As social beings all humans
like non-violence since it guarantees peace which in turn is a prerequisite
for happiness. The roots of violence are deep and extensive and therefore to
destroy them is very difficult. However, it is not impossible. The best way to
do it is meditation. Before discovering the relation between meditation and
non-violence it is necessary to find out the root cause of violence, as also
the factors which provide sustenance to violence.
One of the most important
factors is stress. Violence is not possible in the absence of stress. A
relaxed person cannot commit violence. The muscles get tense, the mind becomes
tense and the feelings turn tense too. Violence is the natural outcome.
Basically, of course most tension is born of an agitated mind. There are two
types of stress: that which is born of a sense of arrogance and that born of a
sense of defeat. To the former belong cases of stress arising out of anger and
greed; to the latter those caused by despair, defeat and indolence. Whatever
the provenance, all types of tensions generate violence. A hurt ego can spell
disaster, so can the passions of anger and greed. Similarly, desperation and
defeat can also result in violence, as is the case with most suicides.
Against the backdrop of tension
or stress, it becomes meaningful to talk about meditation and non-violence. As
noted above, the most potent antidote to stress of all kinds is meditation. In
fact the main aim of meditation is to free man from stress. Kayotsarg
(abandonment of the body, a motionless posture of meditation) and
anupreksha or contemplation (reflection) are both a part of meditation.
The former quickly relieves muscle-tension even as dirgha svasa preksha
(perception of breath involving slow and complete exhalation and deep
inhalation) totally removes all mental tension. There are related techniques
like indriya sanyam mudra (meditational posture of controlling the
senses), jyoti kendra preksha (perception of the pineal gland),
anitya anupreksha (contemplation of impermanence) andekatua anupreksha
(contemplation of solitariness) which cure specific types of tension. The main
things being emphasized here is the efficacy of meditation as a complete cure
for all varieties of stress and tension.
Another factor involved in
violence is chemical imbalance. When there is an imbalance of glandular
secretions in the body, people become violent. Every endocrine gland has its
specific functions. What the pituitary gland does is different from
what the pineal gland does and similarly the thyroid and the adrenal glands
have their peculiar functions. A harmonious functioning of these glands keeps
a man balanced. Any imbalance, in the former results in an imbalance in the
latter. Meditation can restore the lost balance. Chaitanya kendra preksha
(perception of the psychic centers or the endocrine system) is an
effective means of curing the imbalance. Concentration on the jyoti
kendra (the pineal), darshan kendra (the pituitary), vishuddhi
kendra (the thyroid) and tejas kendra (the adrenals) balances
the flow of the hormones of the pineal, pituitary, thyroid and the adrenal
glands respectively. Such an understanding is duly backed by the findings of
modern biochemistry. Since violence can be ascribed to hormonal imbalances in
the body, meditation turns out to be their best therapy.
The third factor responsible
for violence is an imbalance in the nadi tantra (nervous system).
Occasionally we come across cases of motiveless violence. When questioned, the
agents of such violence simply say that they resort to violence for no reason
other than deriving joy. This type of violence is due to an imbalance in the
nervous system and its cure lies in samvritti shvas preksha (exhaling
breath through one nostril and inhaling through the other). It requires
alternate breathing through the two nostrils - inhaling through the left and
exhaling through the right nostril and then in the reverse order, and
repetition of the cycle. Hath yoga recognizes two parts of the nervous
system, the right being called pingla and the left ida. In the
language of medical science pingla is the sympathetic nervous system.
By practising samvritti shvas preksha a balance between the two systems
is created. Besides, an internal trip (travel of the conscious mind from the
bottom to the top of the spinal cord) also helps restore the balance. Once the
three parts of the nervous system-central, sympathetic and
parasympathetic-start acting in a balanced manner, violence automatically
disappears.
Another way of looking at the
problem is in terms of the two attitudes - positive and negative. Ordinarily
man has a preponderance of the latter. Hatred, jealousy, fear and lust are all
symptoms of a negative attitude and they are also the factors that contribute
to violence. Racism, casteism and all other forms of discrimination generate
violence due to the presence of the negative attitude. There is a need to
think positively making it impossible for the mind to harbor bad feelings for
others. Meditation develops positive thinking by insisting on practicing perception of the self. Seeing oneself, introspection, anitya anupreksha
(contemplation of impermanence) etc. are the sure means of developing positive
thinking and eliminating negative thinking, the fourth factor responsible for
violence.
The fifth element is being over
busy or exertion-mental, vocal and physical. Being busy and exerting are
undoubtedly essential for life, but there should be a limit to them. Today man
has broken all limits and has become over busy- a victim of overexertion. The
result again is violence. Nature ordains a balance between work and rest, both
mental and physical, and between speech and silence. To stop unnecessary
exertion of the body and the mind, as also of speech, is to lead a disciplined
life. Observing silence just for an hour in the day will be a great boost to
balanced living. Likewise, useless and unceasing thinking can prove unhinging.
So once again resting the mind for an hour during the day - keeping it free
from all thoughts- can prove immensely useful. Physical discipline, vocal
discipline and mental discipline are intrinsic to meditation. By practicing all the three of them we can severely restrain violence.
Look at the pathology of
violence. Doing violence or being violent brings about a complete change in
our biology. The muscles get an extra dose of blood and become tense. The
adrenals give out extra secretion, which mixes with the blood and pumps in an
excess of energy in the system. The liver too releases an extra of energy in
the system. The liver too releases an extra quantity of sugar in the blood
stream. It brings about physical, psychological and chemical reactions. With
the rise of aggressiveness breathing becomes fast. The normal rate of 10 to 15
breaths a minute goes up to 30 or 40. The stage is fully set for letting loose
violence. Meditation puts the brakes on the over-busyness of the body and the
mind and thus prevents violence. Once the above truth is properly grasped, the
way will be clear to adopt measures best calculated to put an end to crimes
and violence in society. Eventually no groping will be necessary for finding
the solution to the problems of nuclear armament and war.
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