination of Rishi Beas.

Gurmat does promote Ahimsa but does not promote blind following of Ahimsa in all cases. To blindly follow the concept of Ahimsa without regard to self-respect, safety of common people is purely impotence that our Guru Sahib did not believe in.

How does Gurmat promote Ahimsa?

What causes the Himsa (violence)?

Ahimsa is mainly caused when the Jeev (creature) comes under the influence of one of the 5 vices – Kaam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (worldly attachment) and Ahankaar (pride). Failure in Kaam leads one to get angry and use violence in form of sexual assault to satisfy one's Kaam. If one's pride is hurt, it leads one to become angry and use violence against the person who may have instigated the hurt to one's pride. Greed of money can lead one to use violence to attain worldly wealth. If one is blinded by Moh, one may get violent for the sake of false relations. Basically, Himsa (violence) is caused by these 5 vices and such violence is strictly prohibited in Gurmat in the name of Jee-Daya (compassion for living beings).

Gurmat teaches us to be free of the 5 vices and not come under their influence. A Gursikh who indulges in chanting Gurmat Naam and obeying other teachings of Guru Sahib, is protected from the five vices and naturally stays non-violent. Gurmat teaches us to not fight or use violence to satisfy one's selfish needs.


How does Gurmat not promote Ahimsa?

Gurmat does not promote such Ahimsa that makes one an impotent unable to fight aggression.

Gurmat does not promote such Ahimsa that results in desecration of religious places, and atrocities against innocent men, women and children.

Gurmat does not promote such Ahimsa that results in making one a slave of the aggressor.

Gurmat does not promote such Ahimsa that empowers to aggressor to inflict atrocities on innocent people.

Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee in his famous Farsi shayer summed up Gurmat's stand on Ahimsa:

Chun kar az hameh heel-te dar guzasht.
Halal ast burdan b-shamsheer dast.
(When all means fail to (restore peace) it is justified (halal) to take Shamsheer (sword) in the hand (dast).

A Gursikh cannot not do anything if his or his Dharma's honour is taken. Sometimes, Shamsheer has to be taken in hand to restore peace. In such cases, according to Gurmat, this is what Ahimsa is.

Another distinction is that when a Gursikh fights in the battlefield, he does not do it under the influence of Krodh (anger) or (pride). A Gursikh lifts the sword, with Naam on his lips and Naam in his heart as well. If a Gursikh fighting his holy war, gets even an iota of anger or other vices, then his battle is no longer Dharam Yudh (holy war) but then he becomes liable for committing the sin of Himsa (violence).

A Gursikh has so much compassion and is so non-violent that he can't even pluck a flower for no reason (let alone hurting other jeevs) and when fighting the aggressor for the sake of Dharma, in an extreme case, a Gursikh becomes an embodiment of violence as Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in the battle of Sadhora, Samana and Sirhind, and Akali Phoola Singh in the battle of Nashaura.

Kulbir Singh

Nice write up!
Answered many questions i had on this incomplete non violence approach

Thank you Bhai Kulbir Singh jee

Good Post.

One who doesn't Jaap Naam, Read BaNee and keep Rehat can't, in Gurmat terms do Parupkaar. Reason being is the 5 vices are strong. The individual has to be at a good spiritual state to shed and keep ego under control( Ego is the mool of the 5). This is my thoughts after reading so many wonderful Gursikh Jeevans.

"It is not easy to be a Shaheed. An abhyaasi Gursikh once told me that a Shaheed does find a place in Sach Khand but only if his last moments are free from ego and he has died not for glory or out of stubbornness but for the sake of the Panth. In the final moments of the Shaheed’s life, if his consciousness is absorbed in naam, Guru Sahib does kirpa and jyot vigaas occurs at that moment."

Wasn't gandhi the mastermind behind numerous killings?
By ahimsa, he really meant non-violence for the high caste hindus, not the society as a whole. by ahimsa , he meant to live in oppression. gandhi truly didn't have a base, not did he actually show the society a path. he created confusion. if people lived by his ideology, india would not have been free from the british. what an awkward situation this is the one who only created fights, confusion and also led to the formation of Pakistan, is worshiped in almost every corner of the world, but those who actually freed India and laid their lives such as Shaheed Uddam Singh and countless others, who mostly happen to be Sikhs, aren't even at least mentioned in schools and institutions in India, let alone teaching the rest of the world about such Shaheeds.

ਪਿਤੁ ਲੈ ਖੜਗੁ ਪੂਤ ਕੋ ਮਾਰਿਯੋ ॥ ਪੂਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਕੇ ਸਿਰ ਪਰ ਝਾਰਿਯੋ ॥ ਐਸੇ ਲੋਹ ਪਰਿਯੋ ਬਿਕਰਾਰਾ ॥ ਸਭ ਘਾਯਲ ਭੇ ਭੂਪ ਸਮਾਰਾ ॥੧੮॥

When shasters ( loh) are in the hands of the wrong people then disaster occurs.
THis is why respecting Shasters is a Gurmat principle. People ( Hinduphobes)
may make fun and refer to such people as Weapon worshippers ( Shaster Poojak)
Unfortunately, such people do not understand the sacredness of weapons as weapons
were created to create the enemies of Dharma.
ਆਦਿ ਦੁਸ਼ਟਨੀ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਕਹਿ ਰਿਪ ਅਰਿ ਅੰਤ ਬਖਾਨ ॥ ਨਾਮ ਤੁਪਕ ਕੇ ਹੋਤ ਹੈਂ ਲੀਜਹੁ ਚਤੁਰ ਪਛਾਨ ॥੪੮੮॥

In the secular world weapons are becoming more and more
frowned upon. Atheist proclaim religion is the root of all war,
and if we want a world without war we must finish religion once and for
all. Media also like to twist religious verses around to support the claims
of atheist. For example, they often use the Quaran verse " kill the infidel"
to distort religion, but they dont take into consideration the historical
use of this verse. Muhammad was referring to the polytheist who
were innocently massacring the Monotheist the word infidel ( kafir) was not
used the same way bin Laden used the word. In fact, Muhmmad
had many peace treaties with other monothestic faiths.

Similarly many people misinterpret the verses of Kabyo Bach benti
ਅਬ ਰੱਛਾ ਮੇਰੀ ਤੁਮ ਕਰੋ ॥ ਸਿੱਖਯ ਉਬਾਰਿ ਅਸਿੱਖਯ ਸੱਘਰੋ ॥
and in attempt to please their pacifist( ahimsa) friends
they say asikh is referring to Panj Doots not the Mughals.

One often has fears that ahimsa philosophy will have a dominant
influence in SIkh religion due to secularism, despite Sri Dasmesh
giving orders to always keep and respect weapons ( loh)
Yes its true that Tyrants and War are not the same it was 300
years ago; however, tyranny still exist and such tyrants can
only be destroyed through Sarab Lohi Kharag.

wjkk wjkf,khalsa jio, the word ahimsa was not right. The right word is AHINSA. BHUL CHUK MUAF JI dassin dass.

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wjkk wjkf,khalsa jio, the word ahimsa was not right. The right word is AHINSA. BHUL CHUK MUAF JI dassin dass.

Harsh Singh jeeo, you are correct that the current pronunciation of this word is Ahinsa but traditionally Sanskrit scholars when writing in English always write this word as Ahimsa as opposed to Ahinsa. Just refer to Dr. Radhakirshnans' work - Indian Philosophy - or just google this word Ahimsa. Similarly for some reason the Sanskrit scholars write Gyana and jnana. The "G" is not the regular g, so they came up with jn to write this word.

Kulbir Singh

"Singhan kee jaat danga"

"shastran sio at hi ran bheetar joojh maron tao saach batheeje"

" na daron ar sio jab jayee laron, nische kar apni jeet karon"

But what is this danga, what is this yudh, what is this larai. This is the larai with panj inside us;

DHAN JEEO TEH KO JAG MAIN
MUKH TE HAR CHIT MAIN JUDH BEECHARE
DEH ANIT NA NIT RAHE JAS NAAV CHARE BHAV SAAGAR TARE
DHEERAJ DHAAM BANAYE EHE TAN, BUDH SION DEEPAK JIO UJIYARE
GIYANE KI BADHNI MANO HAATH LE KATIRTA KUTVAAR BUHARE.

We need to fight this yudh within our self. Once you have won this youdh you will be nirbhe and then you will not hesitate fighiting the karodh of someone else. Because you have already conquered krodh. So you are not scared of it any more.

BHE KAHOON KO DET NAHIN
NAA BHE MAANAT AAN

The major hinsa that sikh should be scared of is what thats mentioned by Bhagat Kabeer ji:

IS BANDE SIR JULAM HOT HAI

I dont want to go through that hinsa

Dass,

Kawaljit SIngh

This what Buddhism believes in.
There were numerous Buddhist Kingdoms in the present day Afghanistan & Pakistan area. When Muslim invaders came,Ahimsa cost them their 'existence' .

Chota veer