ahimsa

American  

[uh-him-sah, uh-hing-] / əˈhɪm sɑ, əˈhɪŋ- /

noun

Hinduism.

1. the principle of noninjury to living beings.

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ahimsa British  

/ ɑːˈhɪmsɑː /

noun

1. (in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist philosophy) the law of reverence for, and nonviolence to, every form of life

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Etymology

Origin of ahimsa

First recorded in 1830–35; from Sanskrit ahiṁsā “noninjury,” equivalent to a- privative suffix (cognate with Greek a- ) + hiṁsā injury, derivative of hánti “(he) slays,” Greek phónos “murder”; see origin at a- ⁶

Explanation

Ahimsa is an ancient spiritual concept that began in India and centers around avoiding all forms of violence and respecting all living things. The principle of ahimsa first appeared in the 4,000-year-old Indian spiritual and philosophical beliefs known as the Vedas. Many religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism have since adopted ahimsa as part of their core virtues. In Sanskrit, the word means "without injury," and it's commonly translated in English as "nonviolence." Ahimsa involves doing the least amount of harm you can to humans and other beings.

Example Sentences

Lawson and Lal often discussed Gandhi’s conception of ahimsa, the Sanskrit word for nonviolence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2024

The practice of ahimsa also calls for the practice of love and compassion toward all beings.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

It may be instructive to consider the possible connection between the core concept of ahimsa in classical Indian philosophy and Socrates’s harm principle as discussed above.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

What role does the concept of ahimsa play in politics, according to Gandhi?

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Undoubtedly the widespread Hindu acceptance of the principle of ahimsa, or non-killing, even in the case of animals, prepared the way for Gandhi more completely than would have been the case in western society.

From Introduction to Non-Violence by Paullin, Theodore