What is Ahimsa and what does it have to do with being Vegan?

As I read more about being vegan, the term ‘ahimsa’ kept popping up and I wanted to know more. What I found had a very profound effect on me. It helped me to see that eliminating things from my life is just a part of the whole concept of being vegan.

There are many definitions, but basically Ahimsa translates into ‘non-injury to living beings or dynamic harmlessness.’ When I first read this, I thought, “Yeah, that’s cool. I figured it was something like that.” But as I looked more closely at the definition, I was struck by the direct call to action.

‘Dynamic harmlessness’ meant I was to do something; not just sit around and eat my veggies! What a revolutionary concept. As vegans, we actually have to get out there and do things; voice our opinion, challenge ideas and make a positive difference.

But as with any philosophy, there is a natural progression. At first you research and make sure you hold the idea to be true. Once you are convinced that it resonates with you, you may do things publicly that acknowledge your acceptance and say that you are a ‘believer’ in the idea. Normally at that point, you become ‘dynamic’ and try to convince others that the idea is worth checking out.

Well, ahimsa definitely resonates with me. I hold it to be true and it has inspired me to take action in any way I can to help others at least be introduced to the idea of being vegan and plant a seed of curiosity.

So, in my next post, I will share some ideas on how, as a wannabe vegan, you can by dynamically harmless!

Do you believe in ahimsa? I would love to hear your comments on the blog, on Facebook or on Twitter.