Printed in the Spring 2019 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Barbara, Hebert,"Viewpoint: Ahimsa in Practice" Quest 107:2, pg 10-11
By Barbara Hebert
National President
The focus of this issue of Quest is ahimsa. This word, familiar to many who tread the spiritual path, derives from the Sanskrit himsa, meaning to strike, injure, or harm. Ahimsa has the opposite meaning: to cause no harm or do no injury. Ahimsa is to have respect for all life and to avoid violence toward all others.
The national board of directors asked that Quest incorporate ahimsa as one of its topics because of the many board discussions regarding ahimsa and veganism. These discussions emanated from appeals by several members of the Theosophical Society in America to make veganism the primary diet at our national headquarters. While there are many reasons to consider veganism as a primary diet, the board decided to maintain the diet as is (ovo-lacto-vegetarian) while including substantial vegan options at meals. This decision was based primarily on the Society’s freedom of thought policy.
The Theosophical Society does not require any member to adhere to any specific practice, diet, or belief. Members have freedom of thought, belief, and action, as long as they are in sympathy with the Three Objects. Therefore the board decided not to require the change. But the board also determined that a thorough discussion of ahimsa would be useful to all on the spiritual path. Hence this issue.
Of course there are many books and videos on the importance of veganism, not just from a health perspective but also from ecological and ethical perspectives. The pioneering effort of many in moving from a meat diet to an ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet was monumental seventy-five to 100 years ago. Today many believe that maintaining an ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet is simply not enough and that as pioneers in the spiritual movement, we need to move away from all animal-based products. Once again, this is an individual decision, and it is hoped that a discussion regarding ahimsa will be valuable.
The First Object of the Theosophical Society is to encourage a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color. This object, clearly defining that all are welcome to join the Society, certainly relates to other human beings. However, it also points to something much deeper: the unity of all life and the spiritual evolution of all beings through the various kingdoms of nature (mineral, plant, animal, human, and beyond). This unitive nature of all beings lies at the heart both of our First Object and of ahimsa.
Joy Mills, late president of the TSA, in an article published in the November 1996 Theosophist entitled “Purpose of the Society’s Objects,” writes: “Does not the First Object lead us to examine our own conduct, our own reactions, our own relationships with others and with all forms of life, to see whether we have come even close to the realization of the true nature of brotherhood based on an absolute knowledge of the unitary nature of all existence?”
This concept, shared in Theosophical teachings, reminds us that all life is one. This is the basis for the First Object: we, and everything around us, are expressions of the One Life—or whatever we may choose to call it.
Some might say, “I wish I could experience the Ultimate Reality,” or “I wish I could experience God.” Because our world is illusory, we believe that we are separated from the Ultimate Reality, but that is not entirely true. Take a moment and look around. Everything you see is the One Life; all of the things you see—your family, friends, strangers, trees, animals, flowers, birds, insects, rocks—are expressions of the Ultimate Reality made manifest in this phenomenal world. We are looking at aspects of the One Life. We are looking at God. And we are surrounded by it every minute of every single day, if we would only recognize it.
Since all beings in existence in this material world are expressions of the One Life, aren’t we compelled to have an attitude of respect and nonviolence for the life within those beings, whether plant, animal, human, or other? If we are to take our Theosophical principles to heart, this is a subject to be contemplated deeply.
We may wonder, which comes first: a recognition of the One Life in all beings or ahimsa? Then we may wonder, what difference does it make which comes first? One will eventually lead us to the other.
As we act in accordance with ahimsa toward other creatures, we are respecting and recognizing the One Life that is expressed in all forms in this physical world. By doing so, we transform our consciousness. We are practicing altruism and thus doing the work of this great organization to which we belong.
H.P. Blavatsky writes, as have many others, that the true work of the Theosophical Society is altruism. Altruism can be defined as the selfless concern for the well-being of others. In Theosophical teachings, altruism focuses on service to humanity and to all emanations of the One Life. But there are so many who are in need and so many ways to help. How do we decide upon an altruistic path?
Because of our principle of the freedom and autonomy of all members, there is no one specific altruistic action that the organization of the Theosophical Society will identify. Each of us must choose in our own way, guided by our own passions and interests, how we will help others. However, if we look a bit more deeply, it quickly becomes clear that one way in which each and every member of the Theosophical Society can, in addition to other altruistic acts, serve humanity is to facilitate the raising of consciousness.
Raising the consciousness of humanity—what a gargantuan task! How do we even begin? In order to change the consciousness of humanity, we must first change our own. We may call it self-transformation, self-regeneration, expansion of consciousness, or anything else, but whatever we call it, we must change ourselves so that we can change the world.
Assuming that the Theosophical teachings regarding the unity of all life are accurate (and, of course, I do make that assumption!), then it stands to reason that as one part of the whole changes, the rest must change as well, even if it is a miniscule change. It is much like putting a drop of dye into a container of water: the color of the water changes, even if just a tiny bit. Through this process of self-regeneration, self-transformation, or expansion of consciousness, we continue to add small drops of dye until eventually the color of the water in the entire container has been changed. In such a way, as we change ourselves, we change the world.
Changing ourselves and hence transforming the world is an act of altruism in which all of us can partake. This raising of consciousness is, in a way, an act of ahimsa. By undertaking this arduous process of self-regeneration, we promulgate respect for life and nonviolence towards ourselves and therefore toward all beings. In this way, we are truly living a Theosophical life.
These thoughts bring us back to the original topic of our discussion—veganism. As we gather information, contemplate the various aspects of the unitive nature of all life, and consider dietary implications, each of us will make personal decisions about diet as we move forward. These decisions will likely be based on our own understanding of our place in the world and our role in living altruistic lives. I wish us all well in our contemplative journeys.